Miami Dolphins:
Through the season's first nine games, the Dolphins have been playing some quality football, posting a 6-3 record, including a 70-20 demolition of the Broncos. The Fins lack any glaring weaknesses, though the rush defense isn't exactly the team's strong suit. The Dolphins blitz more often than any other team, resulting in a massive hole 5-10 yards from scrimmage. They rank 17th in rushing yards allowed, which isn't that bad, but it's the weakest part of an otherwise strong team.
New York Jets:
The Jets' biggest weakness is quite obvious: the quarterback situation. With Aaron Rodgers out for the rest of the season, the Jets are stuck with Zack Wilson. Thanks to a stellar Jets defense, Wilson just has to be a game manager. He can't even do that, with a completion percentage under 60%, throwing as many touchdowns as interceptions, and a QB rating of just 75.4.
Buffalo Bills:
The Bills have one of the best home-field advantages: A frigid stadium with some of the NFL's most passionate fans. This home-field advantage proves to work, as the Bills have a 4-1 record at home. However, they look like a whole different team when playing on the road, with a 1-3 road record and averaging eight fewer points on the road. If the Bills continue to lose road games, they are likely due for an early playoff exit.
New England Patriots:
The Patriots have had a disappointing 2-6 start to their season, primarily due to the passing offense. Quarterback Mac Jones can't prevent a safety robber, but it doesn't help that his receiving core lacks game-changing playmakers. GM Bill Belichick's drafting continuously defenders over receivers has caused this avoidable problem.
Baltimore Ravens:
Through the past few games, the Ravens have been playing very high-quality football, beating contenders such as the Lions and Seahawks by four scores. However, there is room for improvement in the receiving core. While Mark Andrews is one of the league's best tight ends, the Ravens lack talent at the receiver position. Their No. 1 receiver, Zay Flowers, is a rookie, which is not a good sign. Nevertheless, the No.2 receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., is a veteran out of his prime. While the Ravens have looked very strong as of late, although they still lack a deep passing attack.
Pittsburgh Steelers:
The Steelers' biggest weakness is an interesting one because the passing offense doesn't lack talent but lacks identity and scheme. Receivers George Pickens and Dionte Johnson are deep-threat receivers who rely on difficult catches in tight space to get yardage, rather than finding open space. The problem is that their quarterback, Kenny Pickett, is a young game manager quarterback who does not specialize in fitting the ball into tight spaces. This issue has caused the team to rank 27th in completion percentage and 28th in passing yards.
Cleveland Browns:
Despite Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb's season-ending injury in week 2, the Browns' rushing game has been one of the most efficient in the NFL. Instead, the passing game, especially the quarterback situation has been the team's weakest area. The Browns made possibly the worst trade in NFL history, signing Deshaun Watson to a 5-year deal with every penny guaranteed. Watson had not played a game in the NFL in nearly two seasons, and his play has not been close to his Pro Bowl self. But since the Browns have him for three and a half more seasons, they might as well surround him with more playmaking pass-catchers.
Cincinnati Bengals:
After a disappointing 1-3 start, the Bengals have been playing much better football as of late, with a current record of 5-3. But their offense was able to produce during these four straight wins solely via passing the ball. The Bengals' rushing game is by far the worst in the league, ranking dead last in rushing yards. The primary running back, Joe Mixon, is out of his prime and recording his worst career season. Samaje Perine was a reliable no.2 back but was traded in the offseason for cap space to pay quarterback Joe Burrow a franchise contract. The Bengals' pass-heavy attack is currently working, but at some point in the regular season and/or postseason, they will face a top-tier defense where they need to involve the rushing game.
Houston Texans:
Quarterback C.J. Stroud is recording a historic rookie season, making the Texans one of the league's premier passing offenses. But similarly to the Bengals, the rushing game has become an afterthought. After a promising rookie campaign, running back Damion Pierce is having a disappointing season, on pace for about 250 yards less than the year prior. While the Texans' passing game is very efficient, the offensive scheme lacks depth without a strong rushing game.
Tennessee Titans:
Despite decent statistics in other areas, the Titans are 3-5 due to the subpar offensive line. No matter which quarterback is under center, Ryan Tannehill, Will Levis, or Malik Willis, they are under duress every time they drop back. The O-line ranks 28th in sacks allowed, as well as 28th in sack yards allowed. With rookie QB Will Levis recently bursting onto the scene, the offensive line should be a top priority in surrounding the young quarterback with talent.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
During the Jaguars' recent rebuild, drafting quarterback Trevor Lawrence and surrounding him with experienced veteran receivers was a great recipe for a high-flying offense. However, the Jags front office has whiffed in building a strong defense, especially the secondary. The Jaguars' secondary is one of the NFL's worst, ranking 26th in passing yards allowed, 26th in completions allowed, and second-to-last in interceptions. The subpar secondary will cause the Jags to struggle against pass-heavy offenses such as the Bengals, Texans, and Vikings to hold them back in the postseason.
