NFL Playoff Picture: Chicago Bears and Teams Looking in from the Outside

If you don't mind an old Orwell-ism, there are a lot of teams in the NFL playoff picture. Yet, some are more in it than others.

This is to say that there are a lot of teams that are technically in the hunt for the postseason. Realistically, there are simply too many teams on the fringe that need too many things to go right in order to make the playoffs.

There are some teams that I think can get lucky in this regard, and there are some that I think are pretty much doomed. The latter is what I want to talk about in more detail. So let's go ahead and break down which teams are already on the outside looking in.

5. San Diego Chargers

I have to say that I'm surprised we're talking about the Chargers at all at this juncture, as they looked like one of the very worst teams in the NFL not too long ago.

A sudden three-game win streak has evened their record, and put them in the mix to earn a wild-card berth.

To get it, the Chargers need to win their last two games, and hope that the other teams in the wild-card hunt crash and burn. This is particularly true of the New York Jets.

The Chargers stand a very good chance of making the playoffs if they win two in a row, and the Jets lose two in a row to finish the season.

But here's the problem: San Diego's last two games are on the road at the Detroit Lions and at the Oakland Raiders. Both teams are also fighting to make the playoffs.

Despite their recent winning streak, you can't have too much confidence in the Chargers' ability to win either one of these games. Somewhere inside this hot team is a team that lost six games in a row. It could easily reappear at the first sign of trouble.

Ultimately, that's what I think is going to happen, and the Chargers will be doomed as a result.

4. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks have been one of the better teams in the league over the last couple of weeks. They won five of six to pull even at 7-7.

The thing that worries me about the Seahawks is the fact that they have to beat the San Francisco 49ers to stay in the NFC wild-card hunt. The odds of that happening are slim.

All the 49ers have to do is bottle up Marshawn Lynch, and that shouldn't be too difficult for them. Because they bottle up every running back they face. 

Even if they do beat the 49ers, the Seahawks will then have to go on the road and beat the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17. The Cardinals have won six out of seven. They are also looking to make a surprise playoff appearance.

While the Seahawks are trying to do their thing, they'll need the Lions to stumble to the finish line. That's a lot to ask given how well the Lions have played in the last two weeks.

3. Tennessee Titans

The Titans were in pretty good playoff shape heading into Week 15, but then they lost to the Indianapolis Colts.

It suffices to say that this counts as a missed opportunity. As a result, the Titans need a lot of help to secure a playoff berth.

For starters, they need to win their final two games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and at the Houston Texans. The Titans could win both, but that's a dicey proposition. Because they couldn't even beat the Colts.

In the meantime, the Titans will need the Jets to lose at least one of their remaining games, and they will also need the Bengals to drop a game. 

I can see the Bengals losing, but I don't think the Jets are budging. They have it kinda easy in the next two weeks.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

I'll admit, the Eagles have looked pretty good in the last two weeks. They knocked off the Miami Dolphins and destroyed the Jets.

Amazingly, this little hot streak has put the NFC East crown within Philly's grasp. All they have to do is win their final two games against the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, then hope that the New York Giants lose to the Jets, and lastly beat the Cowboys.

My first problem with this scenario is that the Eagles are not going to beat the Cowboys in Dallas. They may be hot, but they're not that good.

My second problem is that I have a hard time seeing the Giants beating the Cowboys twice. They shouldn't have beaten them the first time around.

The Giants went back to sucking immediately after. They can't be relied on to do anything, much less beat a Cowboys team that is pretty good when it wants to be.

So yeah. The Eagles should keep dreaming.

1. Chicago Bears

The Bears' playoff chances took a huge hit when Jay Cutler went down with an injury, but they died for good when Matt Forte went down with an injury. Without the two of them, the Bears are helpless.

To make the playoffs, these helpless Bears have to win two in a row at Green Bay and at Minnesota. They need the Lions to come down to earth while hoping that the Seahawks don't finish strong.

Asking the Bears to win at Green Bay is where their scenario truly breaks down. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have been humbled in recent weeks, but they're not about to lose to a team like the Bears.

Even if the Bears do win, they'll be far from being out of the woods. They are helpless, and their situation is pretty much hopeless.