Going into every NFL season, every team believes they have a chance to win it all. Last year, the city of Philadelphia was lucky enough to call itself Super Bowl Champions as they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. It seemed that their team had no weaknesses from top to bottom and could be poised to repeat, much to the dismay of the 31 other teams.
While every NFL fan base will come up with an excuse for why their favorite team didn’t make it to the big dance, ultimately, their flaws and mistakes can easily be pointed out before the season even starts. These gaps can be created in many ways. Whether it's through losses during the offseason, losing players in trades, or purely neglecting to address an area in their roster.
No matter how successful any organization is, every one of them has holes in their team. Let's go over the 11 most likely Super Bowl contenders and point out their biggest flaw that could hold them back.
11. Green Bay Packers
Fatal flaw: No number one corner
The talk of the Green Bay Packers' offseason was the messy split between them and cornerback Jaire Alexander. Jaire was coming off back-to-back seasons that ended prematurely due to injury. This was rather unfortunate timing, as his contract was coming to an end. The Packers were uncertain if Jaire was worth a large contract anymore and tried to trade him during the offseason, before eventually releasing him early in June.
While this was a reasonable decision to make, they could have better prepared for his departure. They didn't use any significant draft capital in this year or last year's draft to select a cornerback. Additionally, the Packers' only free-agent corner that they ended up signing is former Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs. Their current cornerback room doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence.
Green Bay's overall secondary isn't that bad, with help from a great safety duo in Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams. However, in true man-to-man situations, better wide receivers may expose their lackluster cornerback room. Considering that they're in a division with Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and D.J. Moore, this flaw will most likely be exposed pretty quickly.
10. Houston Texans
Fatal flaw: Non-existent offensive line
C.J. Stroud was victim to the infamous "sophomore slump" that has affected many year-two quarterbacks. However, when given context for his situation, it wasn't entirely his fault. Nearly his entire receiving corps suffered major injuries during the season, with Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Stefon Diggs all having missed some time.
However, the biggest issue was how poorly his offensive line performed. C.J. Stroud had hardly any time to distribute the ball at all as he was sacked 52 times, ranking second in the league. What's particularly scary for Stroud is that this will only get worse, as the Houston Texans decided to trade away All-Pro tackle Laremy Tunsil to the Washington Commanders.
The Houston Texans are walking into next season with a "turnstile" offensive line, with no legitimate pass protectors on their roster. While their wide receiver core is mostly back to form, C.J. Stroud may not get the chance to capitalize on it. The Houston Texans have a lot to be concerned about this upcoming season, and may be jeopardizing Stroud's long-term career with the negligence of their offensive line.
9. Los Angeles Chargers
Fatal flaw: Lack of a superstar weapon
If there were a team that seems to be cursed in terms of playoff success, that would be the Los Angeles Chargers, as the last time they made it to the Super Bowl was in 1995. Even though they've made it to the playoffs on a consistent basis since then. Justin Herbert is the most recent victim of this curse, as he's made it to the wild-card game twice and lost on both occasions.
Many would like to blame Justin Herbert and accuse him of being a choke artist, but it isn't entirely his fault. Justin hasn't been surrounded by the most impressive cast of offensive weapons. Aside from Ladd McConkey, the rest of their pass catchers leave a lot to be desired. It certainly isn't enough to keep them competitive in the AFC.
Perhaps an effective rushing attack could help, but signing a consistently disappointing Najee Harris does not make for a good running game. Perhaps their rookie Omarion Hampton can help Justin out, but that remains to be seen. Unless Herbert has a Josh Allen-like season, carrying the team on his back, it'll be hard for the Chargers to improve from their current standing.
8. Washington Commanders
Fatal flaw: Non-existent defensive line
The Washington Commanders were a pleasant surprise last season as they jumped from being the second-worst team in the NFL to making it to the NFC Championship. Their success should be completely attributed to their rookie quarterback, Jayden Daniels. Jayden managed to produce over 4,000 yards and over 30 touchdowns from the line of scrimmage.
