No NFL team is perfect. Even the truly great teams have potentially fatal flaws. The 1972 Dolphins, the only undefeated team in pro football history, were pilloried at the time for their relatively weak schedule. The 1985 Bears were undone by Dan Marino’s quick passing game in their only loss of the season. The 1998 Vikings looked like an unstoppable juggernaut until that whole kicker thing happened. And the 2007 Patriots were unable to seal the deal on the second undefeated season in NFL annals when they proved unable to block Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s NASCAR packages in Super Bowl XLII.
So, as we come into the 2023 season, it’s time to ask — what’s the potentially fatal flaw for every NFL team? Fortunately, our NFL Wire team site editors were at the ready with their informed analysis.
Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray doesn’t return to form
If you ask anyone outside of Arizona, the person likely laughs and says the entire roster is its fatal flaw. They just lack talent, especially after jettisoning receiver DeAndre Hopkins and safety Isaiah Simmons. However, any hope they have of being competitive later in the season relies on a healthy return to form by Kyler Murray, who is coming back from a torn ACL. He will be out at least four weeks. If he comes back and can be what he was from 2019-2021, then the Cardinals will be fun in the second half of the season to watch. If he can’t move or play the way he did or if he isn’t a good schematic fit with the offense, then they will be as bad as most believe they will be.
– Jess Root, Cards Wire
Atlanta Falcons: Offense is too one-dimensional
The Falcons featured a top-three rushing attack in 2022, but they ranked 31st in passing yards per game. Instead of going after a quarterback this offseason, the team added to its greatest strength by drafting dynamic running back Bijan Robinson in the first round. Will this gamble pay off, or will Atlanta be hindered again by a lack of offensive balance? It all comes down to the play of second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, who enters the season with just four games of NFL experience under his belt. The former third-round pick has earned the confidence of his coaches and teammates, but he’ll have to perform if the Falcons hope to end their five-year playoff drought in 2023. With weapons like Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Cordarrelle Patterson, Ridder is set up for success. – Matt Urben, Falcons Wire
Baltimore Ravens: Pass rush takes a step back
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has seen former players Yannick Ngakoue and Justin Houston sign deals in the past couple of weeks to play elsewhere in 2023. Prior to signing DE Jadeveon Clowney, Baltimore didn’t return a single player who racked up more than six sacks a year ago. If you add in Clowney only logging 28 tackles and two sacks with the Browns in 2022, Mike MacDonald’s defense will go as his front seven goes. The starters will be OLB David Ojabo and OLB Odafe Oweh, with Clowney in the rotation. Over his first two seasons, Oweh has eight sacks and 26 knockdowns across 1,249 defensive snaps, while Ojabo played only 21 defensive snaps last season in his return from a torn Achilles. Both players will see an increase in their snap count this season. – Glenn Erby, Ravens Wire
Buffalo Bills: Tremaine Edmunds is not replaced
The Bills entered the offseason with a massive hole on their defense… and there is potential that it’s still there. After five seasons in Buffalo, LB Tremaine Edmunds is off to Chicago. The position is mega important for Sean McDermott’s unit. The Bills play a nickel-heavy scheme, which calls for only two linebackers for a majority of games. That meant more responsibility on Edmunds’ shoulders, which was set to be picked up by either Tyrel Dodson or Terrel Bernard. However, the younger options left so much to be desired that journeyman AJ Klein was seeing preseason snaps with the starters. The hope in Buffalo is now turning to Christian Kirksey. Having only just signed, could he solve this issue ahead of Week 1 against the New York Jets? If he can’t, this issue could ruin the Bills’ Super Bowl dreams.
