Every NFL team’s biggest need entering Week 13: How AFC playoff contenders overcome injuries to star players

At this point in the season, no one is healthy. There have been more injuries to starting quarterbacks this season than years prior, which puts stress on teams to find other ways to arrive at victory. 

Some of the notable names added to injured reserve this week include Texans offensive tackle Tytus Howard, Ravens tight end Mark Andrews, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Jagaurs offensive tackle Cam Robinson, Dolphins edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore.

With that in mind, here is a look at the most pressing positional needs for every NFL team:

AFC

Projected key free agents: DT D.J. Reader, WR Tee Higgins, WR Tyler Boyd, OT Jonah Williams, CB Chidobe Awuzie

When it was learned that Joe Burrow was lost for the season, it felt as though the fans and franchise collectively gave up on the season. They will turn to Jake Browning, who has attempted 41 passes in his NFL career. 

The franchise has invested significant resources into the offensive line over the past two offseasons, but still has positions to fill before Burrow can feel secure. The unit has not played up to expectations as it is allowing pressure, on average, in 2.33 seconds, according to TruMedia; the second-worst margin in the league.

The Bengals are allowing 249.6 passing yards per game, which is the seventh-most in the NFL. They put a lot of faith in a young cornerback room that has understandably seen its share of ups-and-downs this season. 

Bills: Cornerback

Cornerback Tre’Davious White is done for the season with an Achilles injury. Kaiir Elam was added to injured reserve on Nov. 2 with an ankle injury. The Bills acquired Rasul Douglas from Green Bay, but Green Bay had already been looking for a reason to put rookie Carrington Valentine in the starting lineup. Christian Benford and Taron Johnson round out the Bills’ secondary. 

The backbone of Buffalo’s defense has been a concern. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and linebacker Matt Milano are on the injured reserve. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been slowed down by injury as well. Terrel Bernard, Tyrel Dodson and Dorian Williams have been asked to grow up in a hurry as the team attempts to fill a need at the position.

Broncos: Defensive tackle

Denver has come alive a bit over the past month but the defensive front has been underwhelming. Dre’Mont Jones left Denver in free agency. Length and depth were integral in head coach Sean Payton’s time with the Saints, and that has been challenged early in his time with Denver. The Broncos are allowing 155.2 rushing yards per game, which is the most in the NFL. 

Safety is also a weakness with Kareem Jackson serving his second suspension of the season and Caden Sterns on the Injured Reserve. 

Browns: Quarterback

Cleveland has suffered debilitating injuries to running back Nick Chubb and offensive tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills. They have been able to overcome those losses but the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Now, Dorian Thompson-Robinson is in the concussion protocol and Joe Flacco is in line to start against the Rams this weekend. He would be the fourth quarterback to start for Cleveland in 2023. 

An injury to Conklin forced rookie Dawand Jones into the lineup early, and he has played well. Wills was added to injured reserve after suffering an injury against the Cardinals. Geron Christian has stepped in at left tackle over the past two games.

Chargers: Defensive tackle

Wide receiver play has been inconsistent. Rookie Quentin Johnston dropped a game-winning touchdown a few weeks ago, star Mike Williams is already out for the season with a torn ACL, and Josh Palmer has gone on injured reserve with a knee sprain.

The Los Angeles defense, in general, has been underwhelming. It has added players at defensive tackle in recent offseasons, but that investment has not produced the results the franchise had hoped. Edge rusher Joey Bosa was added to injured reserve this week, but rookie Tuli Tuipulotu can fill some of the void. 

Cornerback is also a need. J.C. Jackson was recently traded back to New England after signing a lucrative contract just a few offseasons ago. Los Angeles is allowing 280.0 passing yards per game, which is the worst in the league.  

Chiefs: Offensive tackle

The offensive tackle additions of Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor have been underwhelming. They have allowed 59 combined pressures, according to TruMedia. There are 34 NFL players with at least 24 pressures allowed, and the Chiefs’ tackles are two of them. 

Kansas City also has the fifth-most drops (21) in the league this season.

Colts: Defensive tackle

Indianapolis has been fighting all season despite an injury to rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. It is still in the playoff hunt in Shane Steichen’s first season as head coach. 

The suspension of defensive tackle Grover Stewart has put the Colts in a difficult position. In his absence, the team has turned to Taven Bryan and Eric Johnson. The burden of expectation falls upon DeForest Buckner. The Colts are allowing 129.3 rushing yards per game, which is the seventh-most in football. 

