NFL Playoff Picture: Which Teams Need to Step it Up for 2011?
NFL Playoff Picture: With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the NFL playoff picture is much clearer than it was just a few short weeks ago.
Though there are a boatload of teams who are still alive, there are plenty more who have basically been eliminated from playoff contention.
And today we're going to focus on those teams whose seasons, for all intents and purposes, are over.
So let's take a look at what teams must have an offseason overhaul before the start of next season.
Here's a hint: there's 14 who have pretty much been eliminated from the playoffs, and we'll focus on them.
Can you guess which ones they are?
On to the article...
14. Dallas Cowboys
1 of 14
What Went Wrong: Wade Phillips was a big part of Dallas' problems, as is evidenced by Jason Garrett's ability to turn the team around. But I'd be lying if I said Phillips was the only reason Dallas has played so poorly this season.
The Cowboys refused to run the ball for the first half of the season, Tony Romo went down with an injury, the team ranks 28th in passing yards allowed, and Dallas gives up 28.3 points per game, which is good enough for 31st in the league.
How They Can Improve: First of all, Garrett should have that interim tag removed. Second, the personnel for the Cowboys is there. They're loaded at wide receiver, running back and even on defense, so there's no need to gut this roster.
The Cowboys, however, do need to upgrade their offensive line, ask Romo why, as well as their secondary. Mike Jenkins will probably be gone, and Terrence Newman has really begun to show his age. Dallas has gotten torched far too often this season, and the biggest area that needs to be address is that defensive backfield.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px 'Gill Sans'}
If Dallas can draft someone like like Patrick Peterson or Prince Amukamara on top of signing another corner or playmaking safety, they'll be right back at the top of the NFC in 2011.
13. Houston Texans
2 of 14
What Went Wrong: From both a talent and a production perspective, the Houston Texans have one of the league's top offenses. But that hasn't mattered much this season because the team's pass defense has been absolutely horrendous.
That Texans secondary gets torched week in and week out, ranking dead last in passing yards allowed (275.1 per game) and 30th in points allowed (27.6 per game). That's pretty much the main reason why Houston is 5-9.
How They Can Improve: Has a team purely drafted secondary help? Because that's what the Texans need to do. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but 80 percent of Houston's offseason changes should focus on the secondary. It's incredibly young--consisting mostly of rookies or second year players--so a logical decision would be for Houston to swing a trade for or sign a veteran cornerback.
As for the other 20 percent of Houston's offseason to-do list, I'd seriously consider replacing Gary Kubiak. He's definitely not the team's biggest problem, but Bill Cowher has the Texans on his wish list. How can the Texans not be intrigued by that?
12. Miami Dolphins
3 of 14
How They Hit Rock Bottom: At 7-7 in one of the toughest divisions in football, it isn't panic time in Miami. They've got a top-five defense and some solid players on both sides of the ball. But the Dolphins also have some major issues on offense.
They only rush for 103.2 yards per game, Brandon Marshall has been incredibly ineffective all season, and Miami scores just 17.1 points per game--only Carolina is worse. The Dolphins continue to get sloppy play from Chad Henne, and Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown have struggled mightily throughout the entire 2010 season.
How They Can Improve: There's not much that needs to change on Miami's defense, but the Dolphins would benefit from bringing in a new offensive coordinator and instituting a massive overhaul of the team's offense. Brown and Williams will need to be replaced sooner rather than later, and it's becoming more and more apparent that Henne isn't cut out to be a starting quarterback.
If Miami does find a way to upgrade at the running back position (Mark Ingram, maybe?) and at the quarterback position, the Dolphins will be a force to be reckoned with.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
11. Cleveland Browns
4 of 14
What Went Wrong: Though Cleveland has shown some solid improvement with Colt McCoy behind center and Peyton Hillis running like a maniac, they really struggled when McCoy was sidelined with an injury. The Browns only score 18 points per game and average just 295 yards of total offense.