– Nick Wojton, Bills Wire
Carolina Panthers: Offensive line doesn’t take the next step
When you hand over the keys to a 5-foot-9, 205-pound rookie quarterback—albeit a pretty special 5-foot-9, 205-pound quarterback—you need to have a stable offensive line. And you can’t blame the Panthers for believing they have one. Their group of hog mollies was relatively impressive last season, and really kicked into another gear with the insertion of center Bradley Bozeman. The summer, however, has raised a few questions about the unit. Not only will they be without right guard Austin Corbett for at least the first quarter of the season, but left tackle Ikem Ekwonu didn’t look quite like the Ikem Ekwonu we saw during much of his encouraging rookie campaign. Growing pains will pop up for Bryce Young, regardless of how pro-ready he’s been. But Carolina can’t afford to see the new face of their franchise experience actual pains if his protection doesn’t hold up. – Anthony Rizzuti, Panthers Wire
Chicago Bears: Justin Fields’ doesn’t progress in passing game
Fields emerged as one of the NFL’s most exciting young players last season, where his elite athleticism single-handedly kept the Bears in games. But for Chicago to take the next step, Fields needs to improve as a passer. Which is why the team traded for DJ Moore, who gives Fields the No. 1 receiver he’s been missing. Fields also has some solid pass catchers in receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool and tight ends Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan. There were also improvements made to the offensive line, which should put Fields in a position to succeed. Simply put: No more excuses. The expectation is Fields will take that step as a passer and become a true dual-threat quarterback. But if Fields doesn’t take that next step forward in the passing game, the Bears could be in for another long season – and they might consider exploring another option at quarterback in the NFL draft. – Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire
Cincinnati Bengals: Safety overhaul
As expected, safety has finally jumped ahead of offensive line in this area. In the wake of losing Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell to free agency, the Bengals hope free-agent addition Nick Scott and first-round product Dax Hill can maintain the key roles in Lou Anarumo’s defense well. Hill certainly has Bates-styled range and preseason flashes to suggest he can make it happen. If not, it places more pressure on a secondary also trying to break in second-year boundary corner Cam Taylor-Britt. Depth at corner is much better and the Bengals enjoy serious continuity pretty much everywhere else, but struggling safety play could have a brutal domino effect.
– Chris Roling, Bengals Wire
Cleveland Browns: The Browns go as far as Deshaun Watson takes them
There are not more than five better rosters than the one constructed in Cleveland. General manager Andrew Berry outdid himself to overhaul every weakness on the roster, most notably uprooting the entire defensive interior with talented playmakers like Dalvin Tomlinson, Za’Darius Smith, Ogbo Okoronkwo, and Shelby Harris. Even offensively, the Browns acquired underutilized Elijah Moore, drafted Cedric Tillman in the third round, and kept the entirety of their offensive line intact. However, none of this will matter if Deshaun Watson plays like he did over the last six games of 2022.
Watson and head coach Kevin Stefanski have worked together to create a more explosive system. The Browns ran the most empty of any team in the preseason, a formation that Watson has been historically lethal out of. There were flashes of explosiveness in the preseason, however, until Watson proves he has returned to his previous form in a regular season game, skepticism will loom over this team in 2023 despite the Super Bowl aspirations in the building.
