Assessing the NFL’s Worst Teams
This is the 104th NFL season. Although this is an unpredictable league, many things remain constant with this league: good teams, bad teams, and the weekly ugly contest.
These seven teams I am about to discuss are most definitely not the former, as they are a combined 6-29 through the first five weeks of the season. They have supplied the “bad” and the “ugly” for the most part. However, not everything is all bad for these teams.
Let’s take a look at the teams holding the worst records going into Week 6.
Team #1: Carolina Panthers (0-5)
Next Game: @ Miami Dolphins (4-1), 10/15 10:00 AM PT
Oh boy.
When a team is winless and desperate for a good game to build some confidence and establish a winning atmosphere in a young locker room, facing the offense that is No. 1 in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards, and points in their home stadium is not exactly an ideal matchup.
Carolina is already down star cornerback JayCee Horn, and will most definitely struggle to cover the dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The Panthers also field the league’s 26th ranked rushing defense, coughing up 140.8 YPG. Raheem Mostert and his 5.4 YPC will likely run all over this injured and young Carolina defense.
Outside of this matchup, Carolina has a plethora of issues that detriment this team. They have a porous offensive line that has gotten Bryce Young sacked way too often. Combine this with Frank Reich’s stale and boring play calling that consists of screens, quick throws over the middle, and up-the-middle runs, and you have a recipe for the most second-most unwatchable offense in the league (first is Matt Canada’s laughable playcalling).
Bryce Young has struggled with poise and turnovers. He has an almost identical TD and INT percentage, and has thrown just 5 touchdowns to 4 interceptions.
But it doesn’t all fall on the young rookie. His offensive line has been a bottom 10 unit. Miles Sanders has been extremely ineffective all year. His receiving supporting cast consists of a solid veteran in Adam Thielen, albeit past his prime, DJ Chark, a one-trick pony deep threat, Terrance Marshall, who they are still waiting to see break out, and rookies, other veterans, etc.
Not exactly the wide receiving room that Young had at Alabama.
This mediocre skill position group and offensive line, combined with the awful playcalling, results in plays like this:
Why is your 5’10” quarterback throwing a screen to Ian Thomas, a tight end not known for his YAC ability, with a bad offensive line in front of him and against a good pass rush? It was a poor play call and an awful decision by Young. This play epitomizes the Panthers’ offense this year.
Their defense has shown glimmers of hope. Injuries have shelved the top talents on this defense in Shaq Thompson and Jaycee Horn. However, their pass rush is solid, and their secondary has “limited” opponents to 185 passing yards per game, good for fifth in the league. But you have to wonder if that number is misleading because the Panthers get down big early, and teams can just continue to run the ball on them.
Overall, the Panthers have a lot of work to do. People had the Panthers as a sleeper pick to win the division this year. It is definitely safe to say that this team is not a playoff team, and will not be a playoff team for a while.
The silver lining is that their poor season will lead to a high draft pick, that they can maybe use to target help for Bryce Young, such as wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Wait, what’s that? The Panthers traded their first-round pick in the Bryce Young trade? So this awful season has no positive implications since they don’t even own their first-rounder?
Yikes.
Verdict: Time to look forward to 2024, and beyond. Start with the offensive line and getting weapons for your franchise quarterback.
Team #2: The Chicago Bears (1-4)
Next Game: vs. Minnesota Vikings (1-4), 10/15, 10:00 AM PT
Good for The Bears.
The Bears had a nice win last week against the Commanders. The offense looked balanced and efficient and probably looked like how much people expected the Bears to consistently look this season. Their defense was much, MUCH better, finally finding some pass-rushing juice and sacking Commanders QB Sam Howell five times.
This week, they have another potentially winnable game, as they face a Justin Jefferson-less Minnesota Vikings, coming off another 1-score loss.
The Vikings have one of the worst secondaries in the league. Justin Fields just threw for 282 yards and four touchdowns, and D.J. Moore had eight receptions for 230 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Bears, *IF HC Matt Eberflus & OC Luke Getsy have them prepared and ready to execute against Minnesota, should be able to exploit the Vikings’ weak pass defense. It seems like a winnable game.
Functionality-wise, this team is a mess. Fortunately, they got their first win in almost a calendar year and have some confidence in the locker room now. They showed their capabilities both offensive and defensively and now have a standard that they can work towards. Any team would benefit from that.
It’s hard to trust the Bears with how poorly run they are from a management perspective and how stale their coaching staff is. But there are some talented pieces on both sides of the ball. If Justin Fields and DJ Moore can continue to build chemistry, and if the defense can create some consistent pass rush, they will win more games.
If the coaching can improve and foster some growth within this team, things will be looking up.
