National Football League

NFL 2016: Potentially Fatal Flaw for Each Super Bowl Contender

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Each NFL team hoping to become a Super Bowl Champion has something to overcome, these potentially fatal flaws are examined in detail

The 2016 NFL season has been exciting to say the least. The season has unfolded in ways pretty much no one could have expected. The two teams that squared off in the most recent Super Bowl find themselves in unfamiliar territory. The Denver Broncos are suddenly an inept offense led by quarterback Trevor Siemian. This came after losing out on free agent Brock Osweiler and trying to roll out Mark Sanchez at the position.

Thanks to that slow offense, they’re suddenly in danger of missing the playoffs. The team they beat, the Carolina Panthers, is in an even worse spot. Reigning MVP quarterback Cam Newton has played terribly this season and they’re sitting at 5-8 after going 15-1 last season.

Other surprises include the Dallas Cowboys becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot. This came on the heels of an 11-game winning streak with rookie quarterback Dak Prescott at the helm.

After failing to land a spot at the end of the first round via trade to draft a potential replacement to veteran Tony Romo, the Boys settled on Prescott in the fourth round. They then tried to find a veteran to back up Romo, but again failed. In the end, Prescott played so well that the team decided to move on from Romo permanently.

Other surprises have been the offensive explosion of the Atlanta Falcons, and the maturation of quarterbacks Derek Carr with the Oakland Raiders and Matthew Stafford with the Detroit Lions.

All these surprise teams find themselves in the mix of contenders as the 2016 NFL season winds down. Of course, none of these teams are perfect, which is what makes this season and the upcoming playoffs so exciting. It feels like at any one point, a team’s weakness could come back to haunt them. So what are these contenders’ biggest issues?

Here are the potentially fatal flaws for each team that could be considered a Super Bowl contender.

Dec 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) drops back to pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants — Offense Inefficiency

In Week 14 the New York Giants got their biggest win of the season. They defeated the Dallas Cowboys for the second time on the season, but this one was bigger than their opening day 20-19 win. This time they weren’t facing a first-time starting quarterback and a rookie running back trying to knock the rust off after missing most of the preseason. Instead, they were facing a team on an 11-game win streak.

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They were also facing the hottest rookie combo in recent memory as quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott had been on fire. Until they ran into the stout New York Giants pass defense that is. In this win the Giants reminded everyone that their secondary is one of the best in the game. They also reminded us that, if this defense wasn’t spectacular, they would hardly ever win a game.

Quarterback Eli Manning had three turnovers, but could have had three more. Two interceptions were dropped by safety Barry Church and one was dropped by linebacker Justin Durant. That would have been four interceptions and two fumbles against a team notorious for being awful at creating turnovers.

The Giants offense can explode at times because of big playmakers like receiver Odell Beckham Jr. But they have a poor running game and Eli Manning is the king of turnovers. If that’s not cleaned up, they won’t make much noise at all in the postseason unless their defense keeps holding teams like Dallas to seven points. That’s a tough task to ask of any defense.

Oct 30, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) breaks the tackle of Atlanta Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal (22) in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons — Pass Defense

As good as the Atlanta Falcons are in the passing game, they are just as bad in pass defense. The shared NFC South leaders are averaging a league best 32.9 points per game thanks in large part to their 295.7 yards per game through the air.

That passing total is good for third best in the NFL. On the other side of the field, though, it’s a different story. The Falcons are surrendering 26.5 points per game, which has them ranked 28th in the league. Their biggest weakness is stopping the pass.

Opponents are throwing for a league best 275.2 yards per game against this secondary. Making them even worse is the injury to cornerback Desmond Trufant. The 2013 first-round pick was lost to a torn pectoral muscle, which took away their best player in an already thin defensive backfield.

The Falcons have the recipe for winning playoff games on offense. They can throw it all over anyone with quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones. They’re also great running the ball. With Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman splitting time at running back, they have a great one-two punch. Their downfall, though, could be an inability to get their defense off the field.

