One Reason Why Your NFL Team Won't Win Super Bowl LVIII
There can only be one team left standing to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February. Here's why all 32 NFL teams will NOT win Super Bowl LVIII.
Every summer, optimism runs rampant throughout every city as each NFL team is preparing for the start of the regular season. All of last year's sins are forgiven and everyone stars with a new slate. While some teams may be looking to build off successful seasons last year, others are trying to shock the football world with an unexpected leap unless you're the Cardinals.
However, there can only be one team left standing to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February. Some teams will consider falling short a disappointment whiles others, like the Cardinals, will consider a massive success.
We listed one reason why every NFL team will NOT win the Super Bowl this year. Some teams have a plethora of reasons why they won't but for the sake article, we'll only use one. With that being said, here are the major reasons for all 32 teams that will likely prevent them from winning the Super Bowl.
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chris Jones Debacle
At the time of this writing, Chris Jones remains both unsigned and away from the team, which is unsettling to say the least. As the dominant force along the interior of the Chiefs’ defense, his mere presence cannot be overstated. With Patrick Mahomes at the height of his powers, they need a resolution that keeps their star pass rusher happy in Kansas City.
Philadelphia Eagles: Coaching Staff Turnover
The Eagles’ roster, aside from off-ball linebacker, is pretty loaded thanks to Howie Roseman’s business savvy. Losing not just one, but both coordinators to head coaching opportunities is a bit troublesome. Jonathan Gannon was much maligned for his approach, but Shane Steichen deserves massive amounts of praise for helping put together an offense best suited for Jalen Hurts’ skill set. Those losses could prove costly.
Buffalo Bills: Not the Von Miller of Old
When the Buffalo Bills inked legendary pass rusher Von Miller to a deal last offseason, it seemed like he was the closer that the team had been missing. Unfortunately, Miller tore his ACL during the regular season. Now 34 years old, Miller is working his way back, but it remains to be seen if he’ll still have the same juice and game-changing impact when he returns down the line. Buffalo needs him to be that dynamic player down the stretch to have a chance.
San Francisco 49ers: The Shoe Falls Off Purdy
Kyle Shanahan has shown unwavering confidence in Brock Purdy throughout his offseason rehab of a torn UCL. With only a handful of albeit impressive performances to lean on, is Purdy the real deal or another flash in the pan that’s boosted by Shanahan’s brilliance? That’s what we need to find out. The 49ers’ roster is ready to win now and doesn’t have the time to allow a young QB to learn from growing pains in the meantime.
Cincinnati Bengals: Safety Replacements Underwhelm
It’s rare that a team with a solid defense is forced to insert two new starting safeties to the mix. The Bengals have done an excellent job with drafting in recent years, and Dax Hill could certainly be an intriguing piece on the back end. Cincinnati was expecting to lose Jessie Bates, but Vonn Bell bolting for greener pastures was a bit of a surprise. Nick Scott is an adequate complementary piece, but it remains to be seen just how much of a downgrade this could be in comparison to recent years.
Dallas Cowboys: Mike McCarthy is the Coach
There were some differing ideas between Mike McCarthy and former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore that led to his eventual departure. Dallas has talent on offense, but moving on from an accomplished coordinator such as Moore is a risky proposition. McCarthy has been outspoken about his desire to run the football, which isn’t always a bad thing. But there’s a chance that the game has passed him by since we last saw him in full control of an offense.
New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers’ Protection Plan
In 2022, Aaron Rodgers posted a 98.6 passer rating when kept clean, but that figure dropped to 62.6 when under pressure, according to PFF. Why is that important? Duane Brown is 38 years old, and while he was mostly steady last season, it’s fair to wonder how much he has left. Mekhi Becton is learning the right tackle position on the fly, and he hasn’t been able to stay healthy to date either. Rodgers still has some mobility, but the Jets’ plan to protect him is a bit worrisome.
Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson Can't Stay On The Field
There’s no denying that Lamar Jackson is one of the most electrifying quarterbacks that we’ve ever seen at the NFL level. Perhaps more importantly, Jackson’s won nearly 74 percent of his starts since being drafted. Sadly, he’s suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back seasons. Even if those events were flukes, it’s fair to wonder if Jackson can stay healthy long enough for the Ravens to see their new-look offense come to fruition.
