The NFL's Top Five Non-Playoff Teams That Could've Made Noise in January

The NFL season is as long as it is for a very specific reason. It's designed in such a way that there can be no such thing as a gift when it comes to the playoffs. If a team makes it to the postseason, it's because they deserve it, right?

But NFL fans know that's not always true.

Making it to the playoffs doesn't tell the story of an NFL season. It's not always a place for the NFL's very best teams to compete for a chance at Super Bowl glory.

Not every team deserves the opportunity.

The 2008 season will see a playoff berth go to the 8-8 San Diego Chargers while the 11-5 New England Patriots watch from home.

If that's the NFL's perception of fair—their idea of placing the best teams against one another—how many other teams can we send to the playoffs with legitimate hopes for making it to the Super Bowl?

Everyone says making it to the postseason is like starting with a clean slate.

If that's true, which teams could we have expected to make the most noise if given the opportunity?

5. San Francisco 49ers

At 7-9, there's no denying that San Francisco had no business in the postseason, right?

Unfortunately, the first-half of their 2008 season was spent spinning in a quarterback carousel with a head coach the team never connected with.

Had this been Mike Singletary's team with Shaun Hill at quarterback from Week One, would their season have turned out differently?

It's difficult to say.

The second-half of the season saw a team rallying behind their head coach in an effort to secure his job for the 2009 season. But what's most important to take away from that is San Francisco's showing of how well they can play when they are motivated.

The NFC West wouldn't have been so easy for Arizona to win, that's for certain.

4. Chicago Bears

The Bears lost a lot of tough ones in 2008. They lacked stability at a crucial position, and the once-dominant defense seemed to have regressed. 

But they were never run completely out of the stadium. In their seven losses, most games were within reach if not for an errant play or two.

One could argue that great teams don't make the kinds of mistakes that cost them games, but the Bears are as good as many other Wild Card teams. Matt Forte could have placed them in position to win, and some of the veterans who've been in the playoff atmosphere before could have been the difference.

At the very least, they'd be more exciting to watch than the Arizona Cardinals.

3. New Orleans Saints

At the start of the season, the talk surrounded the NFC East and how tough their division was. The competition in the NFC South should have silenced all of those conversations by now.

The Saints are the NFL's definition of a hot and cold team. One week they're unstoppable, and another they're a doormat.

Drew Brees' 5,069 yards—15 shy of Dan Marino's single-season record—should have been more than enough to carry New Orleans into the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the football gods had different plans. They decided to be cruel and give him a speed-bump of a defense, and a revolving door of receivers.

Be that as it may, the Saints' explosive offense has the potential to break any game wide open. And with the playoffs being a "one game at a time" environment, New Orleans could've been one of the most dangerous teams to face in January.

2. New England Patriots

It's weird looking at the playoff bracket and not seeing the New England Patriots somewhere in the picture. It's a satisfying feeling for non-Patriots fans, that's for sure. Who cares what's fair when it comes to them, right?

Personal feelings aside, it's inexcusable for an 11-5 team to not be in the postseason. 

There's no doubt that New England would have been the most threatening team to face in the playoffs. The fact that they would be there without their franchise quarterback makes them a team with nothing to lose.

Belichick's Pats are always dangerous, not only because of the personnel, but because of his weekly preparation and the system he runs in New England. There's a strategy for every team, and he somehow forces every opponent to play right into it.

The Patriots definitely aren't unbeatable, but Matt Cassel's comfort behind center is more than enough to strike fear into any team not wanting to go home early in January.

1. Houston Texans

Matt Schaub, Steve Slaton, and Andre Johnson have made the future in Houston look extremely bright.

But before everyone prepares to examine potential improvements for 2009, realize that it would be unfair to disregard the strides they made during the second-half of the 2008 season.

Finishing 8-8, Houston became one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL, losing tough games and winning close ones.

With Slaton coming into his own, Schaub healthy, and Johnson emerging as the best receiver in the NFL, the Texans finally had an offense worthy of being called a professional squad.

Confidence is at it's highest in Houston. Riding that momentum into the postseason would've made the Texans a strong Wild Card team.

Super Bowl? Probably not. But there's no doubt in my mind that the Texans would've had a lot of fun knocking out at least one contender.

Angel Navedo covers the Jets-Examiner" target="_blank">New York Jets for Examiner.com. His work can also be found on NYJetsFan.com, where he is the Head Writer, and on MyGridironSpace.com—a premier social networking site built exclusively for NFL fans.

He is also a Senior Writer at the Bleacher Report, where he is one of the New York Jets Community Leaders.