5 NFL teams that won Week 1 and won't make the playoffs

PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Carson Wentz

While these five teams came out on top in Week 1, they still face a tough road to the NFL playoffs.

In just one week of action, the 2016 NFL regular season has brought plenty of excitement.

Week 1’s slate included everything from upsets to wild comebacks to gutsy last-minute coaching decisions. Just three games were decided by more than a touchdown, while six contests were decided by one or two points.

Opening night provided the first surprise of the season, as the defending champion Denver Broncos knocked off the Carolina Panthers in Trevor Siemian’s first career start. Later on, Jimmy Garoppolo and the New England Patriots upset the Arizona Cardinals, while contenders like the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs needed late rallies to win.

Some interesting trends are already beginning to emerge in the race to the postseason. The competitive AFC North, AFC West and NFC North divisions each had three teams that won, while the Patriots sit all alone at the top of the AFC East.

Getting off to a good start is important, and a few teams have already increased their playoff odds. However, there’s a ton off football left to play, and a few Week 1 winners still may run into trouble in their respective quests to reach the NFL postseason.

Even with a 1-0 record to their names, expect these five teams to fall short of the playoffs down the road.

Philadelphia Eagles

There were a few encouraging signs for the Eagles in Week 1, but that doesn’t mean the rebuilding team should still reasonably expect to make a postseason run.

After firing head coach Chip Kelly near the end of a disastrous 2015 campaign, the Eagles began a new era under head coach Doug Pederson. Philadelphia traded up to the No. 2 overall pick in the draft to grab Carson Wentz, and named him the starter a week before their opener against the Cleveland Browns.

The Eagles were favored against the Browns, who are in an ever deeper rebuild, but still impressed in a 29-10 victory. Philadelphia piled up over 400 yards on offense and the defense largely controlled the action under new coordinator Jim Schwartz.

Most importantly, Wentz looked comfortable, completing 22 of 37 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. Philadelphia has to feel good about the rookie’s performance, particularly on the team’s opening drive which resulted in a touchdown.

Still, the Eagles shouldn’t quite be thinking about the postseason yet just because of an easy victory over possibly the worst team in the NFL. Philadelphia needs more talent at the offensive skill positions to help Wentz out, while the secondary could also use an upgrade.

The NFC East is always a volatile situation, but it’s still hard to see a path to the postseason for the Eagles. Wentz’s development is more important for the team in 2016, and it should be excited about the opening week victory nonetheless.

BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Joe Flacco

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens should be much better than the 5-11 mark they put up in 2015, as it seems impossible for the team to sustain the same number of injuries this time around. That showed in Week 1, as Baltimore earned a 13-7 victory over a decent Buffalo Bills team.

As that scoreline would indicate, Baltimore moved to 1-0 behind an outstanding effort from a revamped defense. Buffalo was held scoreless for the last 33 minutes of the game and didn’t have a first down in the fourth quarter, with LeSean McCoy racking up just 70 yards on 20 carries. Terrell Suggs played well in his return from injury, and new addition Eric Weddle can be a difference-maker in the secondary.

If nothing else, the offense at least had a few players get back on the field following major injuries last season. Joe Flacco and Steve Smith have both recovered, while 2015 first round pick Breshad Perriman finally made his NFL debut.

Baltimore played well overall defensively in 2015, and the offense was a much larger concern heading into this season. The unit indeed looked disjointed against Buffalo with no threat of a running game, and struggled to move the ball apart from a huge 66-yard catch by Mike Wallace.

Given the issues on offense, the Ravens are going to have a hard time challenging the Cincinnati Bengals or Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. Expect Baltimore to improved based on their solid Week 1 showing, but not enough to make the postseason.

SANTA CLARA, CA – SEPTEMBER 12: NaVorro Bowman

San Francisco 49ers

The Chip Kelly era got off to a fantastic start in San Francisco, as the 49ers dominated the hapless Los Angeles Rams 28-0 on Monday Night Football.

San Francisco was the only team to record a shutout in Week 1 and was never threatened by the Rams offense. Los Angeles totaled just 185 yards of total offense with 10 first downs, as star running back Todd Gurley had just 47 yards on the ground.

Kelly has a fair amount of talent to work with on the defensive side of the ball, and it showed on Monday night. The big concern for San Francisco heading into the year is the offense, which will need to improve if the team can come anywhere close to challenging Seattle or Arizona in the NFC West.

San Francisco is going to rely heavily on the running game, which racked up 150 yards on 42 carries against the Rams. The offensive line was impressive in holding off Los Angeles’ interior defense, but the 49ers still need more out of the passing game if they are going to compete for a playoff spot.

The win was an impressive outing from a team pegged to be among the worst in the NFL, and the 49ers could improve quickly under Kelly. However, given the strength of the NFC West, the postseason is too lofty of a target for the 49ers in 2016, .

NASHVILLE, TN – SEPTEMBER 11: Adrian Peterson

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings had Super Bowl aspirations before starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was lost for the season with a horrific knee injury. Even so, Minnesota was able to go on the road and pick up a 25-16 win over the Tennessee Titans to open the season.

Minnesota’s outstanding defense spurred the victory in Bridgewater’s absence. Eric Kendricks returned an interception 77 yards for a touchdown before Danielle Hunter scored on a fumble recover for the Vikings’ only two trips to the end zone for the day.

As expected, replacement quarterback Shaun Hill wasn’t able to generate much offensively. Much more concerning was the fact that Adrian Peterson only racked up 31 yards on 19 carries, indicating that he may struggle with little threat of a passing game.

The Vikings are going to be competitive thanks to that great defense, and could even go above .500 if Hill or Sam Bradford can play passably. Still, counting on two defensive touchdowns per week is too much to ask, and tougher opponents than the Titans await.

The Green Bay Packers will likely prove to be too much for Minnesota to handle with the lack of offense. Minnesota will have a chance to prove itself at brand new U.S. Bank Stadium against the Packers next week, but a playoff run would be a major shock even after the strong start.

KANSAS CITY, MO – SEPTEMBER 11: Quarterback Alex Smith

Kansas City Chiefs

The AFC West is shaping up to be the most interesting division in football following the events on Week 1. While Kansas City was able to pull off the largest comeback in franchise history to beat the San Diego Chargers 33-27 in overtime, a few concerning trends from the opening game may hurt its playoff chances.

Down 27-10 with a little over nine minutes left, the Chiefs’ explosive offense was finally able to get going to lead the comeback. Alex Smith threw for 363 yards, while Spencer Ware looked capable filling in for the injured Jamaal Charles at running back.

The comeback was impressive, but Kansas City was expected to beat a bad Chargers team more thoroughly at home. Most of the concerns came defensively, as San Diego ran the ball well before inexplicably going away from the ground game late, and the Chiefs struggled to cover Keenan Allen prior to his knee injury.

More problematic was the way the rest of the division looked. Denver wasn’t impacted as much as many projected by their offseason losses, and looks like the favorite in the division. The Oakland Raiders also look like a team ready to take a step forward and will be in the mix for at least a wild card spot.

Kansas City needs to play better if it is going to beat the Broncos or Raiders for a postseason spot. The Chiefs are a very good team capable of beating anybody, but the AFC West may prove too tough for them.