What has gone wrong for four teams trying to make the playoffs? Solak on the Lions, Bucs, Ravens, Colts

Week 16 of the NFL season is in the books. We entered the slate with two guaranteed playoff teams, and we leave it with 10 -- what an eventful weekend! The Jaguars, Chargers and Bills all clinched with the Colts' loss Monday night , leaving eight teams competing for four spots and others vying for positioning. You know what isn't vying for a positioning? This column, which comes to you every Tuesday. This is the last one, though, as we reset our content for the playoffs. Thank you to everyone who made my NFL thoughts a part of their coffee, commute or workplace procrastination this season. I'll be back next Tuesday with my All-Rookie team (ooh! fun!) and every week following with postseason analysis. Stay tuned! Jump to a section: Big Thing: Four teams outside looking in Second Take: Ben Johnson is COY Mailbag: Answering questions from ... you Next Ben Stats: Wild Week 16 stats The Big Thing: What went wrong for four teams trying to get into the playoffs? Every week, this column will kick off with one wide look at a key game, player or trend from the previous slate of NFL action. What does it mean for the rest of the season? This week, we're looking at the four teams that are still alive for playoff spots but aren't currently occupying one of the 14 berths. The 2025 playoffs are mostly full. The Panthers, Texans, Packers and Steelers currently hold the remaining open spots, with the Buccaneers, Lions, Colts and Ravens outside the field. All four of those squads still have a shot -- but to be on the outside looking in as we approach Week 17 is a sign that your season did not go as planned. For some of this season's biggest disappointments, here's my view on what went wrong. Detroit Lions (8-7, No. 8 in NFC) As is often the case with would-be contenders, health is the first and greatest culprit. The Lions are second in the league with 267 total games missed for injury, via Sports Info Solutions, and injuries have compounded at key spots. Starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch -- both Pro Bowlers -- are on injured reserve for the rest of the season , while starting cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and D.J. Reed have missed substantial stretches . No. 1 tight end Sam LaPorta is out for the season because of a back injury, and backup Brock Wright is on injured reserve because of a trachea injury. It's one thing to catch the injury bug, but it's another thing when it's siloed in particular positions. That really exposes a team's depth. At no spot on the roster have the Lions suffered attrition worse than the interior offensive line. Center Frank Ragnow retired and was replaced by Graham Glasgow , who was replaced at left guard by 2024 backup Christian Mahogany . Rookie second-rounder Tate Ratledge stepped in at right guard for Kevin Zeitler , who left in free agency...

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