5 Teams Whose Playoff Hopes Were Dashed in Week 6

Week 6 in the NFL is not often a defining moment in most teams' season; however, for several teams this week was a season-ender. For one team it was due to an injury. For four more teams it was the product of a bad loss. 

What makes one game define a season this early in the year? There could be a very tough upcoming schedule. It could be a key division loss. It could be a loss to a team nobody thought had a chance. Regardless, for these five teams, I say their season is done, and here's why. 

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville fell to 1-5 on the season with their loss at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Although they didn't look as bad as the experts thought, it is clear Jacksonville is a team in rebuilding mode. With a rookie quarterback, and no receiving corps to speak of, the offense is stagnant and Maurice Jones-Drew is not the same back he was a few seasons ago.

But how can the Jaguars have their hopes dashed now? Weren't they dashed a long time ago? Not in this division, without Peyton Manning and without Andre Johnson. In a division where the winner may just need eight wins to get in the playoffs, if the Jaguars had gotten to 2-4 they may have still had some hope with two division games coming up after Baltimore comes to their house. 

St. Louis Rams

The Rams are bad. The Packers are very good. Therefore, the Packers beat the Rams easily on Sunday. But again, in arguably the worst division in football, every win is extremely valuable and getting one yesterday may have saved the Rams season. Falling to 0-5 however, is a hole too deep to climb out of, especially when the San Francisco 49ers are somehow 5-1. 

The upcoming schedule isn't favorable for St. Louis either, first traveling to Dallas and in Week 7 and then playing the Saints in Week 8. With Sam Bradford injured, the Dolphins may be rooting for the Rams to lose just as much as themselves. Why? Because the Rams may be the only contender in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes that would not take him should they get the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. 

Minnesota Vikings

Welcome to the Christian Ponder-era in Minnesota. I'm not sure if Donovan McNabb will start again for the Vikings, but their season is over regardless. A win in Soldier Field on Sunday may have given the Vikes a glimmer of hope in what has been an unbelievably frustrating season, but instead Minnesota got clobbered by a division rival. 

One can argue Minnesota didn't have any playoff shot in a loaded division. Probably true. But the potential shift to the rookie quarterback, as well as getting blown out as opposed to having a late lead in a game, combine to spell the official end to the Vikings season. 

Oh by the way, Green Bay looms twice in the next three games. 

Buffalo Bills

The Bills are one of the feel good stories of the NFL this season. Led by a Harvard grad quarterback and a running back who burst onto the scene faster than anyone else this year, the Bills sit at 4-2, a place few people predicted they would be. 

But a loss to the Giants on Sunday, coupled with the Patriots and Jets winning, could mean the end of the road for the Bills. Although their upcoming schedule is not quite as daunting as Minnesota's, it's formidable: With the Redskins, Jets, and Cowboys all coming up. Unless they come out 2-1 in those games, and the Jets don't pick up steam, the Bills could be in their predictable third place very soon. 

Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders, at 4-2, and in a weak division, may not be as out of the race as some of these other teams, but they have one key element working against them. Starting quarterback Jason Campbell is going to undergo surgery to fix a broken collarbone, and will be sidelined at least six weeks. 

No, Jason Campbell is no Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. But what he does do is manage the game, protect the football and add a mobility element that Kyle Boller or A.J Feely probably can't provide. With three-consecutive division games coming up, teams will be doing whatever possible to force the backup quarterback to beat them, and the potential replacements for Campbell don't inspire much confidence. 

If San Diego pulls away in these next few weeks, it may be greatly due in part to the absence of Campbell. Oakland is in a must win situation against Kansas City on Sunday for their team, and for the confidence of whoever steps into the starter's shoes.