NFL Bold Predictions: Winning Teams That Will Miss the Playoffs

Of the 19 NFL teams above .500 going into Week 9, which will miss the 12-team playoff party? Unfortunately for New York Giants or New York Jets faithful, along with others, there will be nothing but disappointment come playoff time. 

This will cause diehard fans fits, as it'll be a long offseason of wondering what went wrong. Star players will come under scrutiny and coaches will be fired because of the collapse of their once assuring seasons. 

For the next two months, football fans will feverishly debate about which teams are legit contenders and who should start planning for next year. Right now, there's plenty of weeding out to do and the fog will begin to clear this week. The second half promises to be a melee to the very end.

Here are the winning teams that will miss the playoffs.  

AFC West: San Diego Chargers

The 4-3 San Diego Chargers are headed in the wrong direction. After winning three straight games before their Week 6 bye, the Chargers have dropped consecutive games in lackluster fashion.

Quarterback Philip Rivers has thrown 11 interceptions and fumbled the ball five times already. Running back Ryan Matthews has only ran for over 100 yards once and receiver Vincent Jackson only has 98 yards in the last three weeks combined. 

To make matters worse for the Chargers, seven of their final nine opponents have a winning record right now. This doesn't bode well for a team that's unsure of itself. 

Expect the Chargers to miss the playoffs and head coach Norv Turner to be on his way out of San Diego.

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs

The 4-3 Kansas City Chiefs may be one of the hottest teams in the NFL, but they won't make the playoffs. 

After an atrocious start to the season filled with awful injuries and 40-point losses, the Chiefs have won four straight games. They may even win six straight before their season takes a tough turn. Weeks 11 through 16 are extremely tough and the Chiefs will struggle.

Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has yet to throw for 300 yards this season and has a touchdown to interception ratio of 1:1.

Due to the injury to running back Jamaal Charles, the Chiefs don't have a No. 1 back. Replacement Jackie Battle deserves credit for making an impact, but it's unknown if he can carry the load the rest of the season.

Chiefs fans should be proud of the adversity their team overcame in 2011 and look forward to the draft.  

NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The 4-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers have too many inconsistencies to make the playoffs this year.

For starters, quarterback Josh Freeman has taken a step backwards. After throwing 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions last year, he has already thrown 10 interceptions this season. Freeman has failed to complete at least 60 percent of his passes for three straight games. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the Bucs are mediocre at best. They allow 267.7 yards per game through the air and 123.4 yards per game on the ground. This sort of punishment will take its toll on the defense by Week 17.

The Buccaneers' remaining schedule includes five teams that are above .500, of which four of these games are on the road. They also have two upcoming games against the 2-6 Carolina Panthers, who are seemingly always one Cam Newton to Steve Smith bomb away from a win. 

While there is no doubt that the future is bright in Tampa Bay, 2011 isn't their year. 

AFC South: Tennessee Titans

The 4-3 Tennessee Titans started a surprising 3-1 but have since stumbled. 

The Titans have trouble in the running department. Their run defense is ranked 27th and allows 129.3 yards per game while their run offense is dead last in the NFL. Thanks to Chris Johnson's 2.8 yards per carry, the Titans' rushing attack stinks. 

Every week that goes by is a week where Chris Johnson seems to fall further. This problem will only continue to snowball as the season progresses. 

Titans fans should look forward to 2012, as this season will be one of prolonged agony. 

NFC North: Chicago Bears

The 4-3 Chicago Bears have won two straight but don't have enough offensive weapons to make the playoffs. 

Quarterback Jay Cutler is known as a gunslinger but is only averaging 211 yards per game in the Bears' last four games. It doesn't help that he's been sacked 21 times already. The Bears' offensive line is suspect. 

Running back Matt Forte leads the team in both rushing and receptions and already has over 1,000 total yards on the season. It's true that Forte is an all-world talent, but he can't be the Bears' only offensive threat. The only problem is that the Bears don't have another credible option. 

As for defense, the Bears are ranked 28th in pass defense. This is a sign that their vaunted defense is aging. Although intimidating, opponents may sense that the Bears' defense isn't as strong as they once were.

The Bears play five teams above .500 the rest of the way and their last two games are on the road. Fans should look forward to the team drafting an offensive lineman, a wide receiver and a defensive back. 

AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals

The 5-2 Cincinnati Bengals are overachieving at the moment. The team wasn't supposed to do much of anything but have proved nearly everyone wrong to this point.

Led by rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, the Bengals have won four straight. His biggest target is none other than fellow rookie wide receiver A.J. Green. Together, the future is bright for the Bengals' offense.

The Bengals' defense is one of the NFL's best at the moment. They're ranked ninth in pass defense and second against the rush. 

What's alarming about the Bengals is that they've only beaten one team with a .500 record or better so far. They also have yet to play the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, which are both AFC North rivals. 

Combined with a tough schedule down the stretch and inexperience, the Bengals will miss out on the playoffs. Fans should be excited for the future, though, as the team is on its way to prominence. 

AFC East: New York Jets

The 4-3 New York Jets have been streaky this year. Right now, they're riding a two-game win streak and coming off a Week 8 bye. Who knows what's next?

The Jets' offense isn't strong enough to carry them to the playoffs. Quarterback Mark Sanchez only completes 55.8 percent of his passes and the team only averages 92.4 yards per game on the season.

Starting running back Shonn Greene did finally break the 100-yard plateau in their last game against the San Diego Chargers, but it's not certain that he'll do this on a regular basis.

The defense does stop the opposing passing game quite well but fails to do so against the run, allowing 126.9 yards per game.

The Jets are too unstable to become a playoff team this year. Fans' patience will be wearing thin with Mark Sanchez, as they'll have to wait until next year for another run at the Super Bowl.

NFC East: New York Giants

The 5-2 New York Giants will miss the playoffs because they have the toughest remaining schedule in football.

The Giants have only beat one team with a winning record thus far and both losses have come against below .500 teams. They have five road games left, along with five games within the NFC East. 

The Giants lack a strong running game and Ahmad Bradshaw, their best rusher, is going to try to play with a broken foot. Backup running back Brandon Jacobs is only averaging 3.0 yards per carry.

Along with Bradshaw, star receiver Hakeem Nicks is fighting a hamstring injury at the moment.

While these injuries aren't season-ending threats, they definitely hinder the Giants' chances at putting points on the scoreboard. 

In the end, the Giants will falter at the finish line and fail to make the playoffs. Head coach Tom Coughlin will ultimately be fired.