NFL Teams That Have Regressed Since First Half of 2011

Several NFL teams started this season off strong, only to regress as the weeks went on.

Injuries have been an undeniable factor in some cases, but others were just pretenders to begin with (I'm talking about you Washington Redskins).

There is still a lot of football to be played, and all of these teams have time get their season's back on track. Teams like the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers are simply too talented to keep on losing.

With divisional races heating up, let's look at six teams who have regressed since the season began.

6. Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders are a team built on running the football.

So it makes sense that their regression dates back to Darren McFadden's injury against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7. Michael Bush has been an adequate replacement, but he is not McFadden.

What benefits Oakland moving forward is the division they play in.

The AFC West is one of the worst divisions in the NFL, and the Raiders' 5-4 record is good enough for the top spot right now.

The addition of Carson Palmer at quarterback should improve the passing game over time, but the Raiders need McFadden back to play at an elite level.

5. New England Patriots

To say that the New England Patriots have regressed is a serious accusation, but it has some validity.

This is a football team who has lost two consecutive games for the first time in seemingly forever.

Having Tom Brady still allowed them to win five of their first six contests, but the rest of the NFL has figured out how to beat the Patriots: throw the football.

New England is allowing 314 passing yards per game, the most in the league.

The Patriots are still one of the better teams in the AFC, no one is questioning that, but they are certainly regressing.

What benefits New England is that they play only two great passing offenses in the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills the rest of the regular season.

4. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans are a team who caught people by surprise early in the season.

Acquiring Matt Hasselbeck seemed smart, but he wasn't supposed to carry the offensive load.

Yet somewhere along the way, Chris Johnson forgot how to run the football. He has only 366 yards rushing all season.

Early on, Hasselbeck was able to shoulder the burden and help this team win important games over the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns.

But it seems the lack of a running game has caught up to the Titans.

Tennessee has lost three of their last four games, including an important divisional loss to the Houston Texans.

Losing star receiver Kenny Britt earlier this season was a serious setback, but the AFC South is weak enough that the Titans could still turn things around if Chris Johnson remembers how to run.

3. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills started this season off on fire.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for nine touchdowns in their first three games, all of which were wins. Since then, the Bills are 2-3 and Fitzpatrick has thrown for just six touchdowns.

The consistent bright spot for Buffalo has been the play of running back Fred Jackson. He has broken out this year with 803 yards rushing and six touchdowns through eight games.

The Bills are much more suspect on defense. They are in the bottom third of the league in both passing and rushing yards allowed per game.

The good news for Buffalo is they remain in a three-way tie for the AFC East division lead.

The Bills need to tighten up defensively and develop a more consistent passing game. Only then will they be able to sustain success and prove they are legitimate contenders.

2. Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins are a team who has fallen apart in recent weeks.

They began the season winning three of their first four games but have since dropped four straight.

When Rex Grossman was good, they pulled off victories over the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. But his inconsistent play led to a quarterback change in favor of John Beck.

This QB carousel has clearly disrupted the Redskins, and their record has suffered accordingly.

Washington is quickly falling out of the NFC East race. At least this week they play the Miami Dolphins, a team with only one win.

1. San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers has not been himself so far this season.

The perennial Pro Bowler has not stepped up in key situations like he is expected to. On six different occasions this season, Rivers has thrown multiple interceptions.

In spite of this, the San Diego Chargers were still able to win four of their first five games, but none of those victories came against elite opponents.

Now the Chargers are riding a four-game losing streak, including games they were expected to win against the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders.

San Diego has enough talent to match up with anyone in the NFL.

If Philip Rivers is able to turn his game around, then San Diego's fortunes will likely change accordingly.