– Cory Kinnan, Browns Wire
Dallas Cowboys: If older players cannot maintain levels of play or health
The Cowboys appear to be set with their most loaded roster of the Dak Prescott era, but one of the most common mistakes fans make throughout the NFL offseason is not accounting for regression. Young players are seen as being able to continue their upward trajectory, but rarely do expectations account for players on the other side of the curve. That’s Dallas’ most daunting task to overcome. Is Stephon Gilmore going to be able to play like the rejuvenated 2022 version in Indy? Can Brandin Cooks crank out another 1,000-yard receiving season? How well will future Hall of Famers Tyron Smith and Zack Martin perform on the OL? Is DeMarcus Lawrence still a Pro Bowl bookend to Micah Parsons? These are all key players who probably are no longer in their primes, but if they can perform close to that ceiling, it could be a special year in Dallas. – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire
Denver Broncos: Russell Wilson doesn’t have a bounce-back year
The Broncos brought in new coach Sean Payton this offseason, a move that the front office hopes will help make the franchise a contender again. One of Payton’s biggest tasks will be helping Russell Wilson get back on track. If anyone can do it, Payton can. He won games not only with Drew Brees in New Orleans but also with Taysom Hill, Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston. Payton knows how to get the best out of a QB, and he will tailor Denver’s offense to fit Wilson’s strengths. If Wilson does not have a bounce-back season, though, the Broncos will be looking at another disappointing season – and a new QB in 2024. – Jon Heath, Broncos Wire
Detroit Lions: The passing offense doesn’t come to pass
The Lions finished on an 8-2 tear in 2022 and much of the credit goes to an offense that really gelled around QB Jared Goff operating OC Ben Johnson’s creative scheme. Amon-Ra St. Brown emerged as a Pro Bowl wideout, and the relatively healthy offensive line gave Goff time to consistently find the best option to attack the defense. It sure looks like the offense will remain great, but there are some moving parts that could slow it down. Opponents have had time to study Johnson’s offensive proclivities. The WR room lacks a truly proven commodity outside of St. Brown; Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond are good, but neither really scares defensive coordinators. Rookie TE Sam LaPorta and fellow rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs are going to be major parts of the passing offense, and it remains to be seen if either will be truly ready for an instant impact. Goff was masterful down the stretch, but he’s had trouble sustaining success in the past. Even with what looks to be the NFL’s most-improved secondary and a deep pass rush, the offense will likely have to outscore what some foes post against the Detroit defense. Can Goff & Co. keep it rolling?
– Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire
Green Bay Packers: Inexperienced offense/passing game
The Packers love the young, athletic core they’ve built on offense, but it’s probably going to take time for all the inexperienced players they’ve built around first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love to gel into a consistent operation. Although the Packers return veteran running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon and have one of the best offensive lines in football, all the receivers are first- or second-year players (including rookie Jayden Reed) and the top three tight ends (not including Josiah Deguara, who is a fullback) are rookies. Talented youth brings potential to the table, but growing pains on offense – particularly in the passing game – are likely and could be Green Bay’s downfall in 2023. Love, in his first season as a starter, might have to learn how to win the hard way, just as Aaron Rodgers did back in 2008 (6-10 record). There will be unavoidable ups and downs, with mistakes helping open the door to improvement, for a young team. Can the Packers survive the turbulence?
– Zach Kruse, Packers Wire
Houston Texans: Inexperience
There has been plenty of justifiable hype surrounding the hiring of DeMeco Ryans. Nevertheless he is still a rookie coach venturing into the void with a team that has posted three straight double-digit loss seasons. Even Ryans himself will have learning curves and growing pains, let alone that of his rookie quarterback. The same can be said of offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. The Texans will pay the price for on-the-job training. It doesn’t mean things will be bad forever, but they could be exasperating in the beginning.– Mark Lane, Texans Wire
Indianapolis Colts: Inexperience
The Colts did the right thing this offseason turning the page toward the future, but the lack of experience on both sides of the ball will lead to growing pains. Specifically with rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson, who started just 13 collegiate games at Florida, there will be plenty of head-scratching moments as he continues to develop. Additionally, the cornerback room is young and inexperienced. With two rookies and two second-year undrafted free agents holding significant roles, only one player in the cornerback room has more than four career starts (Kenny Moore II). There will be moments of excitement, but also plenty of growing pains as the Colts hit the field with the third-youngest roster in the NFL. – Kevin Hickey, Colts Wire
Jacksonville Jaguars: Offensive and defensive line depth
Skill position talent is no issue for the Jaguars. An offense that already had Trevor Lawrence working with Travis Etienne Jr., Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram is now adding Calvin Ridley and Tank Bigsby to the mix. The defense is hoping young players like Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Tyson Campbell continue to improve and raise the entire unit. But what happens if Jacksonville suffers injuries in the trenches?