Miami has a well-balanced roster. Most positions on the roster have a viable solution. Tight end is one where a higher ceiling is yet to be reached. Durham Smythe has been the primary outlet at tight end, but it is reasonable to want more out of that spot. Smythe was the only tight end on the roster with a reception until Julian Hill’s four-yard reception against the Patriots. Head coach Mike McDaniel has adapted well to his personnel, but comes from an offensive structure that heavily utilized George Kittle. It is hard to complain, however, considering the performance of the other skill positions. 

With Jaelan Phillips on injured reserve, the Dolphins will lean more heavily on veteran Emmanuel Ogbah to supplement the pass rush. 

Jaguars: Wide receiver 

Jacksonville has been looking more and more like the team that they were expected to be earlier this year. The offensive structure looks a lot different when Zay Jones is unavailable because they become overly reliant on Calvin Ridley. 

With Cam Robinson now on injured reserve, Walker Little will take over left tackle and rookie Anton Harrison will continue on the right side.

The defensive interior has held up well against the run but is responsible for just 1.5 sacks this season. The Jaguars are allowing 1.70 yards before contact in the run game, which is the sixth-worst rate in the league, according to TruMedia.

Jets: Offensive tackle

Left tackle Duane Brown recently turned 38 years old and is finally returning from injured reserve, but that is a short-term fix to a larger problem. Alijah Vera-Tucker is also on injured reserve. He had been playing right tackle in Week 5. When he exited, second year offensive tackle Max Mitchell stepped into that role. Mekhi Becton has been flip-flopped back and forth whenever asked. 

New York is allowing pressure on 42.5% of dropbacks, which is the third-quickest in the NFL, according to TruMedia. General manager Joe Douglas has built a roster that has few limitations, but offensive tackle is one of them. Fans should expect the team to invest heavily into fixing the problem once the season ends; perhaps a reunion between Aaron Rodgers and David Bakhtiari.

The issues at quarterback are well-documented, but a ready-made solution is not available. The offensive line has actually shown improvement lately. New England’s pass rush remains an issue with Matt Judon on injured reserve. The franchise has 24 sacks on the season, and its 31.6% team pressure rate is the seventh-lowest in the NFL, according to TruMedia.

Raiders: Defensive tackle

There are glaring weaknesses on both sides of the ball, including defensive tackle and cornerback. Those frustrations bubbled to the surface when head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were relieved of their duties. Las Vegas has allowed the eighth-most rushing yards per game this season (127.0). The defensive tackles have actually performed better in recent weeks but still get the nod in this instance. 

Edge rusher is higher up the list than expected following Chandler Jones‘ release and Tyree Wilson’s slow development. Quarterback play has obviously held the team back as well.

The Ravens are rounding into form right now with few weaknesses. The offense, specifically wide receiver, has shown growth in recent weeks, while cornerback Marlon Humphrey is back from injury for the defense. With Mark Andrews out for awhile after an injury on Thursday night in Week 11, the tight end position gets turned over to Isaiah Likely, who stood out in the preseason a year ago. It will be interesting to see if the franchise makes a play for the recently released Zach Ertz.

Baltimore’s run game is just always going to produce no matter who is in the backfield. J.K. Dobbins played just 30 snaps this season and the Ravens still rank first in rushing yards per game. Gus Edwards and Justice Hill have taken on the bulk of that assignment while rookie Keaton Mitchell has provided some juice.  

Pittsburgh moved on from offensive coordinator Matt Canada, so now Kenny Pickett can truly be evaluated. If Pickett fails, then there is no more buffer to shield him of the criticism. His performance on the field has been very underwhelming, however.

Pittsburgh is allowing pressure on 38.9% of its dropbacks, which ranks in the bottom half of the league, according to TruMedia. Offensive tackles Dan Moore, Broderick Jones and Chuks Okorafor are among the 10-worst beaten percentages. 

Linebacker has not been an issue for the always consistent AFC franchise, but Cole Holcomb was lost to a knee injury. The Steelers defensive line is one of the best in the league when healthy and is capable of keeping blockers off the second-level talent. Cam Heyward returned and brought accountability to that room.