On the defensive side, Cleveland has stopped people from scoring (No. 10 in the league), but they rank 22nd in total yards allowed and 25th in rushing yards allowed. The Browns only allow 19.4 points per game, but their inability to win the war in the trenches on the defensive side has given their offense a limited number of opportunities.
How They Can Improve: There are three key areas where I think the Browns need to improve: their wide receiver corps, run defense, and pass rush. A logical first round choice would be a pass-rushing defensive end--someone like North Carolina's Robert Quinn, or a wide receiver like Georgia's A.J. Green.
Green would be the ideal fit there, because he'd probably be inserted right away as the team's No. 1 receiver, but Cleveland must address their lack of receivers in the later rounds as well.
On top of that, the Browns have to do something to upgrade their run defense, whether that's a hard-nosed tackle, a linebacker or both.
10. Cincinnati Bengals
5 of 14
What Went Wrong: The Bengals have a number of solid pieces in place, but the team's performance has still suffered for two reasons: the lack of a pass rush and the play of Carson Palmer. Though Marvin Lewis should certainly take his fair share of the blame for Cincinnati's woes, Palmer has cost his team multiple games this season with his untimely interceptions.
Palmer keeps turning the ball over, and Cincinnati's defense can't get any type of pressure on the quarterback. The Bengals are dead last in the NFL in sacks, and that lack of a pass rush has put too much responsibility on the team's talented cornerbacks, causing them to get burned in the process.
How They Can Improve: If the team isn't satisfied with Palmer, now's the time to pull the plug. Draft a quarterback--there are four first-round caliber gunslingers in this year's draft class--and find a way to acquire a pass-rushing defensive end.
The team will also need to continue to upgrade its offense through the draft like it has been because Terrell Owens is 37 years old (and will likely be gone after undergoing surgery) and Chad Ochocinco isn't going to be around forever.
The Bengals may also want to consider bringing in a new coach to replace Lewis.
9. Detroit Lions
6 of 14
What Went Wrong: No matter who's played quarterback, the Detroit Lions have been able to throw the ball. But they've still missed Matthew Stafford and have struggled running the ball as a result (102.8 yards per game). Overall, Detroit's offense has been pretty mediocre (16th in total yards and points scored).
As for the defense, the Lions pass rush has been light years ahead of their 2009 team, thanks to some key offseason additions and the development of rookie Ndamukung Suh. But Detroit's cornerbacks have been one of the team's Achilles heels, and the Lions rank 24th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed as well (126.5 yards per game)
How They Can Improve: The upgrades to Detroit's pass rush have been tremendous, but their secondary hasn't been all that great. The team hasn't had a franchise corner in ages and could certainly benefit from selecting a guy like LSU's Patrick Peterson with their first round pack.
With that need covered, the Lions could turn their attention to drafting some offensive line help (to improve the running game) as well as bringing in some help along the defensive front seven. Since run defense has been arguably Detroit's biggest weakness, that area should be at the forefront of most of their major personnel moves during the offseason.
8. Denver Broncos
7 of 14
What Went Wrong: Josh McDaniels got caught in Spygate II, and got the ax from Denver. But the Broncos' woes extend beyond the coaching position. Kyle Orton has played terrible after that tremendous start, and the team's defense ranks 31st in rushing yards allowed (158.4 per game) and dead last in points allowed (29.6 per game).
The loss of Elmis Dumervil earlier in the year has had a monstrous impact on Denver's defense, and the Broncos haven't been able to run the ball at all in 2010. They rank 29th in the league with 90.9 yards per game.
How They Can Improve: Obviously the team will have to bring in a new coach, which is a good place to start if you want to change a team's culture. The Broncos should hire a coach with previous experience who's offense is more fitting to the team's personnel.