The Jaguars’ offensive line was just OK in 2022 and the only change made in the offseason was to insert first-round pick Anton Harrison as a replacement for departing free agent Jawaan Taylor. The defensive line is already starting the season without nose tackle DaVon Hamilton. A promising season could crumble if those already questionable units can’t stay healthy. – Adam Stites, Jaguars Wire
Kansas City Chiefs: Defensive line in question without Chris Jones
The Kansas City Chiefs’ defense may cease to function without its best player on the field. Chris Jones’ extended holdout from team activities is set to cause serious problems for the Chiefs in 2023, and at this juncture, no resolution seems imminent. The team already has a target on its back after winning Super Bowl LVII in February, and may find it difficult to compensate for Jones’ absence with the depth currently on the roster.
To make things worse, free agent addition Charles Omenihu is set to miss the first six weeks of Kansas City’s schedule after being suspended due to a violation of the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The Chiefs brought in rookies Keondre Coburn and Felix Anudike-Uzomah during April’s draft and traded for Neil Farrell Jr. last week to bolster the defensive line, but at this point, the unit is totally unproven.
– John Dillon, Chiefs Wire
Las Vegas Raiders: Linebacker
The Raiders have beefed up their defense, specifically in the secondary. But the one position that could hold them back is linebacker. The Raiders lost Denzel Perryman in free agency and replaced him with former Steelers STer Robert Spillane. Las Vegas is hopeful that Divine Deablo will make a leap in Year 3, but this is easily the most unproven spot on the roster. And with the Raiders playing so many high-powered offenses this year, the linebacker position has a potential to get exposed and there aren’t many good options on the roster if the starters struggle.
– Marcus Mosher, Raiders Wire
Los Angeles Chargers: Defense doesn’t improve
The Chargers have a high-powered offense led by quarterback Justin Herbert, which will be engineered by new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Undoubtedly, they should light up the scoreboard every week, but the defense will determine how far they go. Los Angeles struggled at stopping the run last season and had a lot of lapses against the pass. They made some upgrades by bringing in veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks and will be returning key players cornerback J.C. Jackson, edge defender Joey Bosa and defensive tackle Austin Johnson. Still, since we didn’t see any of them during the preseason, it remains to be seen if they can eliminate the explosive plays. – Gavino Borquez, Chargers Wire
Los Angeles Rams: Youth and inexperience
There’s only one team in the NFL that’s younger than the Rams right now, and that’s the Packers. Los Angeles has 15 players on its 53-man roster, which is a number that’s unlikely to be matched by any other team this year. The Rams do still have Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald and Cooper Kupp, but the majority of their roster is made up of players still on their rookie contracts. With all that youth and inexperience, Sean McVay’s team is bound to go through some growing pains, particularly early in the season. And if they get off to a shaky start because of mental mistakes and coverage lapses, things could go downhill quickly. The Rams desperately need Stafford, Donald and Kupp to all stay healthy and have Pro Bowl-caliber seasons. – Cameron DaSilva, Rams Wire
Miami Dolphins: Offensive line talent and depth
It’s not’s a problem that’s unique to South Florida, but the group of big men up front still have a lot of questions to answer. LT Terron Armstead is recovering from an injury that might have him ready by Week 1, but injuries are what hurt his performance in his first season with Miami. It’s still unknown who’s starting at left guard between Isaiah Wynn and Liam Eichenberg, but the former would be playing there for the first time and the latter doesn’t have much experience at the position either. Connor Williams continues to have issues with high snaps. Right tackle Austin Jackson only played two games protecting Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side last year, and he got hurt in both games. Right guard Robert Hunt is literally the only offensive lineman with no questions at the moment. And, considering how important Tagovailoa’s health is for the Dolphins’ success, the offensive line is the one aspect that needs to hold up and perform well. – Mike Masala, Dolphins Wire
Minnesota Vikings: The defense doesn’t take a step forward
When you look at the Minnesota Vikings roster, there are a lot of question marks on defense. Danielle Hunter and Harrison Smith are the key players, but the players surrounding him are all question marks. Marcus Davenport had a top-10 pressure rate last season at 17.6% but only had 0.5 sacks. Can he become a more consistent finisher? What about at cornerback? The Vikings have a lot invested in the position with second, third and fourth-round picks over the last two drafts, plus a large contract in the offseason for Byron Murphy Jr. Who is going to step up and become a factor in the secondary? One thing is for certain. Brian Flores is going to make a big difference in this defense, but will it be enough to help the Vikings take a step forward?