The cherry on top: The Bears own both the first overall and second overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft as of now. If this upholds, they could potential trade down and receive one of the biggest trade packages in NFL history from whoever wins the Caleb Williams sweepstakes. This will be a critical offseason for GM Ryan Poles.
The Bears could potentially be a wild card team next year. They could potentially be a contender for the first overall pick again.
Who knows at this point? We’ve seen two different sides of the Bears this year. It’s likely that their true colors are the ones that prevented them for winning a game for almost 365 days.
Verdict: Focus on draft position, and scouting potential trade up candidates for the #1 pick.
Team #3: The Minnesota Vikings (1-4)
Next Game: @ Chicago Bears (1-4), 10/15, 10:00 AM PT
It’s only Week 6, but this is an absolute must-win game for the Vikings. In order to make the playoffs, they must right the ship against their division rival, The Chicago Bears. However, without the lifeblood and engine of their offense in WR Justin Jefferson for a least four games, the outlook becomes much murkier.
The Vikings, in terms of competitiveness, are not necessarily a “bad team”.
The Vikings, in terms of quality of play, are one of the worst teams in the league.
Both can be true.
They have the talent offensively to hang with better teams. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are a dynamic receiving duo. TJ Hockenson has played well. Kirk Cousins has an 101.7 passer rating on the season and a 13/4 TD to INT ratio.
They also are 2nd-to-last in the league with 2.4 giveaways per game. They have lost a staggering 1.6 fumbles per game. That is absurd for a professional football team. They do not play high quality football. But their talent keeps them competitive, hence their handful of 1-score losses.
They are bottom 10 in passing yards allowed on defense. They are bottom 10 in points allowed, and in opponent 3rd down conversion %. Their defense will not be able to get stops and get the offense on the field to be competitive. Brian Flores has improved the defense, but only on minor levels. Overall, this is not a unit built to win games.
If they lose to the Bears on Sunday, it’s time to think about shipping some pieces out and maximizing on draft capital.
Verdict: Become sellers as soon as things go off the rails
Team #4: The New England Patriots (1-4)
Next Game: @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-3), 10/15, 1:05 PM PT
Oh, brother, this team stinks!
Their one win of 2023 came against a scuffling (at the time) Jets team, led by Zach Wilson before he started to play better. Even then, the Patriots only won by one score, with the final score being 15-10 and the Patriots defense being the key component of that win.
Besides that, there are not many positive takeaways from their season.
They have a -76 point differential overall, second only to the New York Giants, who had their point differential skewed by the 40-0 week 1 loss to Dallas.
The Patriots have only scored 55 points all season. ALL SEASON. The Miami Dolphins scored 70 points in one game earlier this season. That is unacceptable. That is laughable. That is embarrassing. That is not an NFL-level offense.
Granted, the Patriots are completely devoid of talent on the offensive side of the ball. Their Receiving room is full of non-dynamic veterans, and their two running backs with usage are Rhamondre Stevenson, who is solid but has struggled, and Ezekiel Elliot, a non-factor at this stage in his career.
Unfortunately, Mac Jones cannot stop turning the ball over. He threw 2 picks and lost a fumble last week. He also had a 30.5 passer rating.
No team, regardless of who is the QB, can perform offensively when their QB is inefficient, careless with the ball, and inaccurate. It is time for the Patriots to begin planning for life after Mac Jones because he has made it clear this year that he will not be the one to facilitate the Patriots’ return to winning culture.
Oh, and the past two weeks, the Patriots have been outscored 72-3.
I don’t think I need to elaborate further.
Verdict: Let Belichick coach the rest of the year, and then move on. Clear house at the end of the year, hire an offensive-minded coach
Team #5: New York Giants (1-4)
Next Game: @ Buffalo Bills (3-2), 10/15, 5:20 PT (SNF)
Not much, if anything, has gone right for the New York Giants this season.
The brightest moment was their 21-point comeback against the Arizona Cardinals. But even in their brightest moment, it left people questioning how the Giants had even let themselves fall into that big of a deficit against a presumed contender for the #1 pick, in the Arizona Cardinals.
Things don’t get much easier in Week 6.
They have to travel to Buffalo the Sunday night primetime matchup, where they may be without their starting QB, RB, and half their starting offensive line. Unless Tyrod Taylor can capture some of his earlier, mid 2010s magic, this game could be an ugly sight for many football fans.
The Giants, although they are not playing good football, have also been absolutely gutted in terms of injuries.
Daniel Jones is now hurt with a neck injury, an area that teams, coaches, and likely Jones himself will be wary about. It’s easy to blame him for the Giants’ struggles, but you also have to take into account the Giants’ atrocious offensive line and defensive struggles. For example, look at this pass blocking rep from Evan Neal:
Makes you think twice about completely blaming Jones.