Indianapolis Colts:
The Colts' offense has greatly exceeded expectations this season, but the defense is the definition of leaky, in football terms. Zaire Franklin and Deforest Buckner round out one of the NFL's deepest and most talented linebacking groups, making the problem coaching and scheme. The Colts' defense ranks 28th in rushing yards allowed and 27th in passing yards allowed, which is not adequate to let the offense win games.
Los Angeles Chargers:
Despite a 2022 playoff berth and a stacked roster, the Chargers have had a disappointing 4-4 start to their season, mainly due to Brandon Staley's questionable head coaching. Continuously going for it on fourth down in your territory is a terrible strategy. Any statistic will tell you that. However, Staley also blew a 27-0 lead in the 2022 wild card round and cost his team a playoff berth in 2021 by calling a timeout in overtime. The Chargers will continue to lose games due to one of the NFL's worst coaches, and eventually, Staley will be fired. But until then, Sunday won't be Chargers fans' favorite day of the week.
Denver Broncos:
After an abysmal 1-5 start, the Broncos regained their form by winning two straight games, including a 24-9 win over the Chiefs, the biggest upset this season. But aside from holding the Chiefs to nine points, the Broncos' secondary is the league's worst by a country mile. It ranks dead last in opposing pass completion percentage, dead last in opposing yards per pass attempt, and 28th in passing touchdowns allowed. The 24-9 win over their division rivals could be a sign of improvement for this secondary or just a fluke.
Las Vegas Raiders:
While expectations for the Raiders' 2023 season were varied, everyone expected the team to have a top-tier rushing game led by 2022 rushing leader Josh Jacobs. But Jacobs has been a massive disappointment this season, as he is on pace for over 600 yards less than in the prior season. The offensive line ranks 18th in sack yards allowed, which is not great but good enough to pit the blame on Josh Jacobs for the Raiders' deficient rushing game.
Kansas City Chiefs:
The Chiefs are a very strong team, but their weakness is clearly in the receiving core, particularly the receiver position. The Chiefs have plenty of depth within the position but lack consistent playmakers and a 1,000+ yard receiver. While the team ranks 3rd in receiving yards, they rank 29th in yards per pass attempt, proving that the Chiefs' receivers are the main weakness of this offense.
Philadelphia Eagles:
The Eagles have avoided the Super Bowl hangover, sitting at 8-1 and atop the NFC. Nevertheless, there is definitely room for improvement within the Eagles' secondary. On paper, this secondary should have been at the top of the league, but injuries have taken a major toll on a once-dominant secondary. Every week one starting defensive back has missed at least one game, causing them to rank dead last in completions allowed and 28th in interceptions. If this secondary isn't healthy come January, the Eagles could be due for an early playoff exit.
Washington Commanders:
The Commanders actually have a decent quarterback, Sam Howell, but it doesn't matter because the offensive line is the NFL's worst by a country mile. Howell has to run for his life every time he drops back, as his O-line ranks second-to-last in sacks allowed and dead-last in sack yardage allowed. The Commanders have many areas needing improvement, but the offensive line should be their no.1 priority.
New York Giants:
The Giants have easily the worst offense in the NFL, mainly due to their abysmal offensive line. Ranking dead last in sacks allowed and second-to-last in sack yardage, this O-line is like no other except the Commanders'. However, this atrocious offensive line has also caused Giants' quarterback Daniel Jones to regress and get injured numerous times this season. In fact, Jones suffered a season-ending torn ACL the day he returned from another injury.
Dallas Cowboys:
The Cowboys' biggest weakness lies in the backfield, with their running game not living up to expectations this season. The departure of veteran back Ezekiel Elliott has lessened the depth that this backfield once had, but current running back Tony Pollard has also regressed. Pollard ran for just over 1,000 yards last season while splitting carries with Elliott, but is on pace for only 850 yards with most of the team's carries. The Cowboys rank 21st in yards per carry and 18th in rushing yards, making the running game their biggest weakness.
Minnesota Vikings:
It was difficult to decide which Vikings' weakness was more significant: the rushing game or the secondary. But the recent season-ending injury of running back Cam Akers will make the running game even worse. Cam Akers and Alexander Mattison split the backfield carries, but they have similar running styles, so the scheme lacked depth. The Vikings rank 27th in rushing yards and 26th in yards per carry, though the rushing game will be non-existent, with only one rusher getting most of the carries.
