NFL Power Rankings Week 13: Fading Teams That Won't Be Able to Resurrect Seasons

Several NFL teams have hit the skids at the wrong time and will end up paying the price for their struggles.

For example, here are three teams that have watched their playoff hopes fade away before the calendar even hits December.

San Diego Chargers

What happened to the Chargers? They've lost six straight games since the bye week, and Philip Rivers continues to struggle mightily after entering the season as an MVP candidate.

A difficult three-game stretch to finish the regular season likely ends any hope of a playoff run.

There should be no way Norv Turner survives another offseason as the team's head coach. He is consistently given enough talent to produce big results and rarely lives up to the corresponding expectations.

A fresh outlook might allow San Diego to play up to its capability next season. It certainly can't go much worse than the last couple of months.

Buffalo Bills

Buffalo's downfall was a little more expected. The Bills surprised a lot of people with their early-season success, but they are now destined to miss the playoffs–again. It's a fanbase that hasn't enjoyed a postseason game since 1999's “Music City Miracle.”

The Bills have suffered a plethora of key injuries, including Fred Jackson and Kyle Williams, which played a part in their downfall. However, the more likely culprit has been the defense's lack of turnovers after leading the league in that category a couple weeks into the season.

Even though this season has turned into a major disappointment, Buffalo still has a lot of nice pieces to serve as its foundation. Now the front office most focus on adding more playmakers on defense, especially pass-rushers.

Kansas City Chiefs

After a dreadful start, Kansas City turned things around in a big way by rattling off four straight victories to get back into playoff contention. But the Chiefs have lost their last four to terminate any momentum they had built up.

Without Jamaal Charles, Kansas City's offense doesn't have enough explosiveness to win games on a consistent basis. Matt Cassel's injury only compounded the problem. He's nothing more than an average QB, but that's still a lot better than Tyler Palko.

While their mini-run gave hope to fans, it will take some time for the Chiefs to truly turn things around. If they decide to go the quarterback route in April's draft, the process will take even longer. That said, it's probably the best long-term option.

Tim Daniels' Week 13 NFL Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. New England Patriots
4. Houston Texans
5. New Orleans Saints
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Dallas Cowboys
9. Oakland Raiders
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. Cincinnati Bengals
12. Detroit Lions
13. Denver Broncos
14. Chicago Bears
15. New York Jets
16. Tennessee Titans
17. New York Giants
18. Buffalo Bills
19. Arizona Cardinals
20. Washington Redskins
21. Philadelphia Eagles
22. Cleveland Browns
23. Seattle Seahawks
24. Kansas City Chiefs
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
26. San Diego Chargers
27. Carolina Panthers
28. Miami Dolphins
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Minnesota Vikings
31. St. Louis Rams
32. Indianapolis Colts