Nov 24, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick (25) runs the ball during the first quarter of a NFL game on Thanksgiving against the Minnesota Vikings at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Detroit Lions — No Running Game

The Detroit Lions aren’t particularly great at any one thing, although they are decent at most. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is having a solid year, but despite being in MVP talks he isn’t putting up too many huge games. They also aren’t running away with any games.

They’ve become kings of the comeback. Every week it seems like the Lions are about to lose, and every week they pull a rabbit out of their hat. Eventually, the luck feels like it will run out, but it hasn’t yet.

Defensively they’ve been pretty solid. Good against the run, but subpar against the pass. Overall though, they’ve limited opponents to just under 21 points per game. That average is good for 10th best in the league.

They seem to be well-rounded until you look at their own running game. The Lions just flat-out stink at running the ball. So far this season they’re averaging a measly 83.7 yards per game on the ground. Only three teams this season are worse at running the ball than the AFC North leading Lions.

To date, Theo Riddick has been their most effective running back. With 92 rushes, Riddick has gone for 357 yards, but has just one touchdown. They need something to kick start that running game should they hope to make any noise in the postseason.

Dec 8, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith (11) passes against the Oakland Raiders during a NFL football game at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas City Chiefs — Stagnant Offense

Anyone who has watched Alex Smith play quarterback in the NFL knows what could go wrong for the Kansas City Chiefs. At any given moment, he can become the master of the throw-away. Smith is an underrated competitor in the NFL. He has been winning for several years now, but has the stigma of being a game-manager. While it’s not necessarily an insult, at times it feels so.

The veteran quarterback is simply safe with the football. He rarely takes chances and relies on his solid defense to keep them in games. While that equates to plenty of regular season success, the Chiefs need to be able to push the ball down field to win in January.

Too often Smith seems content with throwing the ball away and punting it to the opponents. Eventually that will come back to haunt them as the teams fighting them in the win-or-go-home games won’t miss too many opportunities to put that preverbal nail in the coffin.

Earlier this season during the Sunday Night Football game against the Denver Broncos, Smith did show some signs of explosion. He led his team down for a few scores late in the game for a comeback win in overtime. If he is able to channel that style in the playoffs, they could be dangerous. It’s just hard not to believe that he will have several dud drives in the most important games of the year.

Dec 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack (52) reacts after recovering a forced fumble against the Buffalo Bills in the fourth quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Bills 38-24. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Oakland Raiders — Defensive Holes

Overreaction Monday—or Friday in this case—was in full-effect. The Oakland Raiders were beat by the Kansas City Chiefs for the second time this season, so naturally their whole season was a flop and they should just go home and cry.

The belief seems to be that they were overrated heading into their game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but that’s preposterous. The Raiders are now 10-1 against the NFL and 0-2 against their divisional rivals. It happens (ask the Dallas Cowboys). However, that doesn’t mean the Raiders are perfect outside their two K.C. losses, because they aren’t. Their defense is an absolute mess.

They’re surrendering nearly 400 yards per game and it isn’t just in one phase they’re getting beat. They’re bad against the run and bad against the pass. They’re allowing nearly 25 points per game and have shown no signs of improving.

On a positive note, they do still have the amazing pass rusher Khalil Mack on that side of the ball. While they may surrender a lot of yards and points, he is always one snap away from destroying an offensive game plan. To avoid a letdown in the playoffs though, they are hoping someone else steps up and helps him out on defense.

Dec 11, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Pittsburgh beat Buffalo 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Pittsburgh Steelers — Inconsistency Overall

The Pittsburgh Steelers are their own worst enemy. There are some games where they look like an unstoppable force, then there are games where you wonder what it is they’re doing. They dropped 38-points in the opening week against the Washington Redskins, a team that is in position to make a run at a playoff spot. They also scored 43 against the Kansas City Chiefs, a team sitting at 10-3. In those two games they surrendered 16 and 14 respectively.

