NFL Playoff Predictions 2011: Contenders and Pretenders

Week 10 of the 2011 National Football League is just about in the books, and as we all watched another weekend of exciting action, blowouts, nail-biters and the weirdest fourth down call in overtime I can remember (what was Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith thinking?) we also witnessed as the playoff picture got a bit clearer.

Let's take a look at a few teams that should be able to make some hay when the NFL's second season gets underway in January; as well as a few that have all the looks of being one-and-done if they can get into the playoffs at all.

1. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are sitting pretty in the AFC South at 7-3 after throttling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-9 Sunday.

With a stranglehold on their division, and a much improved defense under new coordinator Wade Phillips, the Texans appear poised not only to make their first postseason appearance, but win their first playoff game as well.

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2. Baltimore Ravens

There may well be no more maddening team in the NFL than the Ravens.

Throttle the Houston Texans, then lose the next week to the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars. Pull out a great come-from-behind win against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, then drop the next game to the woeful Seattle Seahawks.

The Ravens are certainly a talented team, but their inconsistency may well be their undoing.

PRETENDER

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

After dropping last week's heartbreaker to the Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers righted the ship somewhat with a road win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Even though the Steelers dropped both meetings with Baltimore this season, when it's all said and done and the dust has settled, I still expect Pittsburgh to emerge from the AFC North.

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4. Buffalo Bills

The bloom appears to be off the rose in Buffalo, as the Bills have now dropped two in a row after being annihilated 44-7 by the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 10 matchup.

With the way the Bills defense is playing right now, Buffalo will be lucky to make the playoffs at all, much less win a game in the second season.

PRETENDER

5. San Francisco 49ers

They may not rack up the style points while they do it, but the San Francisco 49ers keep piling up the wins, downing the NFC East-leading New York Giants 27-20 Sunday.

With the NFC West all but won at this point, the 49ers can now turn their attention to securing the NFC's No. 2 seed and home-field advantage over every team that's not the Green Bay Packers.

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6. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys looked like world-beaters in throttling the Buffalo Bills by 37 points, but as good as Dallas can look one week, it can look just as beatable the next.

Schizophrenic tendencies aren't generally conducive to long playoff runs.

PRETENDER