Detroit Lions: Jared Goff Comes Up Just Short
What head coach Dan Campbell is building in Detroit is impressive. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson has done an outstanding job of catering his offense to Jared Goff’s skill set. Goff is a machine working play-action concepts that develop over the middle, but there’s something missing. He just doesn’t have the creativity or physical tools to take over when things go south. In a league full of superhuman quarterbacks, Goff’s shortcomings likely cap their ceiling.
Miami Dolphins: Offensive Stagnation
At the beginning of last year, it looked like Mike McDaniel and his blazing-fast receiver duo were an unstoppable force. Then defenses started to adjust over the latter part of the season. Now with Tua Tagovailoa back in the fold healthy, it’s important for the Dolphins’ offense to come up with a counter-punch. That most likely revolves around finding some sort of air-ground balance, forcing teams to respect the threat of the run. That’s a big question needing answering.
Los Angeles Chargers: Can't Stop the Run
To say the Chargers’ run defense was atrocious last season would be a severe understatement. They ranked dead last in yards per carry allowed, in part due to injuries to key contributors and also Brandon Staley’s preference for low box counts. Regardless, this unit has to take a significant step forward. Otherwise, it won’t matter how explosive Justin Herbert and this new-look offense is if they’re constantly on the sideline as opposing teams play keep away.
New Orleans Saints: Old
The Saints’ defense has been the one constant for this team over the past half-decade or so. The problem is that many of their headliners are now hastily approaching the twilight of their careers. Demario Davis, Cam Jordan, and Tyrann Mathieu are all well into their 30s. In order for New Orleans to make a push in a wide-open NFC, they need those guys to be dominant, to say the least.
Seattle Seahawks: Defensive Front Talent/Depth
The 2022 Geno Smith–led Seahawks were one of the most genuinely surprisingly good teams in recent memory. The offense is in good shape, but questions remain up front on defense. Pete Carroll’s group struggled to fit the run last year, and it doesn’t appear that they made massive upgrades in the trenches on paper. They’ll need some steps forward from some returning contributors, or those struggles will persist.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Pass Rush Deficiencies
Jacksonville is a trendy pick to make a significant leap forward this season. The main concerns rely mostly on the defensive side of the ball, in particular the pass rush. Josh Allen is entering a contract year; Travon Walker will be relied upon even more now with Arden Key bolting in free agency. There’s plenty of talent and athleticism in this group, but someone has to establish themselves as “the guy” in key moments.
Minnesota Vikings: Guard Pass Protection
The Vikings’ young guard duo of Ed Ingram and Ezra Cleveland struggled tremendously last season. Despite that, the organization seems to be willing to allow their youngsters the opportunity to learn while on the job. Without much proven depth behind them, the team is making a pretty lofty bet that those guys are better this season. If not, Kirk Cousins won’t be able to pilot this offense much success.
Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson Continues to Stink
In his return to football last season, Deshaun Watson looked awful. He was clearly rusty and appeared severely uncomfortable in the pocket. Kevin Stefanski has had all offseason to engineer an offense that’s better suited to his quarterback’s skill set. It’s obvious that if Watson doesn’t regain his old form, it’s not going to matter how much talent is on the Browns’ roster.
Denver Broncos: Javonte Williams Isn’t Ready
In order for the Denver Broncos’ offense to avoid a repeat of last year, they’ll need to run the ball more efficiently and reduce Russell Wilson’s potential influence. Javonte Williams is coming off a torn ACL, but the organization has maintained that he’s ready to go. If he is, Williams can carry a good chunk of the offense as the season progresses, allowing Russ to take deep shots on lower volume. If for some reason he’s not good to go, it’s likely going to be a long season.
Chicago Bears: Uninspiring Defensive Line Play
General manager Ryan Pace went into this past offseason with a flawed roster and not enough resources to fix all the Bears’ problems. Their defensive line group features Yannick Ngakoue and a whole bunch of young, unproven parts. Even taking the expected growth of the rookies into account, Chicago needs to make a splash up front next offseason to avoid being in the same predicament.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Inability to Win Shootouts
The Steelers generated a lot of positive buzz after finishing the preseason undefeated behind a strong showing offensively. We know that they have the defensive firepower to remain competitive, but the offensive outlook remains cloudy. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s resume is lackluster overall. At some point, this offense, led by second-year signal caller Kenny Pickett, is going to have to out-duel another high-powered offense. Until we see that happen, it’s a big point of concern.
