Sadly, five NFL teams were hit with the loser game show sound during their brief quest for immortality this postseason. Getting to the playoffs is an achievement, but being a one-and-done team means that there’s clearly a lot of work to do before launching into the upper echelon of the league.
Here’s what each loser from the weekend needs to work on this offseason in order to actually have a realistic shot at a Lombardi Trophy in the near future.
Pittsburgh Steelers
A whole lot on offense
The Steelers’ season ended in predictable fashion based on their final month of the regular season. Over their final four games prior to the playoffs, they went 0-4 and only averaged 14.3 points per game, right in line with what they were able to muster against Baltimore. Outside of a few explosives, the Steelers were never able to get into a long enough groove offensively to seriously threaten the Ravens. This is the biggest problem they face as they head into the offseason — and it was their biggest problem coming into the season.
Russell Wilson and Justin Fields are both free agents and they need to try and find and upgrade at quarterback regardless if either returns. Beyond a quarterback, they need an influx of skill talent at wide receiver and running back. Running backs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris both have contract expirations that need to be figured out and they desperately need to find another wide receiver outside of George Pickens to boost the passing game. Right now, they just don’t have enough Joes to consistently threaten NFL defenses throughout the course of a season.
They might have a couple pieces on the offensive line, but the fact of the matter is this team has massive question marks on just about every portion of their offense. For a team that has never bottomed out under Mike Tomlin, their offseason and decision making are going to be fascinating.
Los Angeles Chargers
Patience (and interior linemen)
The Chargers’ 32-12 loss at the hands of the Texans was a stark reminder of the fact that this team launched a rebuild less than a year ago. Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert helped flip the script on this team in a short amount of time, going from 5-12 to 11-6 and a wild-card appearance, but their dismantling showed some of that 5-12 is still in there. The Chargers were ahead of schedule with their performance this year, but they still have work to do to get to where they want to go.
Some interior offensive line help would be a good place to start. Rashawn Slater and rookie Joe Alt were a good tackle duo, and will be great moving forward, but the guys in between were a huge hindrance to their offense. Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman are always going to lean run-heavy, with or without the personnel up front to actually make that feasible. If they’re going to run what they run, they need to get better production out of the offensive line so they aren’t living in third-and-long situations. The framework for a good team is here, the Chargers just need to keep building in alignment with their identity (and maybe go spend on a pass catcher or two).
The free agent offensive line class doesn’t appear to be that deep, but maybe they can grab a veteran to start for a year and also take advantage of what looks to be a talented interior lineman class in the upcoming draft.
Denver Broncos
Some beef on defense
Denver has some clear room to improve after their blowout loss against the Bills on Sunday. The offense is still figuring out their path to consistent, down-to-down production, but the defense is very close to being a true stalwart unit. Their pass defense, particularly when cornerback Riley Moss is healthy, is an elite unit. The run defense had good metrics for the majority of the season, but when they ran into dominant run games like Baltimore and Buffalo they were easily pushed aside, which essentially neutered their passing defense.
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Getting heavier in the interior would do wonders for Denver — and it’s not that expensive to find a run-stuffing nose tackle. If they can just find someone to help them keep their linebackers clean, that would go a long way for them. They have the penetrators, but they need to get more stout. They could also use an upgrade at linebacker, but those players seem harder and harder to find these days.
Green Bay Packers
Creators on both side of the ball
Green Bay’s season ended in embarrassing fashion as they just couldn’t get out of their own way in a wild-card loss to the Eagles. Just about every single player who dressed for the Packers had some mistake that contributed to the loss and, quite frankly, it’s unlikely they would play that poorly again if the game was replayed today. It was that bad.
One aspect of this Packers roster that they need to fix is very clear: They don’t have enough guys that can go out there and create havoc for the other team. Particularly at “attacking” positions like wide receiver and pass rusher, where a lot of the success falls on the individual player to win their matchup. They didn’t do much of any of that versus the Eagles. Jalen Hurts had all day to throw when facing the Packers defense, and the Packers wide receivers were disorganized and non-threatening when trying to get down the field. Jordan Love playing arguably the worst game of his career didn’t help matters, but they definitely need to go find some more explosive playmakers to help them get out of ruts.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Defensive reinforcements
The Buccaneers defense, like most teams that faced the Commanders this year, just could not get off the field on third and fourth down, helping lead to a loss. The unit that helped them win the Super Bowl a few years ago has gotten older and gone through the normal attrition and turnover of several offseasons. They aren’t quite where they used to be and it’s been felt this season. They still have a handful of good players that will make their big plays and keep them competitive, but the overall talent has slipped a bit in recent years.
Longtime linebacker Lavonte David may be walking away from football this offseason following a decorated career, but even if he doesn’t, they need more youth and speed at linebacker. They also need some cornerback help as they were unable to find a consistent option across from Zyon McCollum after trading away Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions prior to the season. The offense should be in good shape next year as long as the offensive line stays healthy, giving them the space to devote resources to the other side of the ball.
