Sad news: The head coach of Baltimore received sad news regarding his…
None of the teams are flawless going into the offseason. Most will try to correct their shortcomings in the NFL Draft (April 25–27 in Detroit) and free agency (March 13), some of which are obvious and some of which are not. According to Yardbarker writers, these are each AFC team’s worst weaknesses:
Buffalo Bills | Making decisions in a pinch Sean McDermott is undoubtedly one of the NFL’s top ten head coaches, but his poor choices in pivotal moments during Buffalo’s divisional-round loss to the Chiefs cost his team a second chance at the Super Bowl.
In addition to erroneously calling a fake punt for safety Damar Hamlin in the fourth quarter, McDermott made defensive decisions that limited Kansas City to just five third-down plays—a dismal performance even for an injured Buffalo team.
Miami Dolphins | The limitations of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa Miami’s defeat to Kansas City in the wild-card round brought to light Tagovailoa’s feeble arm strength and incapacity to extend plays—glaring flaws in his skill set that had a big impact on the result of the game.
The disadvantages of giving the league’s top passer a near-maximum salary contract extension this offseason greatly exceed the benefits, particularly in light of his lengthy history of injuries. He might eventually jeopardize Miami’s chances of winning the Super Bowl.
Appealing to quarterback Aaron Rodgers Although Rodgers had a Hall of Fame career in Green Bay, the Jets have treated him as though he established his legacy in New York, which has had a major negative impact on the team. In an attempt to win over Rodgers, New York made a number of dreadful offseason additions. However, Rodgers’ support of Jets management persuaded the team to continue with head coach Robert Saleh, a move that could ruin the season.
The New England Patriots are on the attack. The Patriots’ worst quarterback play in NFL history occurred during the previous season, but part of the issue was their lack of weapons; DeMario Douglas, the team’s top receiver, came in 78th place among players in receiving yards (561). Fortunately, by selecting a quarterback or Ohio State wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr., in the first round of the draft, New England can significantly improve its passing game. Colum Dell
West AFC
DENVER BRONCOS: The incompetence of the offense In his first year in Denver, head coach Sean Payton was unable to ignite the hopeless team again. The Broncos finished 26th in yards (298.4) and 20th in points (21 PPG) in the league. It is obvious that they need to select better playmakers in the draft.
Kansas City Chiefs (QB) Patrick Mahomes is the focal point The league’s best quarterback, the three-time Super Bowl champion, needs better weapons, which the Chiefs must provide. K.C. had the fourth-highest number of pressures (164) and the most drops (44) in the league, according to Pro Football Reference.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | QB has no obvious response Jimmy Garoppolo is anticipated to be released by the Raiders in March, according to reports from Vic Tafur and Dianna Russini of The Athletic. In 11 games, rookie Aidan O’Connell had a below-average 40.5 QBR; therefore, they will need to add a better quarterback in the draft or through free agency.
Los Angeles Chargers: Insufficient cap room The Chargers may have to let go of star wide receiver Keenan Allen and star linebacker Khalil Mack because Spotrac estimates that they are $44.02 million over the salary cap. Jim Harbaugh, the new head coach of Los Angeles, is trying to turn the team around after it finished 5-12 in 2023, so this isn’t ideal. Dalton Clark
Baltimore Ravens AFC North | Cap space | According to Pro Football Focus, the Ravens will have just $13.65 million in cap space at the end of 2024 and 23 unrestricted free agents. Since quarterback Lamar Jackson is signed through to the end of his contract, Baltimore will probably lose some of its best players, including guard Kevin Zeitler, LB Patrick Queen, and DT Justin Madubuike.
The Cincinnati Bengals: Close finish Irv Smith Jr. was signed by the Bengals during the offseason in the hopes of taking over for Hayden Hurst, who inked a deal with Carolina. However, in 2023, he and the other tight ends in Cincinnati combined for just 686 yards and four touchdowns, proving that was not the case.
CLEVELAND BROWNS | Wide receiver | The Browns’ only other receiver to surpass 650 yards receiving in 2023 was Amari Cooper. Elijah Moore, a former second-round pick who fell short of expectations in 2023 (59 catches, 640 yards, two touchdown catches), was acquired by Cleveland in exchange for a second-round pick.
QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers In 2024, the Steelers will need to replace their QB with a new player in a division that includes Deshaun Watson (Browns), Joe Burrow (Bengals), and Lamar Jackson (Ravens). In 25 games, Mitchell Trubisky was released last week, Mason Rudolph is anticipated to look for a new opportunity elsewhere, and Kenny Pickett has thrown for 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Aaron Becker
Houston Texans of the AFC South: historically nonexistent run game The Texans have only had two 1,000-yard rushers in the last nine seasons—Carlos Hyde (2019) and Lamar Miller (2016)—since Arian Foster’s final healthy season in 2014. The team needs to get quarterback C.J. Stroud a reliable bell-cow back so he can be the beneficiary of 20 passes per game, as he is starting to show that he is the real deal.
The Indianapolis Colts: low-cost front desk Jim Irsay, the owner of the Colts, is known for his gaudiness, but he rarely makes major moves in free agency. The Colts have been very selective with their spending in recent years, with the exception of the one-year, $20 million deal they signed quarterback Philip Rivers to in 2020. However, according to Spotrac, they have the fifth-most cap space in the NFL ($66.3 million), and this year is the ideal time to break this trend.
Jackson Titans | Player advancement Although that number may seem high, the Jags have only produced 24 Pro Bowl players since 2000—roughly one every season. Jacksonville only made the playoffs four times during that time and didn’t have a Pro Bowl player in eight of those seasons. This trend needs to change if the team is to contend with rising teams like the Colts and Texans.
Tennessee Titans: unseasoned management First-year head coach Brian Callahan and second-year general manager Ran Carthon are leading Tennessee’s rebuild. Even though both might end up being excellent at their careers, it is a big risk to gamble on such inexperience when it comes to rebuilding and dismantling a whole roster.Michael Gallagher
