These 10 “contenders” will miss 2014 playoffs — door is open for Tampa Bay BuccaneersBy cover32 StaffJuly 04, 2014 2:22 pm EDT 
One of the great things about the NFL is that nearly every team can make a case for the upcoming season being “their year.” That’s because every campaign sees plenty of worst-to-first turnarounds, where non-playoff teams from the year before suddenly find themselves in postseason contention down the stretch.Conversely, that also means that there are plenty of franchise that go into a season with playoff aspirations that fail to meet those expectations. Atlanta and Houston are two prime examples from 2013. Nearly every year, half of the teams who made the postseason the year before find themselves on the outside looking in when the NFL’s tournament commences again.Thus, there are certainly going to be plenty of franchises who find 2014 to be disappointing. Right now, they consider themselves contenders, viable candidates to make the playoffs, win a game or two and perhaps even make a Super Bowl run. But when the dust settles on their 16-game odyssey, they’ll have come up short of their dreams for one reason or another.With that in mind, it’s time to take a look at the teams most likely to fall into that category in 2014. To see the 10 NFL “contenders” that won’t make the playoffs this season10. Detroit Lions (7-9 in 2013)
Jim Caldwell won’t corral Matthew StaffordAs is typically the case, the offensive talent the Lions boast has people thinking that they can make the leap in 2013. With Jim Schwartz out and Jim Caldwell in, the optimists believe that Detroit finally has the leadership in place to put all those weapons to good use. But the problem that has plagued Detroit, namely their undisciplined play at inopportune times, won’t just magically go away; they’ve developed some terrible habits. And Caldwell hasn’t exactly proven to be a task master during his career.9. Dallas Cowboys (8-8 in 2013)
Tony Romo can only carry the Cowboys so farTo some extent, this could be summarized in two words: No defense. The Cowboys are a team loaded with offensive talent, but completely devoid of assets on the other side of the ball. That’s why they continually finish 8-8; they’re a team that is only 50 percent built. In an effort to fix what ails them, Dallas re-assigned defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin during the offseason, replacing him with Rod Marinelli. That’s not enough. At some point, Jerry Jones and his boys need to add some talent to that side of the ball.8. Miami Dolphins (8-8 in 2013)
Philbin doesn’t inspire any confidence in MiamiIs this the year that someone finally ends the Patriots stranglehold on the AFC East? For those who believe so, the Dolphins are the prime candidate to get it done; after all, the Bills and Jets seem too far away from actually being a threat in the division. But it’s hard to believe in a team that is led by Joe Philbin, a guy who has appeared weak and clueless during his tenure in Miami. Plus, it’s hard to put last year’s finish – when the Dolphins scored seven total points in two games with the playoffs on the line – behind them.7. Baltimore Ravens (8-8 in 2013)
Flacco has struggled to carry the RavensAs one of three teams that missed the playoffs in 2013 by a single game, the Ravens don’t exactly have to improve by leaps and bounds to get back into the postseason, a place they’ve perennially been with John Harbaugh as their head coach. But something just feels off about this season. Perhaps it’s the Ray Rice situation during the offseason. Maybe it’s the misguided hope that Steve Smith is the answer to their offensive weapon woes. But for some reason, Baltimore feels like the team going backwards in the AFC North.6. Chicago Bears (8-8 in 2013)
You wanna bet on this guy?Last season, two teams tied for the most points surrendered during the season, both giving up 478 across 16 games. The Redskins finished 3-13, largely because they couldn’t stop anyone, while the Bears managed to get to 8-8, mainly because they had the NFL’s second-best offense. That has people thinking big in Chicago, as they surely won’t be that bad on defense again. But replacing Julius Peppers with Jared Allen isn’t a cure-all. And if Jay Cutler gets injured again in 2014, Josh McCown isn’t behind him anymore to bail Chicago out.5. San Diego Chargers (9-7 in 2013)
Losing Whisenhunt will hurt RiversTen games into last season, the Chargers were 4-6 and headed nowhere; people were wondering if Mike McCoy was in over his head during the head coach’s first season in San Diego. Then, they went on a 5-1 stretch to finish the season, won a playoff game in Cincinnati and all of those early season problems were a distant memory. But that’s a razor-thin line the Chargers were living on, which should be a concern. Plus, losing offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt should leave people wondering if Philip Rivers will regress again.4. Kansas City Chiefs (11-5 in 2013)
The Chiefs proved to be a mirage in 2013At one point last season, the Chiefs were 9-0; they were the last team in the NFL to lose a game in 2013. Yet, they somehow finished only 11-5, which is a terrible collapse down the stretch, suggesting that Kansas City was an early season fraud that was exposed as year progressed. This offseason, the Chiefs have seen a lot of talent leave town, while not much has come the other direction. So there’s plenty of reason to believe that the late-season slide will carry over into 2014.3. Cincinnati Bengals (11-5 in 2013)
The pressure is on Dalton in 2014Making the playoffs in three straight seasons, something the Bengals had never done in their existence, should have people in Cincinnati excited. Instead, going one-and-done in each of those postseason appearances has people down in the Queen City. The pressure is on both head coach Marvin Lewis and quarterback Andy Dalton, something that will surely get to them at some point during 2014. And given that they play in a division with three legit contenders and one dark horse (Cleveland), there’s very little margin for error.2. Carolina Panthers (12-4 in 2013)
The clock strikes midnight in CarolinaEarly in the 2013 season, people in Carolina were calling for head coach Ron Rivera’s job. But when an 11-1 finish followed a 1-3 start, the tune changed, as “Riverboat Ron” became the toast of the town in Charlotte. But that stretch was a bit of a mirage, the result of a lot of close victories over some pretty mediocre opponents; it certainly can’t be expected again. In the NFC South, expect the Falcons to bounce back and the Panthers to fall back to earth; they played way over their heads in 2013.1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3 in 2013)
Madden covers and other distractions will derail the SeahawksPeople remember the dominating performance the Seahawks had in Super Bowl XLVIII and forget some of the close calls they had throughout the season. It took a miraculous pick-six in Week 4 to beat Houston, a late rally to win 14-9 in St. Louis and a furious comeback to beat the previously winless Buccaneers in Week 9. If either of those games go the other way, San Francisco probably goes to the Super Bowl. So with all of the distractions that come with being the champs, look for Seattle to stub their toe a few times and finish 10-6 — which won’t get it done in football’s best division.link
