The Biggest Kryptonite for Every NFL Playoff Team

The weakness that could prevent every playoff team from reaching the Super Bowl.

Can Drake Maye and the Patriots make a run this postseason? / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NFL playoffs begin this weekend, with the wild-card round kicking off on Saturday afternoon.

With a wide open playoff bracket, it feels like more teams have a realistic shot at going on a Super Bowl run this year than any in recent memory. This year’s playoffs might not boast the typical quarterback star power, with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson left on the outside looking in, but it does have many complete teams.

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Of course, every team has their weaknesses as well. Before the wild-card round begins, let’s go seed by seed with a look at the weakness that could keep each team from advancing this postseason.

AFC

1. Broncos: Run game

The Broncos lack some of the playmakers that other teams in the playoffs boast, and that particularly pertains to the running game. Running back J.K. Dobbins has been out since November with a foot injury, and likely won’t have a shot at returning until late in the postseason. Denver will be entering the postseason with RJ Harvey as their primary back, who has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry as a rookie.

2. Patriots: Pass rush

The Patriots have emerged into a sound team on both offense and defense, but they lack the pass rush of several other top playoff contenders. The Patriots finished tied for 22nd in the league in sacks on the season (35).

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Patriots get pressure and sacks on Justin Herbert this weekend—after all, who hasn’t?—but it might be tougher for them to get to the quarterback if they end up facing stouter offensive lines like the Broncos, Bills or Steelers later in the postseason.

3. Jaguars: Pass defense

It’s hard to pinpoint a dire weakness on this Jacksonville squad, but their passing defense is not their strongest unit—particularly with Jourdan Lewis now out for the postseason. The Jaguars have not faced a truly elite passing game since their blowout loss to the Rams back in London, but Jacoby Brissett, Davis Mills and Bo Nix have all been able to put up numbers on their defense. Josh Allen will be the toughest quarterback the Jaguars have faced since Matthew Stafford, and though the Bills’ receiving core is far from exceptional, Allen should provide a good litmus test for this Jaguars secondary to start the postseason.

4. Steelers: Offensive weaponry

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf. / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The return of DK Metcalf from a two-game suspension will be huge for the Steelers offense as they prepare to take on the ever-daunting Texans defense. Pittsburgh has seen explosive performances at points this season from Metcalf, Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, but can they turn it on enough to go on a postseason run? Particularly against a Texans defense that lights up every player in sight? If not, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers earning their first postseason win in nearly a decade.

5. Texans: Running game

The Texans offense has picked up after a slow start to the season. C.J. Stroud has been taking fewer sacks as of late, and seen his connection grow with his trio of Iowa State receivers—Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins—all contributing to Houston heading into the postseason on a nine-game win streak. The run game still has plenty of room to improve however. Woody Marks is the lead back for the team, but is averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Houston has had a 75-yard rusher just once this season, leaving little opportunity for balance as an offense.

6. Bills: Run defense

The weakest part of the Sean McDermott-led Bills defense is easily the run game, which ranks 28th in yards allowed per game (136.2). The loss of defensive tackle Ed Oliver—their highest-graded run defender per Pro Football Focus—has hurt the rushing defense for much of the season, and unfortunately for Buffalo, Oliver will not be back for the wild-card game against the Jaguars.

Running the ball is the easiest way to take advantage of a Bills defense that likes to mix things up schematically—and comes with the extra benefit of keeping Josh Allen on the sidelines.

7. Chargers: Offensive line

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt tackles Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Injuries to tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt decimated the Chargers line early on in the season, leaving Justin Herbert under constant duress for much of the year.

The Chargers have cycled through 32 offensive line combinations this season, the most in the NFL according to Next Gen Stats. According to PFF, the Chargers rank 32nd in run-blocking and 31st in pass-blocking. Per The Athletic, Herbert was hit 129 times in 2025, the second-most in a season since 2000. The Athletic also shared that Herbert was pressured at the highest rate in the league.

