Denver Broncos — Quarterback
Denver is a mess in many respects right now, but a lot of it simply goes back to whoever they have under center. The Broncos have tried three quarterbacks in 2017, and none of them have been good enough. Trevor Siemian has seen the most action, while Brock Osweiler and Paxton Lynch have both gotten their chance and fallen short for various reasons. Only the Browns have thrown more interceptions than Denver’s group of quarterbacks (15 in 11 games). Finding a new QB will be high on the team’s wishlist this offseason.
Detroit Lions — Offensive line
The run defense has been an issue since Haloti Ngata got hurt, but that’s not the real issue that plagues the team. Matthew Stafford is a quality quarterback who is often rushed, flushed out of the pocket, and sacked — 36 times already in 2017, the third-worst mark in the NFL. The Lions have tried very hard to address their offensive line, but injuries have undone all those efforts. The result is an offensive line that struggles to protect its quarterback and is at least partly culpable for the team’s struggles in the run game as well.
Green Bay Packers — Quarterback
The Packers have given up a ton of sacks — 40, to be exact — but frankly, it wouldn’t matter as much if their regular starter were under center. Aaron Rodgers would have the Packers in the playoffs if he were healthy, but Brett Hundley isn’t close to being on the former MVP’s level. Sure, Hundley pushed the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, but that good performance has not been the norm for him. There’s not a lot Green Bay can do about this, either, except hope that Hundley can keep them above water long enough for a miraculous return from Rodgers. Given how loaded the NFC is this year, that probably won’t happen.
Houston Texans — Quarterback
The NFL is cruel sometimes. The Texans looked like they were finally set at a position that has long tormented them when Deshaun Watson burst out of the gates with a series of brilliant performances that had him in the MVP conversation. Then he tore his ACL, and Houston was left with Tom Savage, who simply isn’t good enough. At least Houston can hope Watson makes a full recovery, because if he does, this won’t be a long-term problem that they will need to address again.
Indianapolis Colts — Offensive Line
It would be easy to blame all of Indianapolis’ problems on the fact that Andrew Luck missed the entire 2017 season and be done with it. Perhaps, though, it’s time to shed light on the issue that arguably played a role in Luck getting injured in the first place. The Colts have given up a league-worst 47 sacks in 11 games. Jacoby Brissett has been under every bit as much pressure as Luck always was. They’re endangering their quarterbacks at this point, which is something that needs to be fixed.
Jacksonville Jaguars — Blake Bortles
Cruel? Perhaps. But let’s be honest with ourselves. The Jaguars have an extremely gifted defense that is capable of both pressuring the quarterback and, thanks to Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye, taking away the opponent’s biggest weapons. The run game is bolstered by Leonard Fournette, one of the game’s brightest young backs. Yet despite all this, Bortles is being allowed to lose games under center. Their defeat against the Arizona Cardinals, for instance, was largely thanks to an awful throw Bortles made late in the contest. If the Jaguars could just get a real quarterback, they could really make some noise.
Kansas City Chiefs — Alex Smith
Well, while we’re calling out individual quarterbacks, we might as well double down. It looked like Smith had silenced many of his doubters early in the season when the Chiefs sat comfortably at 5-0, and looked like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They’re now 6-5, and nobody is quiet about Smith anymore. He’s thrown four interceptions to just three touchdowns over his last three games, including a stunning defeat to the New York Giants. Smith is too conservative, not good enough to take risks, and opponents know it. At some point, the Chiefs have to do better.
Los Angeles Chargers — Run defense
Nobody has allowed more rushing yards than the Chargers have. Their 1,468 yards allowed is just ahead of the New York Giants, but the Chargers have allowed that mark on 32 fewer carries. They’re allowing nearly five yards per run. Perhaps the focus from their pass rushers to get after the quarterback has something to do with it. The Chargers have a lot of issues — their home field advantage is nonexistent, for starters — but not being able to stop the run is a huge problem that has plagued them all season long.
Los Angeles Rams — Run defense
It’s a widespread problem, isn’t it? The Rams aren’t quite as bad defending the run as some other teams, but it has been a clear issue for a team that is otherwise excellent. They’re sixth-worst with 1,356 rushing yards allowed, and only two teams — the Chargers and New England Patriots — have allowed more yards per carry than they have. They’ve held up well against the pass and have a solid offense, but it’s on the ground that the Rams can sometimes be found wanting.
Miami Dolphins — Run game
Miami’s offense as a whole hasn’t been all that great in 2017, with alleged “quarterback whisperer” Adam Gase struggling to make things work, particularly once Jay Cutler went down with a concussion. The run game, in particular, has been abysmal. They’ve tallied up only 871 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown for the entire season. They jettisoned Jay Ajayi at the trade deadline, which was definitely a surprise. The truth is nobody has gotten it done out of their backfield all season.
Minnesota Vikings — Kicking
You really have to squint to find a weakness in a Vikings team that’s running away with the NFC North. They have an elite defense, skill players everywhere, and have weathered the absences of Teddy Bridgewater and Dalvin Cook perfectly. The biggest real issue is kicker Kai Forbath. Forbath has been fairly steady going 24-28 on field goals, but he’s missed two from between 30 and 39, along with five missed extra points. The Vikings have the lowest extra point conversion rate in the league. Fine margins can matter in the playoffs. This is, after all, a franchise that has a very long history of missed kicks proving vital in playoff games…
New England Patriots — Offensive line
If you had asked this question earlier in the season, the answer would have been the defense. But that unit has really turned things around since being torched in September and hasn’t allowed more than 17 points in a game during the current 7-game winning streak. Now the biggest issue for the Pats seems to be the offensive line. In the team’s recent win over Miami, Tom Brady was hit eight times and even acknowledged he was “a little sore” afterwards. Protecting Brady so he can be at his best is the biggest key for this time.
New Orleans Saints — Run defense
In terms of pure yardage, the Saints’ run defense is pretty much in the middle of the NFL ranks, but a deeper dive demonstrates their issues. They allow 4.6 yards per carry, fourth-worst in the league. The saving grace is that there aren’t as many attempts against them. The Saints have a high-powered offense that tends to put up points quickly, ensuring that the run game isn’t really a valid option to get back into the contest against them.
