No team looked unbeatable this week, even though the Broncos offense makes them seem that way. Some glaring needs stood out more than others, but all teams have them, from the great teams to the worst teams. No team in the NFL this season seems like a great all-around team. Some seem like they have few weaknesses and they do, but no team is truly without weakness. With week five of the NFL season in the books it’s time to again take a look at the glaring needs of some of the NFLs teams.
Denver Broncos – Pass Rush
The Broncos offense seems almost unstoppable, but so did the Dallas offense for the majority of the game. The Broncos allowed the Cowboys to put up 48 points and a big part of that was because they couldn’t get any pressure on Tony Romo. Even when they did get pressure they couldn’t bring him down, which allowed Romo to escape and throw a dart downfield to Jason Witten. At some point the Broncos will start playing teams that have both offenses and defenses in the playoffs. If they can’t get at least a few stops they won’t get their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl.
Miami Dolphins – Offensive Line
Ryan Tannehill was on the ground so much this past week that he might as well have just been part of the turf. The Ravens and Terrell Suggs in general, had their way with the Dolphins offensive line. Tennehill is progressing very nicely in his second season, but all of that is for nothing if the offensive line can’t keep him upright. If the Dolphins eventually want to unseat the Patriots as the top dog in the AFC East, the offensive line has to start consistently opening up holes for the run game and keeping defensive players from sacking Tennehill.
Cleveland Browns – Quarterback
The Browns thought that they might have found their quarterback of the future in Brian Hoyer, but they Cleveland again had to weep when he went down with a season ending knee injury. Brandon Weeden still isn’t the answer and neither is Jason Campbell. If the Browns ever want to win the AFC North or get a wildcard birth, they have to get better play from the quarterback position. After the trade of Trent Richardson they have two first round picks and should have the firepower to get one out of this draft.
Atlanta Falcons – Defensive Playmakers
The Falcons went from a Super Bowl contender to a potential top 10 pick this season. Injuries have decimated their defense and they can’t stop anyone. They need someone on that defense who can make plays, whether that is from the defensive line, linebackers or secondary. They have to get someone on that defense who offensive coordinators fear and have to gameplan around. With the offensive talent they have at the skill positions, if their defense can be above average, they have a good team.
New York Giants – Defensive Playmaker
The Giants need a lot of help everywhere except the wide receiver position, but like the Falcons they need a real defensive playmaker that teams have to gameplan around. Justin Tuck and Jason Pierre-Paul have a combined 1.5 sacks and aren’t the playmakers they have been in the past. Pierre-Paul could still be recovering his conditioning and getting back into playing shape after offseason back surgery however. What this team really needs is a playmaker in the linebacking core or the secondary. If they could get that, the defense could once again be on its way to elite.
Seattle Seahawks – Offensive Line
The Seahawks are still one of the best teams in the NFC and the NFL, but their offensive line has taken a hit over the past couple of weeks. Russell Okung is on short term injured reserve and Max Unger has been out with a triceps injury, though they hope he can return this week. The lack of an offensive line is really hurting the Seahawks offense. They are only converting 30.8% of their third down conversion tries, which is good for 27th in the NFL. With a running back like Marshawn Lynch and a quarterback like Russell Wilson that number should be a lot higher.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Head Coach
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the better all-around rosters in the NFL and there is no reason, even with poor quarterback play, that they should be winless so far this season. Josh Freeman who the Buccaneers just released, played extremely well two seasons ago, but just seemed to fall off this past year and continued that this year. That speaks as much to the coaching as it does the player in my opinion. Greg Schiano is not a very good coach and doesn’t understand that he can’t treat grown men like he did his college players at Rutgers. If the Buccaneers would get themselves a new coach, they would battle for a playoff spot right away.