– Tyler Forness, Vikings Wire
New England Patriots: The offensive line is currently in shambles
Playing behind the Patriots’ makeshift offensive line is hazardous to a quarterback’s health. Things were reportedly so bad in training camp that the team held starting quarterback Mac Jones out of the preseason finale. That led to Bailey Zappe getting body-slammed all over Nissan Stadium by the Tennessee Titans defense for four sacks and three fumbles.
Starting guards Mike Onwenu and Cole Strange have both been out with injuries, while left tackle Trent Brown has been limited. The depth isn’t there for the Patriots to hold up offensively if all three aren’t able to return and stay on the field. And deep down, coach Bill Belichick knows that’s the truth considering he currently has 11 offensive linemen on the roster. The Patriots are throwing darts at the board and seeing what sticks. – Jordy McElroy, Patriots Wire
New Orleans Saints: Dennis Allen must prove his critics wrong
Is Dennis Allen the right guy for the job? His 15-38 record as an NFL head coach doesn’t inspire confidence. With the easiest schedule in the NFL and his own supporting staff and players, Allen has no excuses (and no room for error) if the Saints don’t win games this year. He must sign off on a more aggressive approach on fourth downs and inside enemy territory after kicking the ball away more than any other coach last season. He can’t afford to let the team get away with as many pre-snap penalties as they did a year ago. Allen says Derek Carr is a quarterback he believes in, but now it’s time for him to prove it. No one in New Orleans will have a heavier influence on this season’s outcome than Allen himself. – John Sigler, Saints Wire
New York Giants: What if injury issues return?
General manager Joe Schoen has done an excellent job filling out the Giants’ roster and bolstering depth the past two offseasons, but it all comes at a risk. He has heavily invested in players who, although talented, come with an injury history. That ranges anywhere from QB Daniel Jones and RB Saquon Barkley to TE Darren Waller and WR Parris Campbell. In fact, 11 of the team’s projected starters (rookies not included) have missed at least some time over the past two seasons. If the Giants once again get bitten by the injury bug, the wheels could come off quickly. Health is both a major concern and a key to success. – Dan Benton, Giants Wire
New York Jets: Offensive line injury bug dooms team again
The Jets have the pieces in place to make a run this season. Aaron Rodgers is going to help bring the offense to greater heights. That is if the offensive line can stay intact. The injury bug bit the Jets hard last season, especially up front, and it completely derailed the season. The Jets have to hope their starting five of Duane Brown, Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern (eventually Joe Tippmann), Alijah Vera-Tucker and Mekhi Becton can stick together as much as possible. Especially the tackles because the current backup options didn’t inspire much confidence during the preseason. – Billy Riccette, Jets Wire
Philadelphia Eagles: Can linebackers hold up under pressure?
The Eagles have never really placed urgent value in the linebacker position and after a breakout year from LB Kyzir White and LB T.J. Edwards, GM Howie Roseman allowed both to depart via free agency. Philadelphia drafted former Georgia LB Nakobe Dean in the third round in 2022, and he’ll be the starter at middle linebacker. After initially signing Nicholas Morrow during free agency, the Eagles will enter the regular season with LB Zach Cunningham alongside Dean, and LB Christian Elliss as the backup. Cunningham has under the radar potential, but if he and Dean can’t hold up against the run, or become liabilities in the passing game, DC Sean Desai could have a long season.
– Glenn Erby, Eagles Wire
Pittsburgh Steelers: Are we all wrong about Kenny Pickett?
