Last week, I wrote about which teams will bounce back and make the playoffs in 2018 that were not in it in 2017. This week, I am doing the opposite, writing about 2017 teams that will not make it in 2018. Though all these chances are not realistic, I am going to pick 5 teams that I think have a chance of not making the playoffs. These are solely my opinion.

Here’s the list:

1. Buffalo Bills:

This is an overwhelming favorite for me. The Bills snuck in the playoffs last year after a crazy play from the Bengals to eliminate the Ravens. The Bills didn’t do much in the playoffs, scoring 3 points in a wild card loss to the Jaguars. With Tyrod Taylor gone, the Bills have a new, unexperienced QB crew which will eventually feature Josh Allen. I assume it will take a while for the Bills to return to the playoffs considering QB inexperience is their biggest problem. Their WR group remains unknown, and the AFC is bound to have more contenders this season. I simply don’t see the Bills making it.

2. Kansas City Chiefs:

With Alex Smith, the Chiefs were usually playoff locks. After Smith’s departure, a young QB called Mahomes will take over and we honestly don’t know how he will perform this year. With Sammy Watkins adding to an already great offense at all positions, the pieces are around Mahomes to utilize the talent around him to reach the playoffs. However, the Chiefs have had significant losses on the defensive side of the ball, and the division race is wide open. At the very least, I see the Chiefs contending for a wild card spot, but the playoffs will be much tougher to reach with a declining defense and new QB.

3. Tennessee Titans

Don’t get me wrong on this one, the Titans are up and coming. Taking a few Patriots pieces for their own, and bringing back Mariota and a solid defense, the Titans are in a position to contend. The problem is their division will be tough to win. The Jaguars and rejuvenated Texans are obstacles in their path and it will be no easy feat winning the division in 2018. At the very least, the Titans are in the wild card hunt, but with teams like the Texans, Ravens, Broncos, and Raiders also in the wild card hunt, I may not be surprised if I don’t see the Titans in the playoffs.

4. Carolina Panthers:

At this point, I have to pick teams just to reach 5. All playoff teams from last year are deserving of a spot in 2018, so I am picking these last two based on judgment and realistic chances. Cam Newton is a solid QB, but he lacked offensive firepower last year, evidence of the loss at the Saints in the playoffs. However, they restored that talent and the defense is still formidable. The only reason I see the Panthers not making the playoffs is because their division is tough to win, the Packers will be back, and Cam Newton can be streaky. I will leave this at that.

5. Atlanta Falcons:

This doesn’t seem realistic, but I had to pick a team for this last spot. The Falcons are offensively struggling at times, but they still have elite talent throughout this unit. The defense may not have any big names, but they have proved to be challenging to score against. My only argument for the Falcons not making the playoffs is Matt Ryan struggling, a stacked NFC race for the wild card, or not winning the division.