Buffalo Bills and 4 Fast-Start Teams That Won't Make the Playoffs

We see this every year. We see teams get off to a hot start, and when we least expect it, they fall apart in the second half of the season.

Everyone has been going crazy over how the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions have shocked us as it appears they have turned their franchises around. Or did they?

Some teams start hot and slip in the final stretch to miss the opportunity to play in the postseason in order to make it to the Super Bowl. Which teams will miss the chance to play in the postseason after getting off to a fast start?

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Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills started 3-0 and were the top scoring team in the league, only to lose three of their last five.

The Bills are about to prepare for a three-game road stretch. During the second half of the season, they will visit the Jets and Patriots before the season is over.

After a huge comeback victory over the Patriots, the Bills began to slip and gave away first place in the AFC East to the Patriots.

The Bills handled the Kansas City Chiefs with ease, but most of their games after Week 1 were no cake walks. The Bills have a couple of easy-looking games on their schedule, but will it be enough to help the Bills sneak in to the playoffs?

San Diego Chargers

This has been an odd season for the Chargers. They are used to starting slow, looking like the worst team in the league. Then they fire up and finish hot in the month of December to come back and become AFC West champions.

This year, the Chargers got off to a 4-1 start with a commanding lead in the AFC West.

However, the Chargers are currently losers of three straight games with crucial turnovers in the fourth quarter.

Philip Rivers has been the weakest link for the Chargers and is currently leading the league in interceptions. Rivers has 14 interceptions and is one away from tying a career high for most interceptions thrown in a single season.

The Chargers are in a three-way tie for first place in their division with a 4-4 record. If Rivers and the Chargers continue to give away games, they won’t be able to win the division.

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions pulled a lot of strings to come away with a 5-0 start to the season.

The Lions had comeback wins against the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys to keep their unbeaten streak alive at the time. But losses to San Francisco and Atlanta at home created a small set back.

The Lions turned things around with a big win in Denver and hope to sweep the Chicago Bears this week in their season series to help keep a lead in the wild card over their division rivals.

We all know the Lions won’t be able to beat the Packers for the NFC North, but the competition for the wild-card spot in the NFC won’t be an easy one to get. The Lions suffered a loss to the Falcons, who are trying to put themselves in position to be a wild-card team.

The Lions have the Packers (twice) and the Saints remaining on their schedule, which could give them some problems and eliminate them after a tight race for the two wild-card spots in the NFC.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers got off to an ugly start after a 35-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but have managed to bounce back and put together a 6-3 record.

The Steelers defense came through the most against the Patriots where Tom Brady was given no opportunity to make any big plays.

But like the Lions, the Steelers are involved in a tight race for the AFC wild card. Currently, they hold a six seed in the AFC with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills hanging behind them.

The Steelers have face off against the Cincinnati Bengals twice and the San Francisco 49ers later in the season. If the Ravens and the Jets manage to win most of their games, the Steelers could miss the postseason.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Like a lot of teams, the Buccaneers started off with a 3-1 record. Right now, the Buccaneers have lost three of their previous four contests and are 4-4 on the season.

Despite holding a 2-1 record in the division, the Buccaneers are behind the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. Tampa Bay came away with a big win against the Saints in October, but fell to them a month later.

The Buccaneers are facing the Packers and the Falcons on the road, which could give them some trouble and it may not be enough to keep them in the run to become a wild-card team in the NFC.

If Josh Freeman, who is on pace to have a career high for most interceptions in a single season, can improve his eight touchdown-10 interception ratio, then perhaps the Buccaneers have a legitimate shot at sneaking in to the postseason.

As of now, Freeman has caused some problems and has set the Buccaneers back.