What are your surprise Playoff Teams / Overachieving Underdogs of 2011?

It might sound crazy, but I think Detroit could be one of the surprises if Stafford can stay healthy. Even then, Hill is a capable back-up. They hung tough a number of times last year, despite being under a first-year HC, who I think did a great job of getting his team to compete. Detroit is a physical team, and has a ton of weapons and is very young on both sides of the ball. I firmly believe that they now have one of the top 10 DL's in the entire league. If they don't make the playoffs this year, I think you could see them there in the next year or two. With the additions they made, they now have this:

Offense:
QB: Stafford
RB: Best, LeShoure (IR), M.Bell, Aaron Brown, Jerome Harrison
WR and TE: Calvin Johnson, Burleson, Titus Young, Derrick Williams, Rashied Davis, Stefan Logan ... Scheffler, Pettigrew

Defense:
DE - Avril, Vanden Bosch, Lawrence Jackson, Willie Young
DT - Suh, Corey Williams, Fairley, Sammie Hill, Andre Fluellen, Quinn Pitcock
LB - Tulloch, Justin Durant, Bobby Carpenter, DeAndre Levy, Doug Hogue, Ashlee Palmer
CB - Eric Wright, Chris Houston, Nathan Vasher, McDonald, Berry
S - Delmas, Erik Coleman, Amari Spievey, Wendling, Michael Johnson, Randy Phillips

All they're really missing is an elite CB. But they have all the talent to do damage if they can just find that extra "something" on gameday that gives them the win in close games. They've been on the wrong side of so many of those lately.

You're missing Nick Fairley!

Redskins

Browns, Lions, Titans, and Bucs are all gonna be wildcard playoff teams this year.

-49ers, Cardinals, Vikings, and Cowboys will get -surprise- near-winning (or winning; playoff-less) season records, with 2012 playoff hype surrounding them into the next season.

'Surprise' season flops will include the Saints, Bears, Texans, and Jets (all teams will get close, but will fail in the final 2 weeks to beat out their respective division rival/earn a wildcard spot).

i think the only division winner from the nfc north and west will make the playoffs (gb and sf), and the wild cards will be either no or atl and phi or nyg.

if anything, i think the houston could take the jets wildcard spot bc sanchez is very bad, and the other wildcard is pitt or bal

Originally posted by 9erfanAUS:
You're missing Nick Fairley!

He's in there, right after Corey Williams.

Originally posted by elguapo:
i think the only division winner from the nfc north and west will make the playoffs (gb and sf), and the wild cards will be either no or atl and phi or nyg.

if anything, i think the houston could take the jets wildcard spot bc sanchez is very bad, and the other wildcard is pitt or bal

I'm predicting something like this at the moment:

AFC - Patriots, Jets, Texans, Ravens, Chiefs, Colts (if Manning stays healthy).
Just missing it: Chargers, Steelers

NFC - Eagles, Packers, Rams, Falcons, Bucs, Lions (if Stafford stays healthy).
Just missing it: Saints, Cardinals, Bears

Originally posted by elguapo:
i think the only division winner from the nfc north and west will make the playoffs (gb and sf), and the wild cards will be either no or atl and phi or nyg.

if anything, i think the houston could take the jets wildcard spot bc sanchez is very bad, and the other wildcard is pitt or bal

I agree, Sanchez is not getting enough heat for how bad he is.
NFC N
Detroit wins - GB wildcard
NFC S-
Falcons win- Saints WildCard
NFC E
Eagles win
NFC W
Rams win


AFC E
Pats- Jets WC (Bills barely miss this year, yeah I said it)
AFC W
Chargers
AFC S
Texans - Colts possible WC, if not possibly The Titans with hasselbeck leading
AFC N
Steelers

Bucs will make it to the championship game.

Vikings win NFC North and Jaguars win AFC South. Colts miss playoffs and Buccaneers win at least 3 less games than last year.

Lions and Texans......

Originally posted by SnakePlissken:

Browns, Lions, Titans, and Bucs are all gonna be wildcard playoff teams this year. -49ers, Cardinals, Vikings, and Cowboys will get -surprise- near-winning (or winning; playoff-less) season records, with 2012 playoff hype surrounding them into the next season. 'Surprise' season flops will include the Saints, Bears, Texans, and Jets (all teams will get close, but will fail in the final 2 weeks to beat out their respective division rival/earn a wildcard spot).

Maybe one of those teams will get in.

Texans, cowboys, raiders, titans

Niners?

Originally posted by pelos21:
Niners?

the division winners by 1 game

Originally posted by elguapo:

Originally posted by pelos21:
Niners?

the division winners by 1 game

Remember when everyone was mad last year because we were afraid Singletary was going to make the playoffs and save his job? I feel the same way about 2011. I want Andrew Luck, dammit.