NFL Playoff Predictions: 4 Offenses That Will Hinder Their Teams in January

If a team has just a great offense or just a great defense, they can certainly make it to the playoffs. They may even win a game or two. But to win a Super Bowl, a team needs to be balanced.

An unreliable offense or weak defense can become a major liability as far as winning the NFL's highest honor is concerned.

Here are four teams that are shaky on the offensive side of the ball, so much so that it might just cost them a deep playoff run and a chance at a Super Bowl victory.

Baltimore Ravens (11-4)

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the most middling offenses in the NFL this season, though their 11-4 record would seem to indicate otherwise.

Nonetheless, they're averaging just 219.8 passing yards and 118.3 rushing yards per game, scoring on average 23.6 points per game. Luckily for their offense, their defense has been performing at a top level, giving up the third-fewest points of any team this season and allowing under 300 total yards of offense per game.

However, if the Ravens want to make a deep playoff run this year, they'll need to step it up on offense. Quarterback Joe Flacco is having the worst season of his career, completing just 297 of his 523 passing attempts, for a completion percentage of 58.6. He's thrown 19 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and has lost six fumbles.

Generally, the Ravens rely on running back Ray Rice to produce their significant yardage, and this year is no different. However, when opposing defenses effectively stop him and force Flacco to throw, that usually ends with a Ravens loss or a close, last-minute win.

That's not going to be enough for the team this year, especially considering some of the high-powered offenses that are also in the AFC's Super Bowl hunt.

If Flacco has to throw the ball more than 30 times against the likes of the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers or even the Houston Texans, they'll find themselves in trouble.

Houston Texans (10-5)

With quarterback Matt Schaub under center, the Houston Texans had one of the most balanced offenses of any team in the NFL. Their efficient passing game, not flashy but certainly effective, was an excellent complement to their top-three rushing efforts.

However, now that it's T.J. Yates at quarterback, after Schaub and then his backup Matt Leinart both suffered season-ending injuries, it's looking like a tough run of things for the Texans in this year's playoffs.

The Texans, in the playoffs and AFC South champions for the first time in franchise history, have proven stoppable with Yates as the passer. The rookie was never intended to be the starter this year, and it shows.

Houston has lost their last two games in a row thanks to opposing defenses focusing on stopping their run game and forcing Yates to throw and make mistakes. Yates has thrown three touchdowns to three interceptions in his four starts, and he's certainly looking inexperienced on the field.

If the Texans hope to be anything but a one-and-done playoff team, they need to get Yates more comfortable in the pocket and find ways to prevent their running game from stalling.

They'll also need major help from their defense, which is a tall order to ask of them considering the strength of some of the other offenses in the AFC playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers (12-3)

For the first time in his six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, quarterback Alex Smith isn't being referred to as a bust. With proper coaching and the right weapons around him, Smith is having the best year of his professional career, throwing for 2,931 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions through 15 games.

However, flashes of that mistake-prone Smith have made themselves known this season, and with the Niners needing to beat teams like the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints to reach the Super Bowl this year, a single mistake might just be one too many for the team's chances to win it all.

Smith's errors have largely been neutralized for two reasons: one, running back Frank Gore has had a stellar year, allowing the team to focus on running the ball more than passing it; and two, San Francisco has a seriously tough defense that's been able to hold opposing offenses to 10 or fewer points six times this year.

However, that defense is about to face offenses not cowed by their strength. In fact, when it comes to teams like the Packers and Saints, it seems they're impervious to it.

If San Francisco is going to make a deep playoff run, they're going to have to step up their offensive production. However, it's as of yet unknown if they truly can.

Denver Broncos (8-7)

While the Denver Broncos have yet to clinch the AFC West title and with it a playoff berth, should they make it to the playoffs, their offense is going to seriously struggle.

With quarterback Tim Tebow starting for the team, Denver has gone 7-3 in their last 10 games. Though those seven wins cannot be solely attributed to Tebow's play, the team's back-to-back losses in Weeks 15 and 16 can be pinned on him and his limitations when it comes to throwing the ball.

Tebow has long been criticized for his odd throwing motion and inaccuracy, and while he's found ways to compensate for them (usually involving running an option-style offense and relying on his legs to make plays), when he's forced to throw, it's becoming more and more disastrous.

In those two most recently losses, Tebow has completed 50 and 43.3 percent of his passes, respectively—good for just a single passing touchdown and four interceptions. He's never passed the ball for more than 250 yards, though not for lack of trying.

One of Tebow's strengths is that he isn't very error-prone and can be relied on to throw the ball out of bounds rather than be intercepted. However, in the last two weeks, he's found himself playing from so far behind that he's been forced to make those risky plays, leading to negative results.

With so many talented defenses and high-scoring offenses populating the AFC playoffs, Tebow is likely to struggle. It's been an eye-opening year for the young Tebow, but it doesn't look like a Super Bowl year as well.