The Broncos will also have to commit to Orton or Tim Tebow at quarterback, and draft players that can have immediate impacts in positions of need. The first thing that comes to mind is a run-stuffing defense tackle. Someone like Nick Fairley, perhaps?
And after this week's performance, the team may want to build its offense around Tebow.
7. Buffalo Bills
8 of 14
What Went Wrong: When's the last time the Buffalo Bills had a good quarterback? Since Doug Flutie, or even perhaps Jim Kelly. Though Ryan Fitzpatrick has played well at times, he just isn't the long-term solution. The Bills only score 19.5 points per game, the offense ranks 24th in total yards, and the team's running game is good but not great.
Despite those obvious problems, it's Buffalo's run defense that has really screwed them over in a big way. The Bills have hung tough with plenty of more talented teams, but they allow a league-worst 158.6 rushing yards per game. They let their opponents run wild and run up the score in the process (allowing 25.2 points per game).
How They Can Improve: Buffalo's pass defense has been solid all season, so the team could really bolster its defense by adding a beast in the middle. By drafting someone like Auburn's Nick Fairley or Marcell Dareus, the Bills would not only drastically improve their run defense but would take some pressure off their defensive ends in the passing game as well.
Of course the one thing we all can expect the Bills to do is draft Andrew Luck if they somehow get the first overall pick. He's a can't-miss prospect, and he would turn around the team quick like Matt Ryan did with Atlanta.
Regardless of where they land in the draft, the Bills have to improve their run defense or we can expuct much of the same from them in 2011.
6. Minnesota Vikings
9 of 14
What Went Wrong: I think everyone knows that Brad Childress lost control of his team before being fired, and Brett Favre played awful before snapping his consecutive starts streak. And to be honest, that has been at the forefront of most of their problems.
Minnesota's defense ranks in the top ten of rushing, passing and total yards allowed but still gives up 22.4 points per game. That problem is only exasperated by the fact that the Vikings offense puts up just 17.4 points per game (ranked 30th), 320.8 total yards per game (ranked 23rd) and 198.9 passing yards per game (ranked 25th).
How They Can Improve: The Minnesota Vikings will need a total overhaul of their team. Favre will be out of Minnesota, and Tarvaris Jackson and Joe Webb probably aren't the long-term answers. The Vikings should seriously consider drafting a quarterback in the first round, as well as some offensive line help (which they desperately need).
Minnesota's offense is very talented at the skilled positions, so there's not much to address there. But Pat Williams isn't going to be around until 2015, and cornerback Chris Cook went down with a season-ending injury.
The Vikings will need to look for some help in the secondary and along the defensive line, whether it's through trades or the draft.
5. San Francisco 49ers
10 of 14
What Went Wrong: Since the 49ers lost Jeff Garcia and drafted Alex Smith, most of the team's issues have centered around the quarterback position. Smith just hasn't been able to give any type of consistency to San Francisco's offense, and Mike Singletary's played quarterback shuffle there for far too long.
And Singletary is another problem for the 49ers. His coaching style has led to clashes with some of the team's top players, his offense scores 3.5 points less per game than his defense allows, and the No. 1 defense in 2009 has fallen off considerably in 2010.
How They Can Improve: Two people have to go in San Francisco: Singletary and Smith. The 49ers upper management has to realize it made a mistake drafting Smith and move on. The same goes with Singletary, whose short stint in San Francisco has gone on far too long.
The 49ers need to bring in a new coach and draft a quarterback to replace Smith, preferably one in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
4. Tennessee Titans
11 of 14
What Went Wrong: The Tennessee Titans started off the season on fire and even had the league's No. 1 scoring offense for a while. But Vince Young got injured and then preceded to go crazy, Chris Johnson hasn't been the same Chris Johnson all season, and Randy Moss has done nothing since putting on a Titans uniform.
That's just on offense. On defense, the Titans have have given up 361.9 total yards and 247.8 passing yards per game. Tennessee's D doesn't allow a ton of points (20.1), but it has often struggled at the wrong times. Plus, the Titans offense hasn't helped them out, scoring a total of 39 points in a four-game stretch earlier in the season.
