NFL Predictions Week 6: Oakland Raiders and Early-Season Wild-Card Contenders

Playoffs!?!

It's never too early to start talking about the NFL playoffs. Hell, it's only Week 6 and ESPN is already calling on mathematicians to break down the 1-4 Eagles' chances of making the postseason.

Many of the league's divisions are still up for grabs, while the realities of a 16-game season wait to kick in.

When the dust settles in early January, eight teams will have booked a trip to the NFL's postseason, and four more will have done the same while fending off the rest of the pack as wild cards.

Here are three teams that are destined to sneak into the playoffs as wild cards in 2011:

Oakland Raiders (3-2)

The San Diego Chargers are far from running away with the AFC West crown at this point in the season, but given their talent and stellar quarterback play, they seem to be everyone's favorite to win the division.

Oakland boasts the NFL's best rusher in Darren McFadden and will have a perfect blueprint for sneaking into the playoffs, and then upsetting a division champion on the road.

Bottom line: They have the feel of a 2009 or 2010 New York Jets team right now.

Buffalo Bills (4-1)

The Bills are playing well this season and they seem to be the real deal rather than bad team off to a hot start.

The Patriots should separate themselves in the long run and take the AFC East easily. The head-to-head win over New England certainly helps Buffalo, but there is little room for error when it comes to competing with the Pats in the East, just ask Rex Ryan and the Jets.

Bottom line: Their +44 differential is third-best in the AFC behind Baltimore and New England.

Detroit Lions (5-0)

This one is easy, but also confusing. How can an undefeated team not be the favorite to win the division?

The Green Bay Packers are the favorites in the NFC North this year, having won the Super Bowl last season and remaining perfect in 2011.

Detroit's record could very well be good enough for a divisional crown; unfortunately, the Lions are the worst of the best.

Bottom line: They will have the wins, just not against the Packers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)

The young Bucs have been inconsistent through five weeks of the season, but will have the talent to out-perform struggling Atlanta behind New Orleans in the NFC South.

Josh Freeman has shown glimpses of the next best thing in the fourth quarter, but the Saints are poised to take the South division this season after being knocked off in 2010 by the Falcons.

Bottom line: The NFC East is down this season, and the West is worse.