NFL Playoff Predictions: 3 Teams That Will See Super Bowl Dreams Shattered

Fans and players alike of the following teams are headed for heartbreak. They enter the stretch run of the NFL season with high hopes and big aspirations of clutching the Lombardi trophy.

That is just not in the cards for them. This is the time of year when teams need to come together and holes begin to vanish.

However, in the case of these upper-echelon teams, their are massive faults that will cripple them and derail their title hopes.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers dream season is going to end in disappointment.

San Francisco has built their 10-3 record on the strength of fantastic defense and an offense that doesn't make mistakes.

However, as good as their defense is, they are not an elite pass defense. And that pass defense is not getting better as the season progresses.

The 49ers are 11th on the year in yards allowed per pass attempt at 6.4. In their past three, they have allowed 7.5 yards per pass.

This weakness was on vivid display in Week 14 as they allowed the Cardinals John Skeleton to throw for 282 yards and two touchdowns. 

This is bad news for a San Francisco team that will have to go through New Orleans and Green Bay to get to the Super Bowl.

Houston Texans

TJ Yates and the Texans pulled off a very impressive comeback win against the Bengals in Week 14. Ultimately, this isn't going to serve anything except leading fans to a bigger disappointment.

This win inspired hope that the Texans could make a Super Bowl run despite the fact that they have to rely on their third-string rookie QB.

That is not going to happen. No rookie QB has ever even led his team to the Super Bowl, let alone won one.

The Texans are going to have to go through teams like the Ravens and Steelers to get to the Super Bowl, and both of those teams can shut down a run game and force even the most polished veteran QBs into mistakes. This will doom the Texans.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have no shot at making the Super Bowl with this rag-tag secondary. They are playing undrafted rookies and receivers in this secondary, and it is taking its toll.

They are 32nd in the league in passing yards allowed per pass at 7.7, and they have been even worse recently.

Over their last three games the Patriots have allowed 8.7 yards per pass.

This will make it far too easy for a team like the Ravens or Steelers to move the ball on the Patriots, and those teams have the defense to make life tough for a Patriots offense that has carried them.