Green Bay Packers:
Quarterback Jordan Love and the passing offense have not been able to find much consistency partly due to a young and inexperienced receiving core that ranks 28th in receptions and 25th in receiving yards. However, head coach Matt Lafleur's questionable play calling of not involving running back Aaron Jones and continuously passing the ball deep has also held this passing offense back. Lafluer, Love, and the receivers need to figure something out soon, or it's going to be a long season for Packers fans.
Detroit Lions:
The Lions looked like a very strong team through the season's first six games until the Ravens exposed their weakness in a 38-6 loss. Once the offense gets rattled early, it can't recover. The Lions' strategy is to run the ball down their opponent's throats so their opponents move the linebackers closer and closer to the line of scrimmage. Once the linebackers are close to the line of scrimmage, they throw the ball. But when this strategy did not work early on against the Ravens, the Lions didn't know what to do. Though this is a very fixable weakness.
Chicago Bears:
The Bears have not lived up to expectations this season, with a 2-7 record. They are still a rebuilding team with plenty of holes on their roster, the most significant being the pass rush. Ranking dead last in sacks, the Bears' O-line fails to give opposing quarterbacks any haste in throwing the ball. While the Bears made many acquisitions in the offseason with their cap space, they didn't improve the pass rush, and it's coming back to bite them.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
The Bucs have lost four straight games, surrendering their division lead in the NFC South, mainly due to the leaky secondary. They rank 24th in opposing completion percentage and 28th in passing yards allowed, but the Bucs' secondary has been the worst in the NFL as of late. This secondary has allowed over 300 passing yards in 3 of their last four games, including a whopping 470 passing yards to C.J. Stroud in week 9. If the Bucs' secondary doesn't improve quickly, they will lose a very winnable division and watch the playoffs from home.
New Orleans Saints:
The Saints' biggest weakness is in the backfield, as they have one of the NFL's worst rushing attacks. No.2 running back Jamaal Williams's four-game injury certainly took a toll on the rushing game, but his return was far from spectacular. Though no.1 back Alvin Kamara is a dual threat running back who rarely gets more than 20 carries, making the Saints' running game very shallow. Ranking 29th in yards per carry with 3.6 is simply not adequate for an efficient offense.
Carolina Panthers:
The Panthers have not lived up to expectations this season, as they are still a rebuilding team with many roster holes. Their deepest roster hole is the offensive line, which ranks third-to-last in sack yards allowed and 27th in sacks allowed. Many people are blaming the Panthers' disappointing 2-7 record on their rookie quarterback Bryce Young, but the deficient O-line has caused many of Young's problems. Giving a rookie quarterback little time to throw the ball is a recipe for disaster.
Atlanta Falcons:
The Falcons' revolving door at the quarterback position is easily their biggest weakness. This season was Desmond Ridder's chance to prove himself, but he completely flopped. Due to Ridder's poor performance, the Falcons brought in Taylor Heinickie at quarterback in week 8. Heinickie has been solid in his first two games but hasn't made quite enough plays to win games. The Falcons should consider getting a QB via free agency in the offseason, but in the meantime, the rushing game and defense will have to pick up the slack.
San Francisco 49ers:
The 49ers had a strong 5-0 start to their season, but three straight losses have exposed their biggest weakness. The 49ers' secondary, especially the cornerback position, has been a massive hole on the roster. The secondary ranks 22nd in opposing completion percentage and let Kirk Cousins throw for 378 yards in one of their losses. The 49ers' secondary must improve to keep their status as an AFC heavyweight.
Arizona Cardinals:
The Cardinals sit at 1-7, so finding a weakness on their roster is a cakewalk. Their biggest weakness is the rush defense, which ranks 30th in rushing yards allowed and 39th in rushing touchdowns. Even though the rush defense is the Cards' biggest weakness, the quarterback situation is the team's top priority, so running backs will score plenty of fantasy points against this squad for a long time.
Seattle Seahawks:
Put simply, the Seahawks' biggest weakness is their rushing game. Kenneth Walker is a solid running back, but he dominates the carries, causing a lack of depth. The Seahawks rank 25th in rushing yards this season, enough to make it a weakness on an otherwise star-studded team. However, the Seahawks should consider splitting up the backfield carries to add more depth and deception to their ground attack.
Los Angeles Rams:
The Rams looked like possible contenders a few weeks ago but proceeded to lose three straight games, mainly due to running back Kyren Williams's knee injury. Since that fateful injury, the Rams' backfield has been in shambles. Backup running backs Darrel Henderson Jr. and Royce Freeman have not risen to the occasion, and the Rams offense is suffering the consequences. Williams should be back by week 12, but the Rams' season may already be close to over by then.
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