There's nothing more important for playoff success than getting hot down the stretch, but some teams are doing the opposite, 5 to be exact. Here are the 5 NFL teams that are collapsing down the stretch of the 2023 season:
Philadelphia Eagles:
Just a few weeks ago, the Eagles sat atop the NFL with a 9-1 record and coming off significant victories against the Chiefs and Cowboys. But in the NFL, the only constant is change, and the Eagles have lost their dominance in a snap of a finger. In week 12, they beat the 7-6 Bills in overtime despite repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot with plenty of false start penalties, failed conversions, and blown coverages. That was followed by an embarrassing 31-13 loss to the 49ers in a rematch of the NFC championship, and another embarrassing 33-13 loss to the division-rival Cowboys.
The Eagles' recent slump can be boiled down to two main issues:
Turnovers:
The best NFL teams are often ones that don't give the ball to the other team, so the Eagles' -4 turnover margin this season is a major concern. Jalen Hurts has thrown plenty of interceptions, but receivers Devonta Smith and A.J Brown figuratively and literally fumbled away the game against Dallas.
Slow Starts:
Every week, the Eagles find themselves needing to dig out of a hole with varied success. They averaged just 6.75 points in the first half of their last four games while giving up an average of 18 points. The Eagles' often fail to establish a ground game, and their rotten red zone defense allows opponents to bury them.
Detroit Lions:
The Lions were one of the NFL's most feared teams, but the script has been completely flipped in the span of one month. The Lions have a massive weakness that has gotten exposed in a big way during the recent stretch games: If they fail to establish a running game early on, the Lions can't recover. This weakness was first exposed against the Ravens in a 38-6 loss, where running back David Montgomery was injured. The Bears were able to limit the Lions' rushing game last week, and Jared Goff playing catchup only worsened the situation in a 28-13 loss. The Packers also followed the same blueprint to beat the Lions on Thanksgiving.
However, you can't discuss the Lions' weaknesses without mentioning the defense, especially their red zone defense. The Lions' defense has allowed 29.8 points per game in their last five games, which certainly makes it hard for the offense to play catchup. Linebacker Alex Anzalone has been a crucial run stopper, and Aidan Hutchinson has put immense pressuring on opposing quarterbacks, but Detroit's secondary and red zone defense is severely lacking as of late. The Lions have allowed a touchdown 68.18% in the red zone, which ranks 29th in the NFL. The Lions will not be able to compete in the playoffs if their defense keeps allowing big passing plays and touchdowns.
Seattle Seahawks:
The Seahawks were never a heavyweight this season like the Lions and Eagles, but they went from a probable playoff berth at 6-3 and proceeded to lose four straight games.
A tough schedule certainly doesn't help: Three of the four straight losses were against teams with winning records, including two against the 10-3 49ers. And similarly to the Lions, their downfall started with a blowout 37-3 loss to the 10-3 Ravens.
However, the Seahawks' leaky defense has greatly contributed to the team's recent slump. The squad ranks bottom-ten in both rushing yards and passing yards allowed and allowed 29.25 points per game during the 4-game losing streak. Bringing back all-pro linebacker Bobby Wagner has proved an excellent decision, but young corners Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen are having underwhelming seasons, as well as safety Quadre Diggs.
Fortunately, the Seahawks are playing the Titans, Steelers, and Cardinals for the last three games, all teams with below-average offenses.
Kansas City Chiefs:
No recent NFL collapse has gotten more attention than the Chiefs', as two straight losses to 6-7 teams have put the defending Super Bowl champions in a precarious situation. Sitting at 8-5, the Chiefs will still make the playoffs, but their recent uncharacteristic losses could compromise their playoff success.
We can all agree that the Chiefs' problems lie on the offensive side of the ball, but the mainstream media is dead wrong about the team's issue being bad receiver play. The Chiefs' offense was the NFL's best last season despite a similar receiving core. This is because the Chiefs no longer have offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who engineered an air raid offensive scheme that gave the Chiefs consistency in the deep passing game without Tyreek Hill.
The Chiefs' defense has bailed out the inconsistent offense this season, but Patrick Mahomes and his receivers need to get on the same page if they want to contend in January.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
Sitting at 7-4 in mid-November, the Steelers only needed to play slightly above average football to land a playoff spot, but they have played much worse than slightly above average since then. They've lost three straight games, with two of those losses against 3-win teams.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett suffering a high ankle sprain in week 13 has been the primary cause of the Steelers' recent decline, as the offense has been unable to function without him. Pittsburgh's top two receivers, Dionte Johnson and George Pickens, are both deep threats, which doesn't bode well with backup QB Mitch Trubisky's low arm strength. Firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada was supposed to fix the offense, but the offense is anything but fixed, and a playoff berth is a very steep uphill battle for the Steelers.
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