NFL Week 14 Picks: Predicting Teams Due for a Loss

Every week, half of the teams in the NFL will lose. That's just a fact that every team has to deal with on a weekly basis.

With the playoffs rapidly approaching, a single loss can mean the difference between playing football in January or watching it from home.

Here are four teams that are likely to lose in Week 14, dashing any remaining hopes of a playoff appearance—or a .500 record—in their futures.

Cleveland Browns (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

It will be a stretch if the Cleveland Browns can manage to end their season better than 5-11, their record for the past two years.

With so many issues on offense negating any positives produced by their defense, the Browns have shown they have yet to keep up with their AFC North division-mates, all of whom have winning records and the playoffs in their sights.

One of those teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers, play host to the Browns on Thursday night, and it's going to be the second time in as many weeks that Cleveland is outmatched by a heavyweight division rival.

A short week is unkind to both teams, generally. However, the Browns are coming off of a very physical beating by the Baltimore Ravens, while the Steelers' most recent game ended in a 35-7 blowout of the Cincinnati Bengals that saw the starters pulled in the fourth quarter.

The Steelers are clearly the fresher team of the two, but even if both had engaged in tough games in Week 13, it wouldn't harm Pittsburgh's chances in Week 14.

Don't look for Cleveland to play the role of spoiler this week—the Steelers are a far superior team in every phase of the game, and the Browns will find themselves in the unfortunate position of being 0-4 in their North division.

Kansas City Chiefs (at New York Jets)

The Kansas City Chiefs have had an up-and-down season that's skewing ever closer to down as the season heads to its end.

At 5-7 in an AFC West division that seems to completely reorganize itself on a weekly basis, the Chiefs aren't statistically out of the running for a playoff spot. However, this week's contest against the New York Jets should likely make that possibility even more remote.

New York has been an inconsistent team in its own right, alternating between winning and losing streaks all season long. Though the Jets have won two in a row, it doesn't look likely that the struggling Chiefs will end their winning ways in Week 14.

Kansas City's problems are confined primarily to its offense, which has been pummeled by injuries that have left the Chiefs with backup Tyler Palko as their starting quarterback. Though they added former Denver Bronco Kyle Orton to the roster, he injured a finger on his throwing hand on his very first play for the team in Week 13, and his season is likely over.

That means more Palko this week, who will see the Jets' top-three defense.

In Palko's three starts, he's seen some of the more fierce defenses in the league, notching a win over just the Chicago Bears—simply because their offensive struggles have become even more pronounced than Kansas City's in recent weeks.

The Palko-led Chiefs simply won't be able to produce enough on offense to escape with the win. The Jets are searching for a playoff berth, and this conference win will certainly be welcome, even if it doesn't come from a high-quality opponent.

Arizona Cardinals (vs. San Francisco 49ers)

The Arizona Cardinals were able to take advantage of a mistake-riddled Dallas Cowboys squad in Week 13 and earn the overtime victory. However, this week, they won't be so fortunate against the 10-2 San Francisco 49ers.

Barring a peculiar turn of events for both the Cardinals and the NFC, there's little chance for the team to see the postseason, while the Niners have clinched both the NFC West and a playoff berth with their win last week.

The key to the Niners' success has been their defense, which has produced more turnovers than any other squad and has yet to allow a 100-yard rushing day or a rushing touchdown all season long.

While Arizona has a number of playmakers on its offense, that San Francisco defense should have little trouble shutting them down.

Though San Francisco has its season basically wrapped up, don't look for the 49ers to lie down to the Cardinals this week.

Tennessee Titans (vs. New Orleans Saints)

The Tennessee Titans also notched a Week 13 victory, besting the Buffalo Bills 23-17, but they won't come out on top this week when they host the New Orleans Saints.

The Titans have had a better year than most expected, considering both a change at head coach and at starting quarterback were among the situations the team had to adapt to in a very short amount of time.

Still in the playoff hunt, Tennessee would like nothing more than a victory over a powerhouse squad such as the Saints, but it's not going to happen this week.

The key to defeating the Saints is adopting an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" mentality, taking to the air in hopes of somehow outgaining and outscoring the NFL's most productive aerial offense.

And though the Titans' Matt Hasselbeck has proved himself still a talented quarterback, he just doesn't have the playmaking abilities to match the Saints' Drew Brees.

Brees is susceptible to pressure, and there's little doubt that the Titans defense will attempt to bring the kitchen sink in hopes of stopping him from marching his team down the field at will.

But, ultimately, these efforts will prove futile for the Titans, who will see their third home loss of the year in Week 14.