Throughout an 18-game regular season, every team in the NFL goes through ups and downs. From the No. 1 pick to the Super Bowl champion, no team was without a strength, and no team was perfect.
Some metrics are more predictive than others, but here is a glimpse at what every team should be looking to rectify ahead of the 2025 season.
Every NFL Team’s Biggest Weakness in 2024
Arizona Cardinals
Getting your opponent in a difficult spot is one thing, but getting off the field is another. As each season passes, the Arizona Cardinals get worse at preventing the chains from moving on third downs of 5+ yards.
Opponent Conversion Percentage on 3rd-and-5+ vs. Arizona:
- 2021: 28.1% (13th in NFL)
- 2022: 29.7% (23rd)
- 2023: 32.5% (27th)
- 2024: 37.4% (32nd; league average: 29.7%)
Atlanta Falcons
With uncertain play under center, there is an increased level of importance on stopping opponents when they are in scoring position. The 2023 Atlanta Falcons owned the fourth-best red-zone defense (TD surrendered on 45.3% of red-zone trips), but they were the fifth-worst in 2024 (64.9%).
Baltimore Ravens
By the end of the season, the Baltimore Ravens were clicking on both sides of the ball, but they did shoot themselves in the foot with regularity.
Worst Per-Game Penalty Yardage Differences, 2024:
- Ravens: 21.2 more penalty yards than their opponents per game
- 49ers: 12.9
- Broncos: 12.8
- Texans: 10.8
- Jets: 8.5
That was Baltimore’s worst mark since 2015, and this franchise is responsible for three of the 11 instances in which a team had an average penalty yardage difference of over 19 yards per game.
Buffalo Bills
Khalil Shakir led the Buffalo Bills in receiving yards (821) and Mack Hollins paced them in receiving touchdowns (five) — neither ranked better than 40th league-wide in those respective categories. Josh Allen is a truly special talent and is capable of maximizing the team around him, but the supporting cast lacks the high-end helper that so many successful teams have.
- Eagles: A.J. Brown
- Chiefs: Travis Kelce
- Commanders: Terry McLaurin
- Texans: Nico Collins
- Lions: Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Rams: Puka Nacua
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers allowed points on the majority of opponent drives last season (51.4%), the only team with a mark over 45.6% (2023 Panthers: 37.7%). The inability to get off the field led to the second-worst Defense+ grade (53.5) in our database that dates back to 2019.
Chicago Bears
In 2023, the Chicago Bears allowed 2.74 yards per RB carry after first contact, the 11th-best rate in the league. In 2024, however, that rate was 3.30, fourth worst. Their struggles to tackle opposing running backs resulted in them posting the fourth-highest RB rush TD rate for the season.
Cincinnati Bengals
Didn’t it feel like Joe Burrow and this offense couldn’t catch a break in 2024?
That’s because they couldn’t.
The Cincinnati Bengals allowed a touchdown on 5.9% of opponent passes when the offense put them on the field with a lead (NFL average: 4.2%). This was a drastic downturn from the previous three seasons, a stretch that saw Cincinnati rank 11th in this category (3.7%).
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns earned a 95.3 Defense+ grade in 2023 (second best dating back to 2019), a number that dipped to 80.2 in 2024, but that was still a top-10 grade. More glaring is that, despite rules increasingly built to favor the offense, Cleveland’s annual yards per pass continue to trend in the wrong direction.
- 2020: 7.4 yards per pass
- 2021: 7.0
- 2022: 6.9
- 2023: 6.4
- 2024: 5.9 (11.9% worse than any team that made the playoffs)
Dallas Cowboys
A failure to move the ball and stop the opposition from doing it is obviously a problem, but winning the battle of the red zone was the most glaring flaw that the 2024 Dallas Cowboys showcased.
Not only were they the second-worst red-zone offense in the league (46% TD rate), they owned the fourth-worst red-zone defense of the past decade (75% TD rate; there were eight games in which they allowed six points on 100% of opponent trips inside the 20).
Denver Broncos
Behind our top-ranked offensive line, Denver Broncos running backs ranked 26th in rush TD rate and 28th in yards per carry after contact. You can argue about the value of the RB position and that the ability to catch passes is just as important in a Sean Payton offense as anything, but the gravity that a viable run game provides is tough to deny.
In 2024, Bo Nix ranked 30th of 36 qualified QBs in yards per play-action pass attempt, an increase in efficiency on the ground would go a long way toward helping him build on a surprisingly strong rookie campaign.
