Highlighting Every Potential NFL Playoff Team's Greatest Weakness

We have officially reached the three-quarter mark in the 2013 NFL season.

While there is still a month of football left to play and only one team team has actually clinched a postseason spot, we have a pretty good idea of who has a chance of making a playoff run.

So, naturally, it is time to start looking at the biggest reason why each current contender could stumble on its way to the Super Bowl. Some playoff teams are undoubtedly better than others, but each has a flaw that could seriously affect the outcome of the 2013 postseason.

For this list, we will be looking a weakness on the team itself and not, say, a particular opponent said team historically struggles with (no Manning vs. Brady talk here).

* All statistics and ranking via NFL.com

Miami Dolphins

Al Bello/Getty Images

Record: 6-6

Weakness: Pass Protection

The Miami Dolphins have bested some potential playoff teams this season, but they have been embarrassed by others. However, they have remained in the AFC playoff hunt throughout.

A constant this season for Miami has been its inability to protect quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill has been sacked an alarming 45 times through 12 games, which has led to 13 interceptions and five lost fumbles on the season. 

He has already been sacked 80 times and has committed 35 turnovers in his 28-game career.

Surrendering three or four sacks a game (Miami is averaging 3.75) doesn't mean the Dolphins cannot get to the playoffs. However, the mistakes and turnovers that come with consistent pressure could make it difficult for the team to go on a serious postseason run.

Baltimore Ravens

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Record: 6-6

Weakness: Sluggish Running Game

The Baltimore Ravens have undergone their fair share of struggles this season. But it is too early to count out the defending Super Bowl champions with a month left in the season.

Baltimore proved last season that getting hot at the right time can lead to postseason success. However, last year's Ravens team benefited from having a dynamic and balanced offense. This year's Ravens team has been bad offensively (ranked 29th at 309 yards per game) and abysmal on the ground (30th with 81.1 yards rushing per game).

Running back Ray Rice, one of the league's brightest young stars just last season, has been held to a disappointing 2.9 yards per carry.

This presents Baltimore with a clear disadvantage, as presenting offensive balance and protecting a lead will be difficult should the Ravens reach the postseason. 

Arizona Cardinals

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Record: 7-5

Weakness: Turnovers

The Arizona Cardinals are a surprise wild-card contender with only a month left in the season. The team possesses a top-end defense (ranked eighth, allowing 20.6 points per game) and a passing attack that is averaging 246.5 yards per game (ranked 14th).

However, the Cardinals also have a tendency to turn the football over.

Quarterback Carson Palmer is currently ranked third in the NFL for interceptions with 17, the most of any quarterback whose team is on our list. And as a team, the Cardinals also lost seven fumbles on the season. 

This means that Arizona is giving the ball away an average of twice a game, which is more than enough to cost the team a legitimate chance at a Super Bowl title.

Philadelphia Eagles

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Record: 7-5

Weakness: Pass Defense

The Philadelphia Eagles have developed into one of the NFC's most dangerous teams, especially since the emergence of quarterback Nick Foles.

Foles has passed for 1,791 yards, 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions this season. He has also gone 5-1 as a starter.

This is fairly impressive considering the Eagles won just four games total last season.

What is not impressive is the Eagles' pass defense, which is actually pretty putrid. Philadelphia is surrendering a league-worst average of 296.8 yards passing per game.

This is a problem, of course, because a potent offense does little good if a team cannot stop a drive when the game is on the line.

Dallas Cowboys

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Record: 7-5

Weakness: Defense

The Dallas Cowboys are scoring an average of 27.4 points per game (third in the league), are undefeated in the NFC East and are currently tied for the division lead. These are all reasons to believe the Cowboys can make a serious run toward and in the 2013 playoffs.

The Dallas defense, however, is one big reason to believe the team cannot.

Dallas is currently surrendering a league-worst average of 421.6 yards per game, along with 25.2 points per contest (22nd in the NFL). This puts the team on pace to miss the 2012 New Orleans Saints' NFL record for most yards allowed in a season by about 47 yards.

Naturally, this is not a formula for sustained postseason success.

Detroit Lions

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Record: 7-5

Weakness: Pass Defense

The offense of the Detroit Lions (ranked second at 424.5 yards per game) is good enough to hang with any playoff-caliber team in the NFL. However, Detroit has the potential to lose offensive shootouts due to its inability to effectively defend against the pass.

The Lions are currently surrendering 262.2 yards per game through the air (26th in the league) and have given up 21 passing touchdowns on the season.

This does not necessarily mean that Detroit has no chance in the postseason. Only three team have scored more points per game than the Lions' average of 27.2 this season. However, it is a legitimate concern, as losing on a last-minute scoring drive due to poor pass defense still results in a loss—and a trip home in the playoffs.  

Cincinnati Bengals

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Record: 8-5

Weakness: Andy Dalton

With the Cincinnati Bengals on the verge of locking up a third consecutive playoff appearance under the direction of Dalton, it may seem unfair to label the quarterback at the team's biggest weakness. However, it's Dalton who has prevented the Bengals from becoming a truly elite team.

In his first two playoff appearances, Dalton passed for just 384 yards, zero touchdowns and four interceptions. Cincinnati lost both games.

This season, he has had some bright moments (he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month in October) and some bad ones (three interceptions, a lost fumble and a safety in a loss to the Dolphins). His propensity to make mistakes, however, has remained. Dalton currently ranks fourth in the league in interceptions with 16, behind only Eli Manning, Geno Smith and Carson Palmer.

San Francisco 49ers

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Record: 8-4

Weakness: Inconsistency 

Though likely bound for the playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers have been wildly inconsistent during the regular season.

They have been especially so on offense.