Houston’s defensive front has really stepped up over the past month. Its pass rush has been getting home and Sheldon Rankins has been playing really well. The linebacker room is a problem following the suspension of Denzel Perryman, and rookie Henry To’oTo’o missed two games dealing with a concussion. 

The interior offensive line has also been a point of weakness. Kendrick Green, Kenyon Green, Jarrett Patterson and Scott Quessenberry are all on injured reserve. The situation became even worse this week when offensive tackle Tytus Howard was added to injured reserve. George Fant will move back into a starting role.

The play of rookie quarterback Will Levis has been up and down since he was named the starter. It is difficult to evaluate him considering how poorly the offensive line has played. Mike Vrabel’s team is allowing pressure on 40.9% of dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which is the fourth-worst rate in the league. 

Safety took a hit when Kevin Byard was traded to the Eagles. Tennessee’s defense has just three interceptions this season, which is the fewest nationally. No other team has fewer than five.

NFC

49ers: Interior offensive line

There is not a lot of cause for concern among Kyle Shanahan’s NFC contender. 

San Francisco is giving Colton McKivitz a chance at right tackle following the departure of Mike McGlinchey in free agency. McKivitz still has a lot to prove, but it is magnified by the lack of confidence in the interior offensive line. Spencer Burford had some success as a rookie but grades out as one of PFF’s worst offensive guards this season. His counterpart, Aaron Banks, has hardly been better. The offensive design does a good job of getting the defense moving in every direction, which takes some of the pressure off of the offensive line, but three starting offensive linemen are among the top 65 in beaten percentage by linemen with at least 150 pass-blocking snaps, according to TruMedia.

Bears: Interior offensive line

Chicago is allowing pressure on 43.6% of the dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which is the second-highest rate in the league. The return of Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones have helped that group. The hope is that as time passes, the unit will improve together and end on a higher note. 

The defense has looked much better with Tremaine Edmunds and Montez Sweat playing like the players in which they invested. 

Buccaneers: Interior offensive line

The defense has big names and proven veterans. Most of them are free agents after the season. Tampa Bay’s interior offensive line is a concern. It is averaging 81.3 rushing yards per game, which is the second lowest in the NFL. The offensive tackles have played well despite being a bit of a mystery coming into the season. Its most proven asset — Tristan Wirfs — is transitioning from right tackle to the left, and new right tackle — Luke Goedeke — played left guard last season, but has also looked solid.

Spin the wheel and state your case for the defensive position it lands on with the Cardinals. Their defense features a lot of names who would stump the average fan. The Cardinals need help on the interior of the defensive line, especially with Carlos Watkins and Levi Foot on injured reserve. 

The edge rushers are actually performing well in pass-rush metrics. First-year head coach Jonathan Gannon comes from a situation where he had a wealth of options along the defensive front, but that has not been at his disposal early in his time in the desert.

Cornerback is another area of need, and the offensive line has been in shambles. 

No team has been more difficult to pinpoint than Washington this season. It plays up and down each week. Trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young set back the pass rush. The Commanders ranked in the top 10 in sack production prior to the trades. They had one sack in two games following the trade, but the dam broke in Week 11 to the tune of nine sacks versus the Giants. Will that performance prove to be an aberration at season’s end? In Week 12, the team had zero sacks against the Cowboys. 

Former first-round pick Jamin Davis has had an up-and-down season but appears to be progressing. The Commanders need more depth and consistency from the linebacker group. If Davis were to be unavailable, then the bottom would fall out of the room. 

Cowboys: Defensive tackle

Defensive tackle is a group that needs to play better, but there are options on the roster. Aside from Osa Odighizuwa, the interior has 4.5 combined sacks.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is known to get the most out of his players, and it became even more important with the Trevon Diggs injury. In Diggs’ absence, the Cowboys have turned to Jourdan Lewis and DaRon Bland alongside Stephon Gilmore. They have stepped up. Bland, in particular, is playing out of this world.

The Eagles have a well-rounded roster that is difficult to pinpoint a glaring flaw. They do not necessarily need to add anyone to the roster. Philadelphia’s edge rushers have turned up the heat as the season has progressed, and attention has shifted to a cornerback group that has underperformed. The NFC franchise is allowing 255.7 passing yards per game, which is the fourth-worst, despite significant investment into James Bradberry and Darius Slay. Depth has been inhibited by injuries to Avonte Maddox and Zech McPhearson. The hope is that Kevin Byard’s presence starts to constrict opposing offenses.

