NFL Week 12 Picks: Teams Whose Playoff Hopes Will Be Dashed This Weekend

A championship isn't won over the first 12 weeks of the NFL season, but it can most certainly be lost during that time. Several teams that either entered the season with high expectations or created them early in the year are on the verge of losing their opportunity to play in the postseason.

While few, if any, teams are going to officially be eliminated from playoff contention this week, plenty can essentially become lame ducks. Here are three teams thought to be postseason contenders that will effectively have their hopes dashed with losses in Week 12.

Kansas City Chiefs

After surprisingly winning the AFC West last season, the Kansas City Chiefs entered 2011 with hopes of a repeat. Things went terribly wrong immediately, though, as running back Jamaal Charles and safety Eric Berry were lost for the season. The Chiefs battled back to get in the division race after a bad start, but have since tailed off.

The Chiefs are now just 4-6 and sit two games behind the Oakland Raiders in the division. One loss would ensure that they could finish no better than 9-7, making their playoff chances quite grim. Quarterback Matt Cassel is also out for the year, meaning the inexperienced Tyler Palko will have to start against the dominant Pittsburgh Steelers defense, and that is a recipe for disaster.

Buffalo Bills

Nobody thought the Buffalo Bills would even sniff the playoffs this season, but after a 5-2 start, including a win over the New England Patriots, it seemed like a possibility. The Bills have since lost three straight games in blow-out fashion, however, and are now hanging by a string. They will have to beat the 5-5 New York Jets in order to get back into it on Sunday.

The Jets easily handled the Bills on the road a few weeks ago, and Buffalo has done nothing to alter the result this time. The Bills have suffered an incredible amount of injuries in recent weeks, particularly on offense. Star running back Fred Jackson was placed on injured reserve, meaning Buffalo will be unable to exploit the Jets' weak run defense and will likely suffer another crushing defeat.

Philadelphia Eagles

After a number of high-profile offseason signings, the Philadelphia Eagles were viewed as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Philly got off to an extremely shaky start, however, and that has only continued as the season has grown older. Quarterback Michael Vick and wide receiver Jeremy Maclin are both unlikely to play on Sunday against the dominant New England Patriots.

While the Eagles played good defense and mistake-free offense without Vick and Maclin last week in a win over the New York Giants, it will be tough for them to keep pace with the Patriots' high-scoring offense. The Eagles' poor defense has improved in recent weeks, but Tom Brady and the Pats are likely to supply a reality check and destroy Philadelphia's playoff hopes.