NFL Week 13 Power Rankings: Top Teams That Will Be Exposed in Playoffs

We've learned time and again in the NFL that regular-season success does not always translate into playoff success. 

Recent teams like the 2008 Tennessee Titans, 2010 Atlanta Falcons and 2010 New England Patriots come to mind. Goodness knows there are plenty of examples beyond them.

Let's face it. The postseason is a different challenge, and not every contender has the goods to survive it. 

When I look at the NFL playoff picture right now, I see a handful of teams that could be doomed in the postseason. There are four teams, however, that I know are going to be doomed in the postseason.

Atlanta Falcons (No. 12)

For a while, it looked as if the Falcons were going to miss out on the playoffs altogether.

Luckily for them, the Falcons have won five out of six and are currently in line to nab a wild-card berth. Barring a major collapse, they're getting into the playoffs.

The Falcons won't be going far once they get into the playoffs, though. Matt Ryan is still too inconsistent to take this team anywhere, and Atlanta's defense has way too many holes in it. This is especially true when it comes to stopping the pass, as the Falcons' pass defense simply hasn't been sharp this season.

I suppose I wouldn't be shocked if the Falcons made it past the wild-card round, but they're not good enough to make it beyond the divisional round. The teams they're likely to run into are simply too good.

Houston Texans (No. 9)

The Texans are currently the top seed in the AFC, but I have a feeling you know where I'm going with this discussion.

No doubt you've heard about Houston's quarterback woes. Matt Schaub is gone for the season, and so is Matt Leinart. That leaves rookie T.J. Yates to pick up the slack. He's solid, but the Texans were much better off with Leinart, which is saying something.

The Texans will be able to compensate for Yates during the regular season. Their defense is scary good, and Arian Foster and Ben Tate make for a truly elite rushing attack.

But in the playoffs, you gotta have a quarterback to succeed. The Texans won't go down without a fight, but they will go down. 

Oakland Raiders (No. 7)

The Raiders have some tough games remaining on their schedule, but they should be able to hang on to win the AFC West. They're playing some pretty good football right now, and they should be even better once some of their injured players return.

I personally think the Silver and Black have more than enough offense to succeed in the playoffs. I just can't say the same about their defense, which is at best mediocre. The Raiders look good here and there, but as a whole their defense is definitely beatable.

Just like the Falcons, I can see the Raiders making it through the wild-card round. The trouble is, they would have to come across a competent offensive team sooner or later, and that competent offensive team should be able to dispatch them.

San Francisco 49ers (No. 3)

If you believe in the whole "defense wins championships" mantra, then the 49ers are the team for you.

But alas, you need at least a little offense to succeed in the playoffs, and I just don't think the 49ers have enough. All you have to do is neutralize Frank Gore and then go to town on Alex Smith. We saw the Baltimore Ravens do this to perfection on Thanksgiving.

I've already written that there really aren't many teams that are capable of doing what the Ravens did to the 49ers. There are a couple of these teams in the NFC, however, and the 49ers will not be able to avoid them once the postseason starts.

The 49ers' future is certainly bright, but asking them to win it all this year is asking a lot.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 13 Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	11-0
2	Baltimore Ravens	8-3
3	San Francisco 49ers	9-2
4	New Orleans Saints	7-3
5	New England Patriots	8-3
6	Pittsburgh Steelers	8-3
7	Oakland Raiders	7-4
8	Cincinnati Bengals	7-4
9	Houston Texans	8-3
10	Chicago Bears	7-4
11	Dallas Cowboys	7-4
12	Atlanta Falcons	7-4
13	Detroit Lions	7-4
14	Denver Broncos	6-5
15	New York Giants	6-4
16	New York Jets	6-5
17	Tennessee Titans	6-5
18	Buffalo Bills	5-6
19	Philadelphia Eagles	4-7
20	Washington Redskins	4-7
21	Seattle Seahawks	4-7
22	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-7
23	Arizona Cardinals	4-7
24	Carolina Panthers	3-8
25	San Diego Chargers	4-7
26	Kansas City Chiefs	4-7
27	Cleveland Browns	4-7
28	Miami Dolphins	3-8
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	3-8
30	Minnesota Vikings	2-9
31	St. Louis Rams	2-9
32	Indianapolis Colts	0-11