If one were to squint, they would see that Atlanta has legitimate contributors at essentially every position. Quarterback play is holding the Falcons down. The franchise placed a lot of faith in Desmond Ridder, and he has simply not made good. Taylor Heinicke was thrown into the equation after Ridder was pulled for a concussion evaluation, and the results were hardly any better. The NFC South is very much up for grabs, but Atlanta has little time to waste.

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was added to injured reserve, but David Onyemata has played well and they acquired Kentavius Street from Philadelphia at the trade deadline. 

Giants: Offensive line

Tommy DeVito is not the long-term solution to New York’s quarterback problem, but he played well enough for the team to win last week. He is likely the plan for the remainder of the season.

The vulnerability of the interior offensive line has also been on display. It really could be expanded to include an offensive line that is allowing pressure on 43.8% of dropbacks, which is the highest rate in the NFL, according to TruMedia. 

They need to create more pass-rush opportunities as well. The Giants have the fourth-fewest sacks (21) in the NFL. Kayvon Thibodeaux has accounted for more than half of that total.

Lions: Cornerback

Detroit addressed the position during free agency, but that group has a lower ceiling than most other teams. According to TruMedia, the Lions have allowed the third-highest opponent’s quarterback rating (96.7). Emmanuel Moseley and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson have been on injured reserve for quite some time. 

With Luke Musgrave on injured reserve, Green Bay does not have a lot of proven production from the tight ends on its roster. 

Green Bay needs Jaire Alexander to play up to his usual standard and for rookie Carrington Valentine to be more of what he was in the Rams game. The ups and downs come with being a rookie in the NFL, but the trade of Rasul Douglas puts a lot of emphasis on Valentine and that young cornerback room.

The offensive line has done No. 1 overall selection Bryce Young zero favors. Carolina has allowed pressure on 40.3% of dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which is the sixth-most in the league. Wide receiver outside of Adam Thielen has also been a problem. 

The team has had some frustrating injuries on defense as well. Cornerback Jaycee Horn, edge rusher Justin Houston, defensive back Jeremy Chinn, linebacker Shaq Thompson and edge rusher Yetur Gross-Matos are on injured reserve.

Rams: Offensive line

The offensive line is still an issue despite investing resources into the unit this offseason. Right tackle Rob Havenstein has been getting better each week. However, he is one of five Rams with at least 150 pass-blocking snaps who rank among the top-75 highest-beaten rates in the league, according to TruMedia. Los Angeles is allowing pressure in 2.44 seconds on average, which is the eighth-highest total in the league.

Cornerback has been underwhelming in the absence of Jalen Ramsey. They had a lot of blind faith in a young group of cornerbacks, and that faith has not been rewarded.

Saints: Offensive guard

The offensive line needs to perform at a higher level considering they’ve used top-50 draft choices on each of the five starters. Through 11 games, the offensive line has allowed 2.38 seconds before pressure arrives, according to TruMedia; only five teams are allowing pressure quicker. 

With Michael Thomas on the injured reserve, there is a bigger opportunity for players like A.T. Perry and Rashid Shaheed at wide receiver. With Marshon Lattimore on injured reserve, Isaac Yiadom and Paulson Adebo will be leaned on heavily. 

Seahawks: Offensive guard

General manager John Schneider has found several long-term contributors over the past two years, including bookend tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas. Offensive guard is the biggest need for that team even though it may have found something in Anthony Bradford. The Seahawks could use a starter and most certainly need accountable depth. According to TruMedia, Seattle is allowing pressure on 39.8% of dropbacks this season, which is the eighth-worst in the league. 

The Seahawks will go as far as Geno Smith takes them, however.

Danielle Hunter has been awesome this season, but Marcus Davenport is on injured reserve. Minnesota is applying pressure on 31.1% of opponent’s dropbacks this season, which is the fifth-lowest rate in the NFL, according to TruMedia. Brian Flores’ defensive design is a reason for that number, though. His team either sends everyone or drops everyone on every play; there is hardly an in-between. 

Justin Jefferson should return to the field soon. He is a player whose role can not be filled by an individual, but a few players. Rookie Jordan Addison is now the preeminent figure in that offense and has stepped up. On the year, Minnesota is credited with 23 drops, which is the second most by any franchise this season, according to TruMedia.