Detroit Lions
Aidan Hutchinson is a phenomenal player, but any defense that operates with essentially a single point of failure is dangerous.
- Weeks 1-6: 10.2 yards allowed per completion, eighth fewest
- Weeks 7-18: 12.7 yards allowed per completion, second most
We saw how quickly things can unravel when this flaw is present during the 45-31 loss to Washington in the playoffs (13.6 yards allowed per completion; that paved the way for 182 yards and three scores on the ground).
The Detroit Lions’ offense was as good as any we’ve seen recently, but the ceiling is capped if a defensive floor like this is in play (a little health luck would go a long way, but Hutchinson’s impact far trumps any other player on this side of the ball for Detroit).
Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love improved his play as the season wore on, but his struggles against high-end competition are a real concern as we look to evaluate the Green Bay Packers’ true ceiling in a loaded NFC North.
Passer Rating Splits, 2024:
- vs. Playoff Teams: 87.5 (21st, behind Kirk Cousins and Caleb Williams)
- vs. Non-Playoff Teams: 108.2 (seventh, ahead of Josh Allen and Joe Burrow)
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans’ offensive line graded out as our second-worst for the 2024 season, meaning a C- mark or worse 11 times. There are plenty of moving pieces when it comes to evaluating blocking, but with a QB like C.J. Stroud who likes to hold onto the ball, this area needs to be closer to a strength than a glaring weakness to succeed at a high level.
Houston running backs as a collective ranked 31st in yards gained per carry before contact, a flaw that has the propensity to stunt drives before they have a chance to get started.
Indianapolis Colts
The names on this offense are known, but their ability to produce is going to be limited if they are sitting on the sidelines. The Indianapolis Colts’ offense was on the field for just 27 minutes and 49 seconds per game last season, the third fewest in the NFL (ahead of only Jacksonville and Carolina) and this franchise’s lowest mark since 2011.
"You miss every throw you don’t take." – Anthony Richardson (probably) pic.twitter.com/Z69zV3EEef
— Steven Patton (@PattonAnalytics) December 18, 2024
Jacksonville Jaguars
In 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars allowed a league-high 7.9 yards per pass (NFL average: 7.1) and intercepted only 1% of opponent passes (NFL average: 2.2%). Trevor Lawrence struggled at a high level (QB31 by our QB+ metric, ranking behind Bryce Young), but the team made a move to address that by hiring Liam Coen away from Tampa Bay.
Only one of the 10 worst yards-per-pass defenses in 2024 made the playoffs (LAR), making this a flaw that needs to be fixed sooner than later if this team is going to rebound in a meaningful way.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs have made it clear that they prefer to have Patrick Mahomes take what he is given as opposed to forcing the issue, and that largely has to do with how defenses play them. That said, the dip in efficiency on the few deep shots he does take is worth monitoring.
- 2024: 9.9 yards per deep pass (15+ air yards)
- Previously in His Career: 13.1 yards per deep pass
Las Vegas Raiders
The offense is a clear problem, and things seem to only be getting worse. The Las Vegas Raiders averaged just 26.4 yards per drive, their worst mark since the 3-13 team of 2014, and that fueled a 15.2% touchdown rate (31st, ahead of only Cleveland).
Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers’ running game looked like a calling card early in the season, but it regressed in such a way that it stunted their growth and is a serious question heading into 2025 (their offensive line graded 18th, excelling against the weaker teams in the league and struggling against playoff caliber competition).
Chargers RB Yards per Carry Splits, 2024:
- Weeks 1-2: 5.6 (2.51 yards per carry before contact)
- Rest of Season: 3.7 (1.17 yards per carry before contact)
Los Angeles Rams
The average NFL team converted 3rd-and-long (6+ yards) at a 27.1% rate in 2024 — the Los Angeles Rams ranked dead last at 18.9% (2023: they converted at the league average, 26.5% of the time, in such spots).
On these plays, Los Angeles allowed pressure on 47.4% of dropbacks and gave Matthew Stafford a league-low 2.5 seconds to throw, flaws that are at risk of being magnified without Cooper Kupp on this roster.
Miami Dolphins
The offense generates plenty of conversation as every season wears on and the temperature falls, but the decline of the Miami Dolphins’ defense in the second half of the season was a problem in 2024.
