Which NFL Teams Have The Best Chance To Rebound?
By Erik Lambert
Oct 5, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) runs off the field following a overtime win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Buccaneers 37-31 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
A number of prominent teams stare at losing records with five weeks gone in the NFL season. Which ones can still scramble to make a run?
New Orleans Saints (2-3)
Pegged by every major media outlet as a Super Bowl contender, there is no question that the biggest mystery of the 2014 season is the New Orleans Saints. They are horrible on the road and have narrowly eked out their wins at home. The only good news they have is that the rest of the NFC South is just as erratic as they are.
Key to Turnaround: Fix the defense
Rob Ryan worked a miracle last season by turning a record-shatteringly bad defense into the 4th best overall in 2013. Now suddenly the unit appears toothless again. Ryan must figure out what the problem is and fast or no amount of Drew Brees heroics will save them.
Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
What can be stated with clarity about the Kansas City Chiefs. They can run the ball and play great defense. The problem at hand is that sometimes it’s not enough and they need Alex Smith to throw the football. Quite frankly he doesn’t have the weaponry for such a chore and it’s a big reason why the Chiefs are trailing far behind Denver and San Diego.
Key to Turnaround: Get Leads Early
A major issue with running teams is that they are much easier to beat when they fall behind. So priority one for Chiefs head coach Andy Reid moving forward is to gear the game plans around attacking the opponent early to get a lead. Only then will the true value of that defense and running game present itself.
Cleveland Browns (2-2)
Without a doubt one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season are the Cleveland Browns, and in a good way too. Nobody expected them to be 2-2 but they are thanks to the inspired play of their offense led by Brian Hoyer. Cleveland ranks 4th in rushing and 9th in total offense. Better still the AFC South is by no means monopolized by any other team. It remains a wide open race with Cincinnati on top at 3-1.
Key to Turnaround: Defense
Mike Pettine inherited what many thought was a really good defense when he took over as head coach. Time has brought that theory into question. The Browns rank a dismal 31st in total defense and are allowing 26.2 points per game. That can’t continue if they want any hope of making a miracle run in that division.
Chicago Bears (2-3)
The frustrating part isn’t so much that the Chicago Bears are 2-3, which of course angers many fans. It’s the nature of how they’ve reached that point. All three of their losses occurred not from simply not being good enough. That could be excused to an extent. No the issue in Chicago is that the Bears had a chance to win those games but gave them away with painful second half collapses.
Key to Turnaround: Discipline
It isn’t talent holding the Bears back. They have enough to beat any team they line up against. Their problem is entirely mental. It has been stupid mistakes such as turnovers and penalties that have killed them late in games as it did last week in Carolina. Head coach Marc Trestman is known for his intelligence. Now the time has come to see if he has any ways to light a fire under his troops.