Atlanta Falcons: No One to Steer the Ship
With Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts, the Atlanta Falcons have an impressive young trio of athletes on offense. This was a unit tanked by shoddy quarterback play last season, and the worst part was that Desmond Ridder wasn’t able to work through his inevitable growing pains in the meantime. It’s not often you see a third-round pick given the keys to the franchise, but that’s what Arthur Smith has done. Their ceiling depends on Ridder becoming a competent starter.
New England Patriots: Lackluster Perimeter Weaponry
New play caller Bill O’Brien is looking to completely overhaul last year’s disastrous experiment under Matt Patricia. He has had success before, but the weapons aren’t anything to get overly excited about. There’s a bunch of guys who would ideally be third options on other rosters, without anyone to step into a lead role.
Green Bay Packers: Lack of Skill Player Experience
Jordan Love is finally getting his shot after the Aaron Rodgers’ saga has finally come to a close. This offense is going through a complete youth movement, not just at quarterback level but also in the receiving corps. There’s going to be a lot of learning via trial and error as their passing game continues to gel. A transitional year isn’t the worst thing in the world, but it’s not what Packers fans are used to.
New York Giants: Evan Neal Fails to Improve
The Giants are no strangers to highly touted offensive tackles struggling as rookies. After seeing Andrew Thomas transform into an elite tackle shortly after, New York is surely hoping for a part two with Evan Neal. The Giants really struggled to protect Daniel Jones last season, and that limited some of the things they could do from a schematic perspective. Brian Daboll’s group needs to be given confidence in Neal’s ability on the right side.
Washington Commanders: Terry McLaurin’s Injury Lingers
Terry McLaurin has been one of the most consistent productive receivers since being drafted despite subpar quarterback play. He’s underrated in contested catch situations and essentially has no weaknesses in his game. Having a player like that makes a young quarterback’s life so much easier. But turf toe can linger and is generally a tough injury for skill players to play through.
Carolina Panthers: Brian Burns’ Absence
It’s easy to be excited about the Panthers’ defense thanks to all of the exciting pieces they’ve acquired in recent seasons. Edge rusher Brian Burns is the one who makes everything go up front. He’s their lone threat to win one-on-one matchups and create splash plays. If he’s not in the fold, the optimism regarding this otherwise interesting group fades away into the abyss.
Las Vegas Raiders: What’s the Plan for Linebacker?
There are a couple patchwork jobs on the Raiders’ roster but none more confusing than the linebacker position. It sounds like Divine Deablo will wear the green dot, accompanied at the second level by Robert Spillane and Luke Masterson. On paper, this has to be one of the weaker positional groups in the conference without a ton of room for optimism.
Tennessee Titans: Father Time Defeats Derrick Henry
Even at 29 years old, Derrick Henry was still pretty good last season. He’s already well past the point where running backs typically fall off a cliff. Mike Vrabel’s DNA tells us that he wants to turn games into a street fight by competing defensively and running the football. Regrettably, Father Time will inevitably catch up to the Titans legend.
Los Angeles Rams: Top-Heavy Roster
Even the most knowledgeable NFL football fans would struggle to rattle off the majority of the Rams’ starters on defense. Sean McVay’s hopes are tied directly to his stars—Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, and Cooper Kupp—leading this team back to the promised land. The problem is that all three of those guys were hurt last year. Kupp also recently suffered a hamstring setback. They’ll always have Super Bowl LVI.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady’s Footsteps
The Bucs don’t have a roster devoid of talent, but any time you’re attempting to replace arguably the greatest quarterback of all time, it’s going to be a tough time. A few seasons ago, the Bucs burned a second-round pick on Kyle Trask, who couldn’t beat out Baker Mayfield this offseason. Mayfield, now on his third team in the last calendar year, is likely being given his last chance to start in this league.
Indianapolis Colts: Cornerback Trouble
The Colts are entering the season with Darrell Baker and Dallas Flowers as their starting corners on the boundary. Both were undrafted coming out of college and, to date, have one combined start between them. This is a young team simply looking for developmental options moving forward.
Houston Texans: Problems at the Pivot
Injuries forced the Texans to trade for center Kendrick Green after the preseason concluded. Formerly a third-round pick of the Steelers, Green has struggled to find his footing at the professional level. Pairing a young quarterback with a shaky center is risky business in the short term.
Arizona Cardinals: So Anyway... Moving on to 2024
Let’s be honest: The Arizona Cardinals are not actively trying to win football games this season. The only interesting plot point worth discussing is Kyler Murray’s eventual return from injury. They’re likely going to be prime contenders to land a top quarterback prospect, which means they have a massive decision to make as it pertains to his future.
