Let’s look at the future of the teams that didn’t make it past the first round of the NFL Playoffs.
Los Angeles Chargers: Add more offensive talent
While the season ended in disappointment, the 2024 season was still a success for the new Chargers coaching staff. This doesn’t excuse Justin Herbert’s underperformance in the postseason, but one loss doesn’t erase the good work done by Jim Harbaugh and his team in Year 1. The team exceeded expectations, and Harbaugh showed he can still get the most out of his players while covering up some weaknesses.
One of the biggest successes for Harbaugh’s staff was helping Herbert break free from some bad habits that had developed in the previous years. Herbert had become too cautious with his passes under the old coaching staff.
Harbaugh encouraged him to be more aggressive, and Herbert responded with his best season yet. He had the highest efficiency of his career, averaging a career-high 8.6 air yards per attempt and 311 rushing yards, another personal best.
However, despite the improvements, Herbert made mistakes in the Wild Card loss, where his aggressive play led to errors. But it’s important to recognize the talent gap on the Chargers’ offense. In playoff games, these gaps become very obvious and difficult to ignore.
The Chargers’ offensive line struggled, particularly against the Texans’ defensive line, which created problems with quick pressure and stunts. The Texans also had strong cornerbacks, Dererk Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter, who caused issues for the Chargers’ receivers. This all contributed to an offense that couldn’t function properly.
General Manager Joe Hortiz and the Chargers’ front office did a great job in the draft. The addition of Joe Alt in the first round and Ladd McConkey in the second round helped the team in a big way. Both players have the potential to become stars. However, the team needed much more than just a few good draft picks; they needed a complete rebuild after the previous regime left the roster in poor shape.
Herbert faced a lot of pressure in the game against Houston, with 11 quick pressures (30.6% of his dropbacks), including five unblocked pressures. This was the highest quick pressure rate he’s ever faced in a regular or postseason game.
When a quarterback faces pressure that quickly, with only one receiver getting open, it’s impossible to run an effective offense. The lack of reliable pass-catchers, like Quentin Johnston and Will Dissly, who struggled to make plays, made things worse.
The issue for the Chargers is that players like Johnston and Dissly, who were used well as role players, were asked to take on bigger roles than they were ready for. While they might work in the regular season, this approach isn’t as effective in the postseason.
The Chargers have made some progress in rebuilding the team, adding a strong tackle duo, a clear No. 1 receiver, and improving the defense. But there’s still a lot of work to do, especially on offense.
It will be interesting to see which wide receivers and tight ends the Chargers target in the future to support McConkey, who already looks like a potential star. His performance in the playoff game only confirmed his ability to contribute in many ways.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Facing a Tough Future
This offseason feels especially challenging for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mike Tomlin is known for saying, “The standard is the standard.” After another season ending just like all the others in recent years, it’s worth questioning what exactly that standard is.
Since 2018, every Steelers season has followed a familiar pattern. They’ve only won the AFC North once, and the rest of the time, they’ve hovered around eight to 10 wins — just enough to avoid a losing season but not good enough to truly compete at a high level in the conference.
Whenever they do make the playoffs, the Steelers are quickly eliminated by stronger AFC teams. In their last three Wild Card playoff games, they lost to the Ravens, Bills, and Chiefs by a combined 49 points. And it didn’t matter who was the quarterback, as they had different quarterbacks for each of those games. Russell Wilson, Mason Rudolph (who replaced a benched Kenny Pickett), and Ben Roethlisberger all took turns leading the team.
The pattern of disappointing playoff losses has been the norm for the Steelers in recent years.
For a while in 2024, it seemed like things could be different. The defense had strong moments, and the offense, which had struggled with consistency, started to develop an identity under their veteran quarterback, who performed well after taking over in Week 7.
However, by mid-December, things started falling apart. The team lost four straight games to end the regular season as competition toughened, finishing with the 26th-ranked offense in terms of success rate. Worse, some of their best players had poor performances when it mattered most. George Pickens had a tough stretch in Weeks 16 and 17, Minkah Fitzpatrick struggled in the secondary, and even T.J. Watt wasn’t able to make an impact.
In the end, it felt like the same season with the same result, and it seems unlikely much will change. Tomlin is expected to return, and unless someone like Arthur Smith becomes a head coach elsewhere, it’s likely most of the coaching staff will stay. This is where the Steelers need to face reality and ask themselves how they can avoid repeating the same mistakes, especially with an AFC that’s only getting stronger.
For the last four seasons, Pittsburgh’s offense has ranked an average of 24th in success rate. The offense has been far behind other AFC contenders. Missing on quarterback Kenny Pickett in the 2022 NFL Draft is a big factor, especially since he was chosen largely because he played at the University of Pittsburgh. As often happens with teams that pick a first-round quarterback who doesn’t pan out quickly, the path forward is unclear.
The last five games of this season should show that Russell Wilson is not the solution to their quarterback problem. He may return on a short-term deal, but he deserves a significant portion of the blame for the team’s struggles down the stretch. The problem is that he may be one of the best quarterbacks available in free agency, and the 2025 draft class for quarterbacks isn’t strong.
The quarterback situation is a tough one to fix, but as Tomlin himself said, he’s “well compensated” to deal with difficult issues like this. He needs to figure this out, or the team risks staying stuck in mediocrity.
This isn’t a call for Tomlin’s firing, but if the Steelers don’t make serious moves to improve their offense, it’s time to be concerned. If they can’t find a top quarterback, they need to at least make their offense stronger in other areas.
If they stick with a mid-level offense led by a short-term quarterback, with a run game that doesn’t stand out and a receiving corps that lacks playmakers, expect the same disappointing outcome a year from now.
Denver Broncos: Focus on Building Around Bo Nix
The Denver Broncos’ offense exceeded my expectations this season. Given their struggles in 2023, the talent they had at the skill positions, and a rookie quarterback, I thought they would end up as one of the bottom 10 offenses in the league.
I was wrong. The Broncos finished 16th in offensive success rate and 18th in EPA per play.
With Sean Payton coaching, Bo Nix playing better than expected, and a solid offensive line that provided good pass protection, the Broncos’ offense showed improvement. However, they were still only average, and the talent gap at skill positions is a major reason their playoff run ended quickly.
This offseason, Denver should focus on strengthening the playmakers around Nix. One area to consider is the running back position.
At times, the Broncos’ running game has been effective. Even though they didn’t get consistent play from one running back, they ranked 13th in success rate on running back carries this season. This reflects more on the overall system and offensive line than on the backs themselves. Denver ranked 11th in yards before contact per rush but only 28th in yards after contact.
Looking at teams that performed well this weekend shows the value of having top-tier backs in a strong rushing system. Players like Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley added a lot to already solid run games. The Broncos should try to find a talent like this, possibly in the NFL Draft.
The pass-catching group has some good role players, such as Courtland Sutton, who contributed significantly as the season progressed. Devaughn Vele looks like a solid power slot, and Marvin Mims became an important receiver, showing his explosiveness.
The offense could benefit from adding another wide receiver or, even better, a well-rounded tight end who can handle a more consistent workload. Nix showed he was comfortable working the middle of the field, so adding another player who can run routes effectively in that area would be a big boost.
The Broncos’ offense is heading in the right direction. They have a solid system that uses a variety of role players to attack defenses. The next step is to increase the talent in the backfield and at the pass-catching positions as Nix continues to develop.
