Ranking the NFL's 10 Best Offensive Units Down the Stretch

This is one time we don’t mind being offensive.

As we head into mid-and-late December (with a January chaser), which teams possess the top offensive units in the NFL?

We have chosen our top 10, and those on it are not the top 10 scoring teams in the NFL this season. Remember, defensive units and special teams know their way to the end zone as well.

Here we are ranking these units based on production and efficiency, as well as with a glance to the future and how current injuries may affect or be affecting these attacks.

Are we missing a team on the list? As usual it’s a subjective topic.

But it does make for interesting conversation.

10. New Orleans Saints

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For what it’s worth, the New Orleans Saints are the only team on this list with a losing record. So it’s safe to say we won’t be seeing Drew Brees and Co. come the playoffs.

It’s been an extremely rough year for Sean Payton’s club, whose 5-8 record includes the league’s worst defense. And while this was a team that dealt away quality offensive performers such as tight end Jimmy Graham and wide receiver Kenny Stills and released longtime running back Pierre Thomas, this club still has managed to find a way to produce points and find the end zone.

This season the Saints have averaged 395 total yards per game and scored 38 offensive touchdowns. Brees hasn’t always been sharp but has somehow managed to throw 25 touchdown passes compared to 11 interceptions.

This isn’t a team to get too excited about, but Payton has once again managed to mount one of the better attacks in the league.

9. Kansas City Chiefs

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Remember a year ago when the Kansas City Chiefs failed to have a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass? The offseason addition of free agent Jeremy Maclin helped rectify that situation.

But perhaps the most impressive aspect of this club is the fact that it has had a revolving door at the running back position this season, be it Jamaal Charles (out for the season), Charcandrick West or Spencer Ware. But it is a team that runs the ball with consistency.

Yes, the Chiefs only scored 10 points on Sunday. But considering the weather in Kansas City, that is certainly understandable. The bottom line here is that quarterback Alex Smith continues to make very few mistakes, (the Chiefs have 12 turnovers in 13 games), and this is an offense that has run for 17 scores while the veteran quarterback has thrown 15 touchdown passes.

8. New York Jets

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Who would have thought that the New York Jets would be on this list given their last few seasons? But give credit to new head coach Todd Bowles and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, an offseason addition, for making this an effective group as well as one of the most improved offenses in the league.

Wide receiver Brandon Marshall has scored at least one touchdown in six straight games. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been erratic at times but has produced for the most part. Running backs Chris Ivory, and lately Bilal Powell, have keyed the ground attack and the offensive line is one of the better units in the league.

This season the Jets are averaging 371.2 yards per game and have totaled 37 offensive touchdowns in 13 contests. Who would have thought we would be seeing these kinds of numbers from this team in 2015? This was a club whose offense managed a mere 27 touchdowns in 16 games a year ago.

You also can’t understate the addition of Marshall, acquired in a trade from the Chicago Bears this offseason. The veteran wideout has totaled 100-plus receiving yards eight times so far. A year ago the Jets had a total of four 100-yard receiving performances.

While it's New York’s defense that usually hogs the spotlight, don’t overlook Fitzpatrick, Marshall and a balanced attack that has made major strides since a year ago.

7. Green Bay Packers

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When you have a team with quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the helm, it’s hard to keep it off of a top 10 list when it comes to offense.

Granted this is a unit that has had its struggles of late. But getting running back Eddie Lacy back on track after a sluggish stretch has helped, and suddenly this is an attack that will once again cause major concern for a lot of opposing defenses. The third-year pro, spelled on occasion by James Starks, has run for 100-plus yards in three of his last four games.

Rodgers continues to be effective, throwing 28 touchdown passes compared to only five interceptions this season. Those numbers are somewhat similar to his MVP performance of 2014, when he threw for 38 scores and was picked off just five times.

With Randall Cobb, James Jones, Davante Adams (who’s had a rough season) and improving tight end Richard Rodgers, this is a unit certainly capable of catching fire.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

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Unfortunately for Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, he may not have to deal with the usual scrutiny when it comes to his performance in the playoffs.

It’s not a done deal, but the fifth-year signal-caller will be out indefinitely with a broken thumb suffered early in Sunday’s 33-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Enter backup AJ McCarron, who will try to lead this team to the AFC North title over the next few weeks.

“This kid has a great personality. That’s why he’s here,” said head coach Marvin Lewis on Sunday, via Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com. “Now he’s got to lead us for however long.”

