... season was the number of teams with playoff aspirations late in the season.  Some were pipe dreams cobbled together by distant hope (Miami holding on despite injury), some were late surges that came up short (Tennessee), but several teams were a few bounces away.  Here’s a look at just why they are spending the postseason on the sidelines.

Houston stands as the narrowest miss.  With four 9-7 teams fighting amongst the AFC wildcard, tie-breaking procedure favored the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens over Houston.  The Texans first winning season in history was thought over when they fell to 5-7, but late success coupled with several teams disappointing down the stretch put Houston back in the hunt.

The Texans were led by a...

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