The biggest issue every NFL playoff contender must fix

There are still five weeks left in the season, but the playoff picture is getting clearer by the day. Teams like the Buccaneers and Dolphins are coming out of nowhere to shake things up, but the number of postseason contenders is getting thinner and thinner.

For those still in the hunt – there are 19 of them that have a decent shot at making the playoffs – improvements still need to be made. Even teams like the Cowboys and Patriots have holes that need to be filled and aspects of their game that need to be fixed.

Here is one issue each playoff contender has to take care of in the coming weeks.

The Cowboys have almost no pass rush to speak of this season, constantly shuffling the defensive line with the hope of finding a serviceable group to get pressure on the quarterback. They’re 25th in sacks and don’t have a single player on the team with more than 3.5 this season. If there’s one thing that’s going to prevent Dallas from reaching the Super Bowl, it’s the pass rush.

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The Patriots are about as complete of a team as there is in the NFL right now, but the secondary is struggling. Bill Belichick has gone back and forth with who’s active on Sundays, sometimes benching Eric Rowe in favor of Logan Ryan, and vice versa. They have yet to find a consistent group at cornerback with even Malcolm Butler struggling against the Jets on Sunday (two touchdowns allowed). A good pass rush helps the pass defense, but the Patriots don’t have that either.

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The Raiders went out and added Sean Smith and Karl Joseph this offseason, but they’ve done little to help the Raiders’ reeling secondary. Joseph has progressed into a good safety, but that’s mostly against the run. The Raiders have allowed the seventh-most passing yards this season and surrendered 20 touchdowns through the air (19th in the NFL). The Raiders have the explosive offense to make up for it, but this sort of trend can’t continue.

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The Chiefs have built their offense around running the ball and quick passes – Andy Reid’s forte in the West Coast offense. What they don’t do is throw the ball downfield, which hurts their chances of staging a comeback when trailing. If Alex Smith can improve and make better throws deep down the field, the offense will open up and make them more dynamic.

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The Giants have outstanding weapons on the outside, boasting one of the best receiving corps in the NFL. The offensive line is the unit that’s hindering the offense the most. Injuries have decimated the offensive line, but Eli Manning needs more time in the pocket to let plays develop. He doesn’t have any elusiveness in the pocket, so protection is key.

The Seahawks have had games this season in which they scored 12, three, six and five points. They’ve also had games where they scored 37, 26 and 31 twice. There’s simply no consistency on offense, and that’s a huge problem for a team that looks like it can be one of the best in the NFC. There’s simply no excuse for scoring single-digit points three times in 11 games.

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The Falcons will have to use their makeshift secondary the rest of the way with Desmond Trufant reportedly out for the season. He was their best corner and without him, the pass defense might struggle. As it stands right now, they’ve allowed the third-most passing yards this season.

Trevor Siemian had a great game against the Chiefs on Sunday night, throwing for 368 yards and three touchdowns. Most importantly, he didn’t throw a single pick, which is huge. He has to be more consistent with his play if the Broncos want to catch the Chiefs and Raiders in the AFC West.

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The Lions have rushed for 889 yards this season, more than just two other teams. Theo Riddick isn’t an every-down back, and the lack of one significantly hurts the Lions’ offense. They simply can’t rely on the passing game to be near-perfect every week, and it’s a big reason they’ve had most of their wins come down to the wire.

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The Dolphins can run the ball with great efficiency, but they can’t stop it to save their lives. They’ve allowed the third-most rushing yards this season and were torched by Colin Kaepernick and Carlos Hyde on Sunday. If they can’t get teams off the field, the defense is going to get worn out by opposing teams’ rushing attacks.

The Redskins have surprisingly gotten better on the ground with Matt Jones on the sideline. Rob Kelley has provided a spark and balanced the offense a bit, but they’re still a pass-first team. The Redskins need to do a better job running the ball and setting up play-action if they want to become a more dynamic offense.

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Joe Flacco is in the midst of a career-worst season. He has 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a terrible passer rating of just 80.4. The Ravens are awful offensively, and he’s the main reason for that. With the rushing attack going nowhere, the Ravens are going to have to rely on Flacco more and more. If that happens, he has to be better.

The Bills were fortunate to get Sammy Watkins back this week and his impact showed with a few big plays in the passing game. Robert Woods is hurt and Percy Harvin is unreliable, meaning it’s down to Watkins and Justin Hunter on the outside. That’s not ideal, but they’ve made it work thus far. Unfortunately, when a team with a good secondary comes to town, the Bills will be in trouble.

Brock Osweiler hasn’t looked comfortable in Houston’s offense all season, misfiring regularly and constantly checking down to his running backs. The Texans paid him to be a franchise quarterback, and now he has to play like one. The connection between him and DeAndre Hopkins has to improve in order for the offense to take the next step.

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The Lions made the Vikings’ offensive line look, well, not terrible on Thanksgiving. That doesn’t mean it’s no longer an issue, though. The pass protection has been atrocious and Sam Bradford has struggled to remain upright in the pocket. Additionally, the line’s inability to open holes for Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata has hurt the running game.

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With the Steelers, you don’t really know what you’re going to get with them. If they play like the team that beat the Browns, Colts and Chiefs, they’re in good shape. If the team that lost to the Dolphins and Eagles shows up on a given Sunday, they’re in trouble. The Steelers simply need to be more consistent on both offense and defense in order to make the playoffs.

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The Buccaneers have come out of nowhere to vault themselves into the playoff picture. Their work is far from done, though. The run defense is a huge liability, allowing 115.8 rushing yards per game at 4.4 yards per carry. Stopping the run is key to getting the ball back on offense and keeping the defense off the field, and the Bucs simply struggle in that department.

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Carson Wentz has been good, but he’s played like a rookie. The playbook is condensed, routes are short and running backs are his primary targets far too often. It’s fair to understand that Doug Pederson wants to protect Wentz, but at some point he has to trust his receivers and throw downfield. The passing game just isn’t good enough right now.

The Titans currently have one of the worst pass defenses in the league, allowing 270 yards per game through the air. Their secondary is empty of stars on the backend and teams have no trouble throwing against them. For a team built upon running the ball, allowing teams to throw it all over the yard isn’t a good thing. Time of possession essentially goes out the window when that happens because teams are able to score quickly.