Football is a game that has flaws, and the best teams are the ones that hide them best. It's often the quarterback who can cover up a number of problems, whether it's the offense around him or the defense opposite him. Sometimes what surrounds the quarterback – superior playmaking ability and design, outstanding defense, game-changing playmakers, etc. – covers the quarterback, and sometimes the defense covers the offense as a whole.
There's a reason it's been over half a century since a team went undefeated, and this year hasn't even come close to ending that streak: the last undefeated teams were Buffalo Bills And Philadelphia Eagleswhich brought the score only to 4-0. It was each team's first loss since 2014.
But everything is ready for the postseason. It doesn't matter how the teams got there. All that matters is what they do once they succeed. And even among teams in this top echelon there are many weak spots. How they are hidden or overcome will determine the champion. But if they become too open, they can be a fatal flaw. Here are the most significant weaknesses of each playoff team:
AFK
1. Denver Broncos: Is Bo Nix consistent enough?
Little doubt Nyx clutch gene – his seven game-winning drives led the way NFL – and there are times when he is great throughout the game. There are also times when he plays too risky or inaccurately downfield, leading to missed opportunities and turnovers. And there are times when he too much are not risk averse. Finding that middle ground can be challenging. Nix was 25th in targets on target and 28th in yards per attempt. He threw 11 interceptions and missed seven more, second most in the NFL. Nix often does a great job keeping the Broncos on track and his mobility is underrated, but he also plays with fire more than Sean Payton would like.
2. New England Patriots: start protection
Midway through this season, run defense would be considered one of New England's strengths. Through the first nine weeks, the Patriots were seventh in scoring defense. However, starting in Week 10, the Patriots trailed last by a wide margin. Injuries undoubtedly played a role, as did notable acquisitions in the offseason. Milton Williams And Robert Spillane lost time. Same with Run Plugger Hiris Tonga. This problem can be solved against the poor Los Angeles Chargers offensive line, but expect tougher fast attacks.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: What's going on with some of the elite passes?
The Jaguars have a solid statistical profile, especially after Trevor Lawrence a bright end to the season. But sacks can still be a problem, especially against some of the NFL's best players. The Broncos sacked Lawrence five times in Week 16. Houston Texans there were five in the 10th week. Seattle Seahawks And Los Angeles Rams both had seven in consecutive weeks. Lawrence finished 22nd in sacks this season, and while he was better in the second half of the year, this issue could still arise.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers: downfield pass
The Steelers have posted the sixth-most plays of 10+ yards this season and the second-most of any playoff team. Aaron Rodgers can still work wonders, but overall he has been one of the shortest, quickest passers this season. His 6.0 yards per attempt is the lowest in the NFL. It worked well enough to make the postseason, but could it work against an aggressive Texans defense that would hunt for whatever was missing and force Rodgers to try to gain the upper hand? DK Metcalf's a comeback would help, but it's asking a lot for an offense that was 25th in yards per game.
5. Houston Texans: Red Zone Offense
The Texans enter the playoffs ranked 28th in scoring offense and 30th in scoring offense. They can compensate for this to some extent by 1) having arguably the best defense in the NFL, which gives them a lot of short fields, and 2) making big plays every now and then, but overall it's ugly. Things get even uglier in the red zone, where they rank 30th in touchdown rate. Too many penalties (16 red zone penalties, most of them in the NFL), pointless runs and hopeless passes.
6. Buffalo Bills: Run on Defense
It's a tough call between get past defenses and get past receivers as Buffalo's biggest weakness, but ultimately the run defense is too big an issue to ignore. Only one team – 2006 Indianapolis Colts — Gained more than 5 yards per rush and won Super Bowl. The scores were at 5.1. Plus, when it breaks, it breaks completely: Buffalo has allowed eight touchdowns of over 30 yards, the most in a season in NFL history.
This may be Josh Allen's best chance to win a Super Bowl; this may also be the hardest thing for him
Zachary Pereles
7. Los Angeles Chargers: Offensive Line
The Chargers rank last in PFF in pass blocking grade and last in pass blocking grade. Enough said.
NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks: Turnovers
Only Minnesota Vikings have had more turnovers than the Seahawks this season, and 20 of Seattle's 28 turnovers have come from Sam Darnold (14 interceptions, six losses). Darnold has always been a little shaky with the ball—sometimes struggling to make difficult throws, sometimes just making the wrong throw or being fobbed off—but another issue that has arisen is sacks. Since Week 13, Darnold's sack rate is 8.2%, which ranks 22nd in the NFL. Before that, he had a 3.6% sack rate this season, second-best in the league.
2. Chicago Bears: RPM dependent
The Bears have committed the fewest turnovers (11) and the most turnovers (33) this season. Only 28% of opposing offenses resulted in punts, 28th in the NFL. If the Bears didn't get the ball turned over, they likely committed a score. What Maybe work in the regular season, but relying on it to work in the playoffs against less error-prone teams can be difficult. In 2020-24, five teams finished the regular season with at least 33 forced turnovers. They won one playoff game combined.
3. Philadelphia Eagles: Stop-and-Start Offense
The Eagles have posted four scoreless innings this season, third-most in the NFL. The only teams with more? Tennessee Titans And Cleveland Browns. Philadelphia tends to fall into these offensive attacks and struggles to break out of them. He can't back down Saquon Barkley – whose explosive throw rates were down significantly – similar to last year, and the passing game was a rollercoaster with many all-or-nothing plays (fifth-worst deep throw rate in the NFL). The Eagles are only 24th in scoring offense, second among all playoff teams.
4. Carolina Panthers: Bryce Youngs inconsistency
Young has had some bright spots this season, but his overall performance has been underwhelming. He finished 30th in yards per attempt and completions, 26th in first down percentage, 25th in interception percentage and 22nd in completion percentage. He threw for 200 yards or more just four times. Carolina's path to victory – relying on the running game and getting some hits from Young – is narrow. The Panthers were 1-5 when they failed to reach 40% shooting this season.
5. Los Angeles Rams: Pass Defense, Especially Against Star Receivers
The Rams have the cheapest defense in the NFL, and that's especially evident in the secondary. Pass rush is cheap because many promising youngsters are still on rookie contracts. The secondary sector has not seen such investments. This is a group of misfits and veterans who have made relatively small deals. The Rams' most used guards are Kobe Durant and Emmanuel Forbeswho rank 32nd and 70th, respectively, in PFF's coverage grades (out of 85 cornerbacks). When it comes down to it, a great receiver, especially a bigger one, can just win a one-on-one matchup. Potential playoff opponents Cheers McMillan, AJ Brown And Jackson Smith-Njigba everyone had big days against Los Angeles.
6. San Francisco 49ers: Skip the rush
This could be called a “defense” overall – San Francisco ranks last in defensive success rate and last in defensive rushing efficiency – but at least the 49ers generally do a decent job of limiting the damage in terms of touchdowns. The bigger problem is that the 49ers finished last in sacks and sacks this season and 30th in pressures.
7. Green Bay Packers: Defensive Front
After the Packers acquired Micah ParsonsThe biggest question on defense was whether the quarterback was the only weak link. Now, after the injuries to Parsons and Devonte WyattThe biggest question by a mile is the defensive front. Over the last three weeks, the Packers rank dead last in defensive success rate and 31st in overall defensive success rate. They have one bag – yes, one – and one to go. It's really hard to win in the playoffs if you can't stop the run or break up the pass.