The Pittsburgh Steelers front office has put in overtime this offseason to shore up every weak spot on the roster. Inside linebacker? Check. Backup edge rushers? Check? Offensive line? Check. This, along with the perfect preseason by Kenny Pickett and Pittsburgh has gone from the team no one is talking about to the team everyone thinks can spoil the party in the AFC. But what if Pickett doesn’t do what he did in the preseason in the regular season? Maybe the Steelers fatal flaw will be hubris if Pickett doesn’t make the quantum leap everyone is predicting.
– Curt Popejoy, Steelers Wire
San Francisco 49ers: Their quarterback was the last pick in the draft
Despite a loaded roster on both sides of the ball, questions still hang over the San Francisco 49ers because of their quarterback situation. QB Brock Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 draft, was very good after taking over for QB Jimmy Garoppolo early in a Week 13 win over the Dolphins. The 49ers from Week 13 through Week 18 with Purdy at the helm averaged a whopping 33.5 points per game. While there’s optimism about Purdy from the organization, he’s coming off major elbow surgery and now steps into an NFL that has tape on him and the 49ers’ offense with him under center. The bar for winning QB play in San Francisco has been lowered substantially thanks to head coach Kyle Shanahan, a slew of pass-catching weapons, and a dominant defense. There’s a chance, however, that in Year 2 Purdy more resembles Mr. Irrelevant than he did a season ago. In that event it’s hard to see even this iteration of the 49ers getting over the hump to hoist a sixth Lombardi Trophy.
– Kyle Madson, Niners Wire
Seattle Seahawks: Interior defensive line
It’s no secret what the Seahawks thought was their greatest weakness heading into 2023. Throughout free agency, the draft and the rest of the summer they churned and churned and in the end just about completely overturned their interior defensive line rotation. Time will tell if all these moves will result in actual improvement or if they’ve just been mistaking activity for achievement. Seattle was putrid against the run and rarely got interior pressure last season – and both areas will have to dramatically improve for all that work to be considered a success.
– Tim Weaver, Seahawks Wire
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Offensive line concerns
No, it isn’t Baker Mayfield that could potential bring Tampa Bay to ruin. The team’s offensive line, as it stands, is a litany of questions — Tristan Wirfs switched to left tackle, Matt Feiler comes to the team after a bad 2022, Robert Hainsey is filling in at center for an injured Ryan Jensen, Cody Mauch has never played NFL football before and Luke Goedeke was one of the worst linemen in the entire NFL last season. If this offensive line is unable to improve and remains fractured as a unit, than both the run game and the passing game will suffer as a result and the Bucs could be looking at a draft pick far higher than they’d like in 2024. – River Wells, Bucs Wire
Tennessee Titans: The offensive line
With right tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere suspended, the Titans will be sporting four new starters upfront in Week 1, including left tackle Andre Dillard, left guard Peter Skoronski, right guard Daniel Brunskiill and right tackle Chris Hubbard. Center Aaron Brewer is the only returning starter and he’s making a switch from left guard, where he was lackluster in 2022. The group struggled against the defense in training camp but was solid in pass protection during the preseason, albeit against mostly backups. Tennessee’s passing attack has the potential to be very good now that wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been added, but the Titans won’t be able to maximize that potential if the offensive line’s pass protection isn’t up to snuff.
– Mike Moraitis, Titans Wire
Washington Commanders: The offensive line
The Commanders signed two free agents in the offseason to start on the offensive line in 2023. Washington also moved former right tackle Sam Cosmi inside to guard. And former fourth-round pick Saahdiq Charles won the left guard competition, which means four new offensive line starters for the Commanders in 2023. Yet, in the first preseason game, quarterback Sam Howell was sacked twice. However, the offensive line settled down and played well for the remainder of the preseason. Washington is confident in Howell. He has the arm and legs to make impact plays and the Commanders have surrounded him with outstanding playmakers. What he needs most is a stable offensive line. Washington was terrible up front last season. If the offensive line has improved as much as the coaches believe it has, the Commanders can make the playoffs. They just missed the playoffs last season with a bad offensive line and quarterback play. Howell, even if he has the typical ups and downs of a young passer, is an improvement under center for Washington in 2023.
– Bryan Manning, Commanders Wire
