NFL Playoff Picture: Detroit Lions and Early-Season Surprises That Will Miss out

There was so much hope for so many dormant NFL franchises in the early portion of the 2011 season. A full-on football revival had captivated the hearts and minds of legions of long-suffering fans across America's Rust Belt.

Then, like clockwork, we were all reminded that a lot can happen in four months, that a 16-game schedule can be and often is replete with pitfalls and potholes, especially for those teams unaccustomed to winning.

And so, as we approach the stretch run of the current campaign, it appears as though even the most heartwarming stories the league has seen this year are bound to end in disappointment, with these three surprising teams on their way out of the playoff picture.

Detroit Lions

My oh my, how things have changed since the Lions' rousing 5-0 start. They've gone from living the charmed life to being marked men, with commissioner Roger Goodell's watch firmly affixed to their day-to-day dealings in the wake of Ndamukong Suh's dirty Turkey Day stomp against the Packers.

That fiasco took the focus off of Matthew Stafford, who's thrown nine interceptions in his last three games on account of an injury to his throwing hand after getting picked off just four times in his first eight contests.

At 7-4, the Lions will likely be left to tussle for one of two Wild Card spots with the Atlanta Falcons, the Chicago Bears and the New York Giants.

No easy task, considering the continued absence of running back Jahvid Best, the expected suspension of Suh and, most disconcertingly, the rest of the schedule, which includes games against New Orleans, Oakland and Green Bay.

Buffalo Bills

At least the Lions are still on the fringes of the postseason scrum. The same cannot quite be said for the Bills, who've fallen on hard times since their blistering 4-1 start, during which they topped the Raiders, the Patriots and the Eagles in thrillers at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

A four-game losing streak has dropped Buffalo to 5-6 on the season, a full three games behind New England and a game back of New York in the AFC East after losing to the Jets on Sunday.

With Fred Jackson out for the year, Ryan Fitzpatrick failing to live up to his new contract and Stevie Johnson spending more time clowning around than helping his team, the Bills will be hard-pressed to win even three of their final five games, much less leapfrog the Titans, the Jets, the surging Broncos and the Bengals into the sixth seed in the AFC.

Cincinnati Bengals

Speaking of the Bengals, their Cinderella story of a season is also fast approaching midnight.

Cincinnati is currently hanging onto the last spot in the AFC playoff chase by virtue of a 7-4 record and, regardless of the upcoming schedule, are a solid-enough team to merit a postseason berth. Rookies Andy Dalton and AJ Green have revitalized the Bengals offense, while the defense has been among the best in the NFL all season.

Unfortunately for Cincy, the schedule certainly does matter, and the one remaining for Marvin Lewis' squad is as tough as any in football. The Bengals still have a road game at Pittsburgh and home games against Houston and Baltimore left on tap.

Meanwhile, the Broncos, the Jets and the Titans will continue to nip at their heels leading up to what figures to be a photo finish in the AFC.