When Jones has been on the field, he has thrown 6 interceptions and accounted for only 3 touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing), lost 1 fumble, and been sacked a disgusting 28 times in 5 games. Behind his ramshackle offensive line that has seen LT Andrew Thomas, C John Michael Schmitz, G Shane Lemieux, T Matt Peart, and others sustain injuries, and that employs the horrendous Evan Neal at Right Tackle, it seemed to only be a matter of time until Jones took too much punishment.
Saquon Barkley has missed the past 2 weeks and is questionable for this week. They need him back to establish some sort of offensive identity.
Coaching-wise, Brian Daboll has proven to be an effective head coach. Unfortunately, the lack of discipline and execution with the team has quickly sunken their season.
Also, why do the Giants have so many primetime games?
Verdict: Season is a wash. Go for good draft position, prepare for 2024. Make some investments in the offensive line. Add a wide receiver. Run it back with Daniel Jones, since you have no other choice due to his contract.
Team #6: Denver Broncos (1-4)
Next Game: @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-1), 10/12, 5:15 PM PT
Oh, you need a get-right game after a tough loss? Too bad. Instead, the struggling Broncos must travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs for the Thursday night primetime game.
There’s not much good to say about this team.
Their offense has talent and is top 10 in terms of scoring per game (#10 at 24.2 ppg), but rank at #22 in terms of EPA per play (0.00). Russell Wilson has been much better this year, but the play calling by Sean Payton has shown that Payton would rather have a different quarterback who sticks to the original play without improvisation.
Often times, Russell Wilson’s improvisation doesn’t work like it did in Seattle because there are no contingency plans for when the play breaks down like Pete Carroll installed. Instead, Wilson simply scrambles and has to chuck it up, or bad things happen, like his game losing fumble in the 31-21 loss to the Jets last week:
The offensive line did him no favors that play too.
The defense, however, is an absolute mess.
It is astounding Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph hasn’t been fired yet.
Let’s go through a list of things the Broncos are last in defensively, shall we?
They rank 32nd in:
Yards per game: 450.6 ypg allowed
Opponent yards per play: 7.0 ypp
Opponent touchdowns per game: 4.4 allowed
Opponent rushing yards per game: 187.6 (!!!!!) rushing yards per game allowed
Opponent Passing YPA: 8.5 YPA attempt
They’re also in the bottom 5 in passing yards allowed per game, and tied for 4th-last in the league with 1 takeaway per game.
They’re just an awful unit defensively. It’s a jarring turnaround because they were a good unit last year, but have devolved so heavily this year and lack any cohesion and leadership whatsoever.
Many guys could be on the move off this defense. Randy Gregory has been traded already. Frank Clark is on his way out. Guys from the offensive side of the ball such as Jerry Jeudy or Courtland Sutton could also be on the move eventually.
Verdict: Go for high draft position. Build the team more around Sean Payton’s stylistic approach for 2024. Try and move on from Russell Wilson’s contract. Finally, fire Vance Joseph and hire someone who is more adaptable to changes and maximizes the defensive talent’s skillsets.
Team #7: Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Next Game: @ LA Rams (2-3), 10/15, 1:25 PM PT
A classic NFC West clash will be the Cardinals’ next game, as they travel to Southern California to face the Los Angeles Rams, who dropped their last game against the Eagles. The Rams are notoriously pass-heavy, and with their weak secondary that is missing Budda Baker, this may be a game where they get into a deficit early and struggle to close the gap.
Props to Head Coach Jonathan Gannon for having this team well-coached and executing when they need to. Props to Quarterback Josh Dobbs who has filled in for the injured Kyler Murray admirably as well.
They have stayed in pretty much all five of their games for at least a portion of the game, and have lost a few one-possession games. Although not supremely talented, Gannon has his defense playing hard and playing physically, it is just the personnel that is holding the defense back. Their secondary is especially bad. The pass rush has been formidable and should continue to get better as they add more young players through the draft and free agency.
Josh Dobbs has a 90.8 passer rating and a 6 to 2 TD to INT ratio. Before his injury, James Conner had rushed for 364 yards on 5.4 YPC and had 2 touchdowns. They rank 6th in the league with 143.2 rushing yards per game. They’ve got a semi-breakout from rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson, who has recorded 15 receptions for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns. The offensive line has some work to do in pass protection, but Dobbs has only been sacked nine times. The team’s 6th-ranked rushing offense shows their effectiveness in run blocking.
This team just simply needs more talent. With Kyler Murray back next year, lots of cap space to add defensive talent, and high picks that could result in an influx of talent on both sides of the ball, the Cardinals’ rebuild is accelerating much faster than people anticipated.
Verdict: Let the season play out. The team is competitive, so assess which parts need improvement during games and add to those this offseason. Maybe start assessing teams you could potentially trade down with. ADD TO THE DEFENSIVE TALENT!