During its eight wins, San Francisco has averaged 32.3 points per game. In its four losses, the team has averaged just 9.8 points per game.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick passed for fewer than 150 yards in all four losses and for 127 or fewer yards in three of them. In a 10-9 loss to the Carolina Panthers, he didn't even reach the 100-yard mark.

San Francisco's defense (ranked third, allowing 16.4 points per game) is good enough to win in the postseason if the 49ers can consistently produce points. If they cannot, it could be an early end of the football year for the team.

Indianapolis Colts

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Record: 8-4

Weakness: The Ground Game

The Indianapolis Colts are on the verge of clinching a second consecutive playoff berth, thanks in large part to the presence of young quarterback Andrew Luck. Where the Colts have struggled, though, is on the ground. Indianapolis ranks a pedestrian 20th in rushing (109.4 yards per game) and a lackluster 28th in stopping the run (128.6 yards per game allowed).

Indianapolis' midseason trade for Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson was supposed to help push the rushing battle toward the Colts' favor. However, Richardson has not lived up to expectations and was recently benched in favor of fifth-year back Donald Brown.

Brown may be able to shift the balance on the ground over the final month of the regular season. But the Colts' current inability to control the ground game could be a liability in the postseason, where control of tempo and the clock can make all the difference in a game. 

Kansas City Chiefs

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Record: 9-3

Weakness: Defending the Pass

For the first nine weeks of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs were undefeated and looked to be one of the most dominant teams in the league. They have now lost three straight games and have been exposed as a team that can be bested by an elite passing attack.

While the Chiefs have surrendered an average of just 17.8 points per game (ranked fourth), they have given up 103 points over the past three weeks. Quarterbacks in those games have combined for 1,118 yards passing and nine touchdowns.

This could be an issue for the Chiefs in the postseason, as the playoffs regularly feature some of the league's top quarterbacks.

Carolina Panthers

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Record: 9-3

Weakness: Inexperience

The Carolina Panthers are currently the league's hottest team, having won eight straight games.

With the league's best scoring defense (13.1 points per game allowed) and a successful rushing attack (ranked ninth at 129.3 yards per game), they have the look and feel of a dominant old-school football team.

Unfortunately, Carolina does not have the experience of an old-school team and possesses a roster that is new to success. The Panthers have not had a winning season or reached the playoffs since 2008. That year, quarterback Cam Newton was still a member of the Florida Gators.

The good news is that Newton and the Panthers have finally figured out how to win on a regular basis. They will now have to prove they can win in the postseason.

New England Patriots

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Record: 9-3

Weakness: Run Defense

Remember when everyone believed the team's offseason roster turnover would make the New England Patriots a second-tier team? With the Patriots on the verge of clinching yet another AFC East title, it is easy to see how ridiculous that notion was. 

However, the Patriots do have one glaring weakness: They cannot stop the run.

New England possesses the league's 31st-ranked run defense (138.2 yards per game allowed) and was out-gained on the ground in two of its three losses this season (the Patriots actually ran for four more yards than the Panthers in Week 11).

This might not be a huge disadvantage for the Patriots in the post season. That is, of course, uless they find themselves facing a run-heavy team like the Seahawks (ranked third in rushing), the 49ers (ranked seventh), Panthers (ranked ninth) or Chiefs (ranked 11th).

New Orleans Saints

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Record: 9-3

Weakness: Playing on the Road

With a high-powered offense (ranked sixth at 396.1 yards per game) and an above-average defense (ranked eighth, allowing 319.8 yards per game), the New Orleans Saints appeared ready to challenge for the top spot in the NFC.

That was, of course, before they were smacked down in a 34-7 loss at Seattle.

That blowout loss brought attention to the fact that the Saint simply are not the same team away from New Orleans. While they have averaged 33.2 points per game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome this season, they have averaged just 18.8 on the road.

All three New Orleans losses have also come on the road.

Unfortunately for the Saints, their loss to the Seahawks may have guaranteed a trip back to Seattle if the team wishes to reach the big game.

Denver Broncos

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Record: 10-2

Weakness: Inclement Weather

Averaging 458.5 yards and 38.7 points per game, the offense of the 2013 Denver Broncos may be one of the most prolific we have ever witnessed. However, the Broncos are not perfect. They have lost twice this season to quality opponents, and each loss showed where Denver's weaknesses lie. 

The team's defense (ranked 27th, allowing 384.2 yards per game) appears to be good enough to win games when Peyton Manning and Co. are putting points on the board. However, it simply gives up too many yards and points to make the Broncos feel good about a low-scoring affair.

As the weather continues to turn sour, the Broncos face the very real possibility of playing in the snow, rain, wind and cold. These are less-than-ideal conditions for a team built for offense.

We watched Manning struggle (19-of-36 for 150 yards) in the cold and wind against the Patriots in Week 12—a game that saw Denver’s defense surrender 31 second-half points and squander a 24-0 lead. This could prove to be an issue for the Broncos, as the AFC path to the Super Bowl is likely to run through Denver, New England or Kansas City—all cities with outdoor stadiums.

Seattle Seahawks

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Record: 11-1

Weakness: Playing on the Road

As the only team to have already clinched a playoff berth, the Seattle Seahawks have yet to show many flaws this season. If there is a weakness to be found, however, it is that Seattle doesn't seem to play its best football away from CenturyLink Field.

The Seahawks' only loss this season came on the road against Indianapolis. Three of the team's first four road wins were decided by five points or fewer, and had the Houston Texans not "Schaubed" things at the end, one of them would have been a loss.

Fortunately, the Seahawks currently hold a two-game lead over the Saints and Panthers for the NFC's No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. This means that the first time Seattle plays away from home in the postseason could be in New York for the Lombardi Trophy.