How They Can Improve: At the end of the season, it's likely we'll see the departures of Young and head coach Jeff Fisher. Losing your quarterback and head coach is the sign of a massive overhaul, and that's exactly what will take place.
The Titans must bring in a reputable coach, along with a quality coaching staff, and either draft or trade for a long-term solution at the quarterback position. There are too many variables to consider since this team will look much different by 2011, but a lot of Tennessee's success next season will depend upon how the team transitions to a new coach and a new quarterback.
3. Washington Redskins
12 of 14
What Went Wrong: The Washington Redskins became a 5-9 team because of a long list of issues, but here's the gist: Albert Haynesworth has acted like a moron ever since putting on a Redskins uniform, the team has no No. 1 wide receiver and hardly has a No. 2, Washington can't stop the pass (giving up 263.3 yards per game), and they can't stop offenses in general (dead last in yards allowed per game).
Washington also can't run the ball (93.9 yards per game), and they even used Joey Galloway at wide receiver this year. Joey. Galloway.
How They Can Improve: Well, the Redskins need to cut ties with Clinton Portis and bring in another running back through the draft or a trade. They also need to get rid of Haynesworth somehow (preferably in a trade that gets them some draft picks and/or a quality player in return), and they have to do something to upgrade with their secondary and wide receiving corps.
Draft, trade, steal. Whatever. Just do whatever it takes to put someone other than a 5'9" Santana Moss on the field as your top offensive threat.
Maybe Washington should only draft defensive backs and wide receivers. It couldn't hurt, but they'll probably end up releasing McNabb and drafting a quarterback, which might be the right move in the long run.
2. Arizona Cardinals
13 of 14
What Wrong: When you lose guys like Karlos Dansby, Anquan Boldin and Kurt Warner in the same offseason, what else can you expect? The Cardinals have been atrocious in all aspects of the game in 2010, ranking 25th or lower in every major statistical category (except for passing yards allowed) on offense and defense.
A big reason why that's happened has been the revolving door at the quarterback position between Derek Anderson, Max Hall and John Skelton. But Arizona also failed to adequately replace those huge losses they suffered prior to the regular season. That has led to a defense that gives up 26.4 points per game, 8.2 more than Arizona's offense scores.
How They Can Improve: I don't think Ken Whisenhunt has to go right now. Arizona's first priority should be the quarterback position. The Cardinals should probably swing a trade for/sign a solid veteran gunslinger (McNabb, maybe?) and draft one in the first round as well.
The Cardinals literally have issues at just about every position, but it all starts with the quarterback. Bringing in a highly touted prospect not named Matt Leinart could get that team back to where they were just a year ago.
1. Carolina Panthers
14 of 14
What Went Wrong: Carolina's defense has some solid pieces, and the Panthers actually aren't too bad overall on the defensive side. But they still allow 25 points per game, which is almost double the amount of points the team's offense scores (13.1 points per game).
I don't care if your defense is the NFC Pro Bowl team, it's going to be hard to win scoring that many points. Of course a lot of the team's offensive woes are because of the inexperience at the quarterback position, injuries (Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams), and just an overall lack of talent on that side of the ball.
How They Can Improve: John Fox's contract expires, so the team should make a pitch to a big-name coach, Bill Cowher being the first choice. Bring Cowher or someone line John Gruden to Carolina, draft Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick and either trade him for a ton of pieces or keep him (and realize Jimmy Clausen isn't the answer).
The Panthers will have to rebuild through the draft and try to swing a trade for a No. 2 wide receiver opposite Smith. Carolina also has to sign DeAngelo Williams (who's a free agent this summer) if he's healthy.
Upgrades to the defensive line and linebacker corps--because of the team's poor run defense--couldn't hurt either.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")