Of course this is a Cincinnati offense that is as balanced as they come. With running backs Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill, wideouts A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu and tight end Tyler Eifert, the cupboard is not bare regardless of who’s throwing the football.

Losing Dalton is certainly unfortunate, but don’t count out offensive coordinator Hue Jackson and the work he’s done this season with this group. He will have McCarron ready to play and perform well.

5. Seattle Seahawks

Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

You could argue that the biggest reason the Seattle Seahawks have been in the Super Bowl each of the last two seasons has been the play of their heralded defense.

But if this is to become the first NFC team to reach the Super Bowl three years in a row, they may do it riding the arm of quarterback Russell Wilson.

The four-year pro has been on a major roll of late and has ignited another late-season surge for a team that always seems to play its best football down the stretch. On Sunday, Wilson threw five touchdown passes for the second time in three weeks. In his last four games, he has connected for 16 scores—half of those touchdowns to wide receiver Doug Baldwin—without an interception. Rookie Tyler Lockett is a huge big-play threat who is also seeing more passes his way lately.

Of course, the loss of running back Thomas Rawls on Sunday could be a huge blow. Via NFL.com, the undrafted rookie broke his ankle on Sunday at Baltimore.

It wasn’t long ago that Wilson was being sacked on a regular basis and running for his life. Now it’s opposing defenses that are scrambling for answers.

4. New England Patriots

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Only the Arizona Cardinals have scored more points this season than the New England Patriots. That’s almost hard to believe considering the amount of injuries the team has endured the last month or so.

On Sunday Tom Brady had to be relieved to see tight end Rob Gronkowski back on the field. This is an offense that also welcomed back wide receiver Danny Amendola a week ago after he missed a game. The Pats are playing these days without running back Dion Lewis and wideout Julian Edelman, both out with injuries.

And yet this team still finds ways to score points, thanks to the likes of Brandon Bolden, James White and Keshawn Martin. The offensive line has been a story unto itself, and many of the pages have been torn when it comes to that group.

As simple as it sounds it comes back to Brady, who has full command of this attack and responds almost weekly. He’s thrown for a league-high 33 scores compared to only six interceptions.

3. Carolina Panthers

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After some early season ups and downs on the offensive side of the football, Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers have been making it look pretty easy.

In its last four games, Ron Rivera’s team has totaled 156 points, the vast majority of that by the offense. Newton has been hot, throwing 13 touchdown passes and just one interception over that four-game span. Led by Jonathan Stewart as well as Newton, the running attack is one of the best in the league.

The wide receiver corps is an interesting mix of experience and youth. Tight end Greg Olsen remains the team’s top pass-catcher while unpredictable speedster Ted Ginn, veteran Jerricho Cotchery and rookie Devin Funchess are the main wideouts.

Finally, the offensive line has really come together this season and is just one part of an attack that seems to maul its opponents on a weekly basis.

2. Arizona Cardinals

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Winners of seven straight games, the Arizona Cardinals are one victory away from setting a franchise record for wins in a season.

And while the defense has done its share and has its own playmakers, quarterback Carson Palmer is at the helm of the league’s highest-scoring team and one that has benefited from his season-long presence.

Bruce Arians’ squad has totaled 405 points and scored 43 offensive touchdowns in 13 games this year. Rookie David Johnson is now the main man in the backfield, after the team lost revitalized Chris Johnson to injury a few weeks ago.

Palmer, a strong candidate for not only MVP honors but NFL Comeback Player of the Year accolades, has the likes of wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown and Michael Floyd to throw to. And this is a team that has been held below 20 points only twice all season.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

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Damned if you do and well…you know the rest.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have now put 30-plus points on the board in each of their last five games. And while cornerback William Gay had a hand in the team’s scoring in Sunday’s 33-20 win at Cincinnati, Mike Tomlin’s offensive attack is looking fairly unstoppable these days.

Be it Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant or Markus Wheaton, the three have combined for four 100-yard receiving games and two 200-yard receiving games in their last five contests. On Sunday tight end Heath Miller returned to the lineup after missing a game and caught 10 passes for 66 yards. Veteran running back DeAngelo Williams has very effectively replaced injured Le’Veon Bell this season. And the Steelers have done this, at times, without starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

How hot is this attack these days? In their last five games, the Steelers have totaled 176 points and are averaging a blistering 494 total yards per game.

Good luck stopping that.

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com.