NFL Playoff Picture: 4 Teams Fading Quickly from Postseason Race

The NFL playoffs are an exciting time, and I'm of the opinion that it's never too early to discuss them. However, that presents some problems.

For example, teams that looked good in Week 10 could be well out of contention by the time the season wraps. Injuries, a series of tough opponents or just a late-season drop off, can knock a team out of the playoff discussion pretty rapidly.

Here are four teams that have faded from the playoff picture in recent weeks. With little time left to recover, these teams might have to start thinking about September before January even arrives.

The Chicago Bears (7-6)

The Chicago Bears made it all the way to the NFC Championship game in 2010, only to fall to the Green Bay Packers after starting quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a knee injury that made him leave the game.

While the Bears wouldn't have likely won that contest anyway, considering the way the Packers were manhandling both Chicago's offense and defense, the memory of the loss hasn't faded for the Bears. They were dedicated to return to the championship game this season and win it, and for a while it looked quite possible.

Chicago stumbled out of the gate, dropping three of their first five games. They then turned things around, embarking on a five-game win streak that saw them defeat the likes of the Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers.

The Bears became clear favorites to clinch a Wild Card playoff berth and perhaps meet the rival Packers in the conference championship once again.

However, that all came crashing down in a major way. First, starting quarterback Jay Cutler suffered a broken thumb that required surgical repair, sidelining him for at least the remainder of the regular season.

Then, star running back Matt Forte, who had at the time the most yards from scrimmage of any offensive player, sprained his MCL, also sidelining him for all or most of the regular season.

Once that happened, the Bears completely melted down. With Caleb Hanie under center and Marion Barber carrying the ball, Chicago's offense practically grounded to a halt. While the team fields a tough defense, even they weren't up to the task of carrying the team.

Now the Bears have dropped three straight games and have little chance to emerge victorious in more than one of their three contests remaining. They're out of the playoff picture and aren't likely to get back in.

An unfortunate turn of events has completely changed this team, and their postseason hopes have suffered as a result.

The Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)

Luckily for the Cincinnati Bengals, their drop out of the postseason race hasn't come via significant injuries to important starters. However, that's cold comfort for a team that has engineered it's own late-season stumbles.

The Bengals, regardless of how their record ends up, have been one of the most surprising and impressive teams of this season. With a rookie quarterback at the helm of the offense, a rookie wideout as his primary target and the Bengals finishing 2010 with a 4-12 record, the team seemed destined to struggle.

Though Cincinnati lost two of its first three games, they went on quite a roll in the weeks that followed, winning their next five games in a row and never scoring fewer than 23 points in the process.

However, the Bengals problem was the quality of opponent they had faced. Most of those five straight wins had come against struggling squads, including the still-winless Indianapolis Colts.

In Weeks 10-14, the Bengals lost four games and won just one, falling twice to the Pittsburgh Steelers, once to the Baltimore Ravens and once to the Houston Texans and managing a win over just the lowly Cleveland Browns, in Week 12.

Those three straight divisional losses, combined with a last-second loss to the AFC-leading Texans, managed to drop the team's record and drop them statistically out of the playoff race.

Though the Bengals may manage wins over two of their three remaining opponents, they still have to face the Ravens again. Another divisional loss, and the Bengals will have to wait until next year to take their show to the postseason.

The Dallas Cowboys (7-6)

Though both the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants have 7-6 records, it's the Giants who have snagged the top spot in the NFC East, thanks to their most recent win, which came against the Cowboys.

The Cowboys have managed to shoot themselves in the foot yet again, and should they not get a grasp on their season soon, they'll miss the playoffs as a result.

Dallas has been as up and down as ever, with the team again playing the role of the most consistently inconsistent squad in the NFL for yet another season. After crushing the St. Louis Rams, 34-7, in Week 7, they followed it up by dropping to the lowly Philadelphia Eagles by the same margin in the following week.

They bounced back well from the loss, however, following it up with four straight wins, though again against struggling teams.

But now the Cowboys have dropped two games in a row, first losing in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals and setting that team up for a potential Wild Card playoff berth and then, last Sunday night, dropping to the New York Giants after giving up a 12-point fourth quarter lead and missing a field goal that would have sent the game into overtime.

The schedule isn't in Dallas' favor in the remaining weeks, with the team facing two NFC East opponents and closing the year against the Giants. Should the Cowboys defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, then it's this Week 17 contest that is likely to determine who wins the division and who is likely to miss out on a wild card berth.

If Dallas can't get its act together, then they'll be the team watching the playoffs from home while the Giants take the field in January as the NFC East's representatives.

The Oakland Raiders (7-6)

The Oakland Raiders' grand experiment seemed to pay off, at least earlier this season it did. When starting quarterback Jason Campbell went down with a broken collarbone, the team bet their future to win it all now, snagging quarterback Carson Palmer away from the Cincinnati Bengals for a slew of draft picks.

While Palmer struggled at first, considering he was thrown into a new system with little warning, he managed to pull it together with the help of a fast, young receiver corps and the legs of talented running back Darren McFadden.

The team won three straight games and every other team in the AFC West seemed in shambles, nicely setting Oakland up for a divisional title and playoff berth.

But then those young receivers started dropping with injuries to their ankles and feet, and McFadden himself succumbed to a serious foot injury of his own. With so many offensive starters off the field, Palmer faltered.

The team has been outscored 80 to 30 in their last two games and Palmer has thrown five interceptions to three touchdowns during that span.

At the same time, the Denver Broncos just kept winning, bumping the Raiders to the No. 2 position in the division and effectively knocking them out of Wild Card consideration thanks to the glut of AFC teams with a better record edging them out.

As the Raiders' offensive weapons return to full health, the team does have a shot to snag a Wild Card berth, but it will take a lot of work. Up next for the team are the Detroit Lions, a considerable opponent and not one easily defeated.

They wind down their season with two divisional opponents. Should they lose just one of those contests, they won't likely make the playoffs.