Despite this, the Chargers have made the playoffs, a feat typically unthinkable with such poor play from the offensive line. Fortunately for the Chargers, they will avoid the daunting pass rushes of the Texans and Broncos in Round 1 of the playoffs as they take on the Patriots.

NFC

1. Seahawks: Sam Darnold under pressure

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold drops back to pass against the San Francisco 49ers. / Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

Never mind the Seahawks’ exceptional defense, coach Mike Macdonald emerging as a top Coach of the Year candidate or Jaxson Smith-Njigba leading the league in receiving, the biggest storyline going into their divisional round playoff game will be how Sam Darnold performs in his second playoff game.

The Seahawks are one of the most complete teams in the playoffs with few glaring weaknesses across their roster. This naturally draws more attention to Darnold, who was sacked nine times in his postseason debut last year. To his credit, Darnold has helped lead the Seahawks to crucial prime-time wins over Rams and 49ers, but now the key will be how he performs when the lights are even brighter, especially when pressured. During the regular season, he threw eight touchdowns and eight interceptions when under pressure. He can be turnover prone—he’s committed 17 turnovers this year—and will need to be careful if he’s going to lead the Seahawks on a run.

2. Bears: Defense

No team in the playoff field allowed more yards or points than the Bears did during the regular season. Chicago led the league in turnovers and turnover differential this season, but when they aren’t forcing fumbles or picking off passes, they struggle to get stops. The Bears rank 31st in pass rush win rate, 26th in run stop win rate and have given up over 300 passing yards in their last two games. They will likely be reliant on turnovers once again in the postseason.

3. Eagles: Disappearing offense

Everyone knows the Eagles have one of the most talented offenses on paper from Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert to Lane Johnson—who could be back from injury this weekend. The issue is they often don’t play like it.

The Eagles offense has been held scoreless in four different halves over the season, and they’ve won three games which saw them put up fewer than five passing yards in a half. They have the highest three-and-out rate in the NFL. Thanks to their incredible defense, the Eagles often win even when their offense falters, but the question will be if they can sustain that in the postseason or if their offense will rise to the occasion like they did last year.

4. Panthers: Quarterback

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young runs on field before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Though Bryce Young has taken impressive steps forward since he was benched two games into Dave Canales’s tenure as head coach, he has yet to emerge into a consistent quarterback. He has had great flashes throughout the season—including his play against the Falcons, his fourth down throws to beat the Rams or his game-winning drives—but often fails to execute at that level on a regular basis. With teams keying in to stop the Panthers’ rushing game, Young likely needs to play the best football of his career for Carolina to have a shot at going on an unexpected run.

5. Rams: Secondary

The Rams have a talented roster on both sides of the ball, but they are certainly gettable in the passing game. Mac Jones, Jalen Hurts, Bryce Young and Jared Goff have all put in nice performances against them this season, with each throwing three touchdown passes against Los Angeles. The expected return of Quentin Lake should shore up some potential troubles on the back end, but the Rams’ defensive backs are still an area other teams can take advantage of.

6. 49ers: Pass rush

The 49ers have been infamously decimated by injuries all season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. They have been without All-Pros Fred Warner and Nick Bosa for the majority of the season, and are incredibly thin at linebacker with Tatum Bethune now out for the playoffs.

The biggest struggle for the 49ers defense since Bosa went down has without a doubt been the pass rush. The 49ers generated just 20 sacks over the entire season, the fewest in the NFL and in a full regular season in franchise history. Their defense has largely weathered the storm against inferior opponents this season, but it will hard be to get off the field if they cannot put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

7. Packers: Defensive line

Injuries to Micah Parsons and Devonte Wyatt have derailed the Packers’ defensive line play as of late. They’re reaching the quarterback less—including no sacks in their last matchup against the Bears—and are also getting beat in the running game, just look no further than Derrick Henry’s 216-yard, four touchdown performance in Week 17. This does not bode well for Green Bay in their rematch against a strong Bears offensive line on Sunday, or if they win and go on to face the Seahawks.

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