- Weeks 1-7: Points allowed on 34.3% of drives (10th, better than Kansas City)
- Weeks 8-18: Points allowed on 41.4% of drives (23rd, worse than Cincinnati)
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings allowed pressure on 54.7% of dropbacks when blitzed, a glaring flaw that makes consistent offensive success an uphill battle if they are working in a QB with zero NFL reps in J.J. McCarthy.
Minnesota got away with it in 2024, but when looking at the other teams in the bottom five in this metric, you’ll understand the cause for pause — Las Vegas, Seattle, New England, and Indianapolis.
New England Patriots
The offensive numbers underwhelmed (26th in our Offense+ metric), but that side of the ball has direction with Drake Maye. On the other side, however, the struggles in 2024 are a bit more alarming. In a league that favors the pass, the ability to create pressure without needing to blitz is becoming increasingly valuable; it’s an area that is trending in the wrong direction for the New England Patriots.
Patriots’ Pressure Rate When Not Blitzing by Season:
- 2022: 35.6% of dropbacks (third)
- 2023: 28.4% of dropbacks (27th)
- 2024: 23.9% of dropbacks (31st)
New Orleans Saints
Injuries derailed much of what the New Orleans Saints wanted to do in 2024, but their inability to start possessions was a paralyzing flaw. For the season, their 4.9 yards per first down play ranked 27th; if you chop off the outlier first two weeks of the season, that rate drops to 4.6 (31st, better than only the Pittsburgh).
New York Giants
The New York Giants failed to show resilience in 2024 at a nearly historic level. New York lost all 12 of its games in which it went into the halftime locker room with a deficit, the second-most such losses without a victory in a single season during the 2000s, with the lone exception being the winless Cleveland team in 2017 (0-14 in such spots).
The best teams can overcome adversity like this (all 11 teams who posted a 40% win rate or higher in these spots made the playoffs), and the Giants’ league-worst red-zone offense certainly played a big part in this.
Giants’ Red-Zone TD Rate by Season:
- 2022: 63.3% (seventh)
- 2023: 44.2% (31st)
- 2024: 43.2% (32nd)
New York Jets
No one stat tells the story of the 2024 New York Jets better than their six losses when entering the fourth quarter tied or with a lead (second most in a single season during the 2000s with only 2019 Detroit having more such missteps).
They ran out of gas in a major way in those contests. They had 10 games that qualified (tied or ahead through three quarters), and in those 10 fourth quarters:
- Two turnovers forced
- 8-of-9 fourth-downs converted against them
- Allowed points on 59.3% of opponent drives
- 14.6 more penalty yards per game than their opponent
- Sacked on 7.5% of dropbacks
Pittsburgh Steelers
We are used to Mike Tomlin-led Pittsburgh Steelers teams being ahead of the curve when it comes to trends and tweaks in the NFL, but that wasn’t the case in 2024 when it comes to leveraging the new kickoff rules.
Worst Team Yards per Kick Return:
- Patriots: 25.5 yards
- Panthers: 25.2
- Browns: 24.8
- Vikings: 24.4
- Steelers: 23.0
San Francisco 49ers
Injuries on the offensive side of the ball garnered plenty of attention in the disappointing 2024 season for the San Francisco 49ers, but it was their special teams that cost them dearly. For the season, their special teams EPA was -59.7, the third-worst mark over the past decade and 77.6% worse than any other team last year.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks allowed pressure on 37.1% of non-blitzed dropbacks in 2024, the third-highest rate in the NFL (average: 31.7%) and a continuation of a flaw that continues to nag at them.
Highest Non-Blitzed Pressure Rates Since 2019
- Texans: 34.9%
- Giants: 35.3%
- Seahawks: 35.9%
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Given how potent this offense proved to be in 2024, the job of the special teams is to simply win the field position battle when called upon — it didn’t happen.
In 2024, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ranked dead last in net yards per punt (10.1% worse than league average) and downed just 28% of their punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line (NFL average: 41.3%).
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee turned the ball over on 16.8% of its possessions, the highest rate in the league and the worst mark by this franchise since Vince Young’s 2007 team.
Over the past two seasons, the Tennessee Titans are 5-8 when turning the ball over on under 10% of their drives and 4-17 in all other games.
Washington Commanders
There were only two teams in the NFL that allowed over 2.0 yards per carry before first contact to running backs during the 2024 regular season — Carolina (2.07) and Washington (2.02). Their season ended against Saquon Barkley and the Eagles in a game in which they allowed 4.1 yards per carry before contact to RBs (22 rush attempts).
Two of the Washington Commanders’ three worst games in this metric came in the postseason (also: 3.5 against Detroit).