The Commanders have recognized the opportunity they have and decided to capitalize on it with the late-season trade for cornerback Marshon Lattimore and the offseason trade for tackle Laremy Tunsil. Even if Washington has shown to be an aggressive organization, it still has a massive hole, and that's its defensive line. They once had a massively talented front four back in 2023, with the likes of Da'Ron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat. However, only Payne remains on the team from that unit.
An effective pass rush is arguably the second most important aspect for success in the NFL, only behind having a great quarterback. If the Washington Commanders wish to sustain their position in the league and make it to the Super Bowl, they need to seriously improve their defensive line. The addition of Deatrich Wise Jr. and Dorance Armstrong simply won't cut it in an ever-improving NFC.
7. Cincinnati Bengals
Fatal flaw: Dysfunctional defense
No one will be doubting the Cincinnati Bengals' offense this upcoming season. They're coming off an electric year, leading in overall passing yards, passing touchdowns, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns thanks to the three-headed monster of Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins. Even their running back, Chase Brown, is poised to have a breakout season as he becomes the official starting running back for the team.
What held this team from participating in the playoffs last year was their defense, and it doesn't seem that will be changing anytime soon. In fact, there are even more questions on their defense than last season. Whether it's contact disputes with Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart, failing to sign a replacement for their former linebacker Germaine Pratt, or a poor secondary unit, everything on their defense seems to be up in the air.
With no certainty on one side of the ball, it'll always be a struggle to make the playoffs, let alone win their division. The Bengals organization continues to neglect their defense, and until they address it, they'll never make it past the divisional round.
6. Los Angeles Rams
Fatal flaw: Matthew Stafford's age
Matthew Stafford's longevity is something to truly marvel at. He's remained consistently productive throughout his career and was incredibly close to beating the Eagles this postseason to make it to the NFC Championship. As long as Stafford's healthy, the Los Angeles Rams will continue to be competitive in the NFC.
But that is the question, can he stay healthy? As Stafford enters his seventeenth season in the NFL, there's no doubt that his body is feeling the toll of the physicality of the game. Matthew's contract is set to expire in 2027, in what will likely be his final season. The issue for the Rams is that, as we speak, they have no future plans at quarterback. Many were expecting them to take a chance on Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart with their first round pick this year, but they decided to trade back to gain more future draft capital.
If Matthew Stafford's body can't handle another season playing in the NFL, the Rams would completely crumble. Jimmy Garoppolo and Stetson Bennett are far from being the quarterback that Stafford is. If the Rams decide to remain competitive, they may need to look for a more viable backup quarterback.
5. Buffalo Bills
Fatal flaw: Too much is on Josh Allen's shoulders
Since Tom Brady left the New England Patriots in 2020, the Buffalo Bills have won the AFC East every single year. The Bills' dominance is primarily driven by superstar quarterback Josh Allen. After several years of consistent play, he was finally awarded the MVP award this season. One of the main reasons why the league decided to give him the award is because of how much Josh had to do to carry this team.
Josh Allen had very little in terms of wide receiver help. His leading receiver, Khalil Shakir, didn't even manage to break 900 receiving yards. What's even worse is that his next-best receiver, Keon Coleman, didn't even break 600 receiving yards. Josh may have had some assistance in the ground game from James Cook, but it seems that the Bills are ready to move on from the running back, as the two have entered a stalemate over a contract extension.
This means that Josh Allen will be the only driving force in this offense. There is far too much that will be placed on Josh's shoulders in the near future. As the AFC East becomes more and more competitive, the days of the Bills being a lock for division winners could be over.
4. Detroit Lions
Fatal flaw: Loss of their star coordinators
The Detroit Lions may be the biggest Cinderella story in recent years, as it was not too long ago when they were considered one of the worst teams in the league. They've managed to turn around the narrative and have quickly become one of the best teams in the NFC. Their success continued last season with a 15-2 record and securing the first seed in their conference.