Then they have games like the one against the Philadelphia Eagles. With a rookie quarterback playing for Philly, they surrendered 34 points and managed just three. Against another rookie quarterback in Dallas, they surrendered 35 points. In that contest they did have 30 to their credit, but their defense decided to take a night off.

Week 14 was another odd one. Running back Le’Veon Bell had over 230 yards and three touchdowns. He was a monster against the Buffalo Bills, a team now with a losing record of 6-7.

While he was on point in that one, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not. He threw no touchdowns and had three interceptions on the day. While they were able to overcome the Buffalo Bills, this won’t fly against the teams they will be facing in the playoffs en route to Super Bowl LI.

Oct 23, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks center Justin Britt (68) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The game ended in a 6-6 tie after overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks — Offensive Line

After this Sunday’s game, we could probably add quarterback Russell Wilson’s awful play. The Super Bowl winning quarterback threw five interceptions against the Green Bay Packers and looked like a confused player. It wasn’t the first time he looked off. For much of the early part of the season, people were wondering what was wrong with Wilson. He looked hurt and ineffective.

The reason for that was, of course, largely his injuries. However, he was hurt in the first place because of Seattle’s biggest weakness, their offensive line. These guys are just not protecting Wilson and the beating he is taking is beginning to take its toll.

Seattle scored just three points against the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 2 loss, six points against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 7 tie, five points against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Week 12 loss, and most recently 10 points in their Week 14 loss to the Packers.

The one common denominator in each of these losses was seeing Wilson run for his life. The running game was stuffed by the defense and in turn Wilson had to try and do it all on his own. He was unsuccessful as it seemed each play resulted in free rushers gunning for him. Some teams have found ways around a poor offensive line, but this group is making it look rather tough.

Dec 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs the ball against the New York Giants during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys — Inexperience in Key Spots

Dallas Cowboys fans are crazy. They were devastated by a 4-12 season last year and were begging for better in 2016. They have gotten that now, but after a loss to the New York Giants, some fans want to see their rookie quarterback Dak Prescott get benched.

America’s Team is 11-0 against every team not named the Giants and 0-2 against the “Big Blue Dez Bryant Wrecking Crew.” That makes these talks of switching quarterbacks at this point seem crazy.

However, that position is part of their potentially fatal flaw. The Boys are winning big this season, as they have they are tied for the most wins of any team after 14 weeks. They also were the first team to clinch a postseason berth. They’ve done this with their biggest contributors being rookies.

Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott have been a breath of fresh air. They’ve returned joy to the Dallas football scene and they’re checking items off their bucket list each week. Still, they’re incredibly inexperienced and Sunday night reminded us all of that. The Giants rolled out some tough defense and Dak just couldn’t find holes in the defense to operate with.

They were limited to seven points and the magic ran out as they couldn’t spark a last-second comeback. They’re a force for sure and their running game isn’t slowing down, but counting on rookies in their biggest spots is rather unsettling.

Dec 4, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; A New England Patriots fan holds a sign for New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (not pictured) during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots won 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

New England Patriots — Lack of Big Passing Targets

The New England Patriots looked like a lock to be the representatives for the AFC in this season’s Super Bowl. Then disaster struck. Tight end Rob Gronkowski had to undergo back surgery and will not be back until 2017 at the earliest. It’s a tough blow because, when he’s on the field, Gronk is just un-coverable.

He’s the perfect mixture of size and speed and hands down the best tight end in the league. Unfortunately, injuries have been a huge part of his career and once again the Pats are trying to figure out a way to win it all without their fun-loving superstar.

Of course they will still win the AFC East, because they always do. And they will still make noise in the playoffs, because they always do. Only this time, they have a huge flaw. Without Gronk, they really don’t have a big play threat to throw the ball to.

The good news is that quarterback Tom Brady is the master of finding ways to win without such threats, but no one would say they’re not going to miss Gronkowski. He makes too much of a difference and his absence could be the one thing that derails them this postseason.

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