4 NFL Teams That Will Struggle to Sell Tickets in 2012

With ticket prices skyrocketing and the economy tanking, it's difficult for small-market NFL teams to fill their stadiums these days. Further, when a small-market team is having a terrible season, it's hard to imagine an uptick in ticket sales the following year.

Here are four dismal squads that aren't going to be playing to a lot of sellout home crowds in 2012.

Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are having their worst season in team history—owning a 2-11 record heading into Week 15—and they're just a few short weeks away from not having a stadium to play in. If the Vikings manage to stay in Minnesota after this year, it's going to be hard for them to fill seats, no matter where they end up playing.

The Vikings started the year with veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb under center but eventually switched to rookie Christian Ponder. Ponder has had some success at the position, but it hasn't been enough to net the team any meaningful wins.

The team has lost all of the momentum they built up in their two years with Brett Favre as their quarterback. With so much up in the air and a terrible 2011 season, don't be surprised if Vikings fans choose to spend their money on something other than tickets next year.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a new owner and are on the hunt for a new head coach. While this gives the team a bit of hope for the future, the fact that they've had such a bad 2011 season doesn't bode well for the team selling more tickets next year.

The Jaguars are always in danger of television blackouts, with tickets to the team's home games hard to sell as it is. Jacksonville has scored 20 or fewer points in every game this season save one, a 41-14 Week 14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they followed with a 41-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15.

Rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert was thrust into the starting role after former head coach Jack Del Rio canned David Garrard prior to the start of the regular season.

Of all of the rookie quarterbacks, Gabbert has performed the worst this year. Whether he can fix his problems in his second year or not, it's almost certain that there will be fewer fans in the stands watching him in 2012.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Jacksonville Jaguars aren't the only Florida team that is having trouble selling tickets. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are always under threat of television blackouts themselves, even though the team had such a hot 2010 season that saw them end with a 10-6 record.

The Buccaneers couldn't maintain that momentum in the offseason, however, and they've turned into one of the NFL's most pathetic franchises of 2011.

They've lost their last eight games in a row and nearly fired head coach Raheem Morris after Week 14 before realizing they lack the depth and talent on their coaching staff to install an adequate replacement.

Though Tampa Bay should improve in 2012, they've done enough to alienate their fans—who already have experience in spending their money on anything but Bucs tickets—and it's going to result in lower ticket sales next season.

St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams have themselves quite the rabid fan base for struggling so much in recent years, but this season might just turn away some fans from buying tickets for 2012.

At 2-11, the Rams have been stung by a number of serious injuries to starting players, and a lack of depth has left them struggling to keep up all season long. They've scored 20 or more points just twice, have one of the least-productive offenses in the league and give up more rushing yards to opposing teams than any other in the NFL.

With a few key players back from injuries, a good showing in the draft and continued improvement from sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford, the Rams could be a contender in the NFC West in 2012.

But that's a tall order to ask of any team. Rams fans' patience has certainly been tested in 2011, and it should show next season when there are a few more empty seats at the Edward Jones Dome.