This turnaround is due in large part to their coaching staff, headed by Dan Campbell. Dan has instilled a culture of grittiness and giving it your all on every single play. Campbell massively benefited from the offensive creativity of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn also helped with his ability to remain unfazed in the face of adversity. He managed to lead a great defense, even with the absence of Aidan Hutchinson due to a gruesome leg injury.
Easily the biggest blow to the Detroit Lions this offseason was Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn leaving for head coaching jobs in Chicago and New York, respectively. Former Denver Broncos pass game coordinator John Morton and Detroit Lions linebacker coach Kelvin Sheppard will be filling the void left by those two. Their new coordinators are huge unknowns, leaving many questions as to how this team may look and perform.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Fatal flaw: Lackluster offensive line
The Kansas City Chiefs are the current dynasty in the NFL, winning three of their five Super Bowl Appearances in the last six years. Despite whatever questions the Chiefs may have on their roster, they always have a chance to win it all thanks to the best quarterback and head coach combination in Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
However, Kansas City has been scrambling to replace their offensive tackles since the departure of Mitchell Schwartz and Eric Fisher. Orlando Brown Jr. briefly replaced one of the tackle spots, but he too would eventually leave and join the Cincinnati Bengals. Since then, the Chiefs have seemingly thrown everything at the wall to find competent tackles to protect Mahomes, but no one has cut it so far.
This hasn't improved over the offseason, as they lost First-Team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney to the Chicago Bears. Furthermore, their first-round pick, tackle Josh Simmons, is still recovering from a patella tendon injury. Good thing center Creed Humphrey and guard Trey Smith are still on the roster, or else Mahomes would surely get injured shortly after the season starts.
2. Baltimore Ravens
Fatal flaw: Questionable wide receiver core
It might be shocking to say, considering they're perennial playoff contenders, but the Baltimore Ravens may have improved dramatically since last offseason. The Ravens may have recreated the "No-Fly Zone", adding superstar corner Jaire Alexander to the top-ranked secondary. After a disappointing season from starting safety Marcus Williams, they upgraded and drafted the highest-ranked safety in the 2025 NFL Draft, Georgia's Malaki Starks.
One issue that has continuously plagued Baltimore is a lack of a true number one wide receiver. Zay Flowers has taken a step up as Lamar's number one target. Zay's the first player for the Baltimore Ravens with a 1,000 receiving yard season since 2021, but it does feel like he may have hit his ceiling. It's unlikely that anyone else becomes "the guy". The other options are their wide receiver two, Rashod Bateman, who is just a fine receiver, and either Mark Andrews or DeAndre Hopkins, who are both on the decline.
The Ravens will need to continue to lean on their rushing attack from Derrick Henry and their dual-threat quarterback, Lamar Jackson. However, it's a matter of time before King Henry's age gets to him, and Lamar can only do so much to carry this team.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
Fatal flaw: Stripped defensive line
It was challenging to devise a way to criticize the current Super Bowl champions. Their roster is loaded from top to bottom, with their offense filled with superstar talent, including the likes of Offensive Player of the Year Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and Jalen Hurts. They also possess arguably the best offensive line in the NFL, led by Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata.
Their defense is also supremely talented, with breakout performances from Zack Baun and some developing young studs in Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper Dejean. However, it did take a massive hit this offseason, specifically on their defensive line. They lost Josh Sweat and Milton Williams to the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots, respectively. Additionally, Eagles veteran Brandon Graham decided to retire this season.
Their pass-rush presence will be contingent on some fresh faces, with Nolan Smith Jr., Moro Ojomo, and newly acquired free agent Azeez Ojulari set to be the starters. Only time will tell if they can fill the void. However, there's a chance that their dominance felt in the Super Bowl is hampered by their losses this offseason.