NFL Power Rankings: Bottom Feeders That Missed Opportunities This Year

With the 2011 regular season rapidly coming to a close, now is the time to look forward. The playoffs are going to be here before we know it, and that's when things are going to get serious.

However, now is also as good a time as any for reflection. The season has gone by a little too fast for my tastes, but it's been anything but boring. Many interesting things have happened.

This includes both good and bad things, teams rising and teams falling. While you obviously have to appreciate the rising teams, the falling teams must not be overlooked. Some of them could have been something special in 2011.

In fact, there are four teams that I daresay really missed out this year.

Philadelphia Eagles (No. 20)

Do I even need to say anything here?

I guess I will. The Eagles went out and assembled the best team money could buy during the shortened offseason, and even I figured they were going to control the fate of the NFC East and possibly make a run at the Super Bowl.

Instead, the Eagles never really got off the ground this season. They won their opening game, but proceeded to show their true colors in a four-game losing streak that had the folks at ESPN freaking out.

I would say people stopped caring a couple of weeks ago when it became clear that the Eagles were a bad team, as opposed to a good team that was struggling.

There's more than enough blame to go around, though. Most are blaming Andy Reid, but Michael Vick hasn't escaped blame either. However, no matter who you choose to blame, we can all agree that the Eagles should have been much better.

San Diego Chargers (No. 21)

The AFC West was the Chargers' division if they wanted it. Early on in the season, none of the division's other three teams looked truly dangerous, which was good news for a team with as much talent as the Chargers.

As time passed, however, it became more and more apparent that the Chargers lacked the glue to hold all their talent together. It didn't help that Philip Rivers regressed in a big way.

The Chargers have finally shown signs of life in the last two weeks, but by now it's far too late. Their fate was sealed by a six-game losing streak from Week 7 to Week 12, and you have to think that heads are going to roll in the offseason.

If the Chargers have any sense, that will mean the end of the Norv Turner era is near.

Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 26)

The Jaguars started the season with no real shot to make any noise in the AFC South, but I will say that they could have had a shot to make some noise.

All they had to do was hold on to David Garrard.

While it's true that Garrard is nothing special as a quarterback, he could have at least been a steady presence under center. Instead, the Jags decided to cut him in a move custom-designed to save a few bucks. 

Lo and behold, the Jags have been killed by awful quarterback play this season. Their running game is solid as a rock, and their defense has made great improvements, but they've got next to nothing out of Blaine Gabbert.

The true shame is that the AFC South is not exactly the strongest division under the sun. The Houston Texans are elite, but the Jags probably could be contending with the Tennessee Titans for a wild-card berth right now had they held on to Garrard.

So much for that.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 29)

Because I'm a sucker for a good underdog story, I was really hoping the Buccaneers' breakout campaign in 2010 would lead to something in 2011.

For a time, it looked like it was going to, when the Buccaneers were at one point sat at 4-2.

However, they haven't won a game since. 

There are a number of reasons for Tampa Bay's slide. A tough schedule has to be at the top of the list, but ineffective defense and Josh Freeman's regression can't be too far behind. It's been a perfect storm, really.

Part of this is a personnel problem, but Raheem Morris has to be held accountable as well. He got this same team to win 10 games last season, and this year they'll be lucky to win half that many.

My guess (and my hope) is that Morris isn't going anywhere. The truth is, the Buccaneers organization as a whole is to blame for this season. The Bucs should have been ready to take the next step, and it's apparent now that they never were.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 15 Power Rankings

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