The fun of the 2025 NFL season is that all of the teams fighting for a Super Bowl title are seemingly on an even playing field. That doesn't mean that everyone is the same caliber when at their best, but it does mean that this feels like the most wide-open playoffs we've had in quite some time.
Every team has a fatal flaw. Every team has a major red flag. Every team has a concerning weak link entering this crucial Week 18 that will either need to be addressed or masked for the playoffs.
What is every team's weakest link right now? Senior NFL researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno put together a fascinating list of some major issues (whether season-long or recent) for each team that are worth discussing.
Every NFL playoff team's most concerning red flags entering Week 18
Seattle Seahawks: 28 giveaways (31st in NFL)
Honestly, even for a team like the Seahawks that has looked like the most complimentary team in the league most of the year, this is a massive concern. The Seahawks have been so good all year long, but they are obviously not immune from making a lot of mistakes offensively.
And this is something that can really come back to bite you in the postseason. and what's odd is that six of the Seahawks' games with multiple turnovers have happened in Seattle. It's been nice for this team to also have a defense that can take the ball away, but the giveaways on offense could end up being a massive problem.
Denver Broncos: 12 takeaways (28th in NFL)
For a defense as good as the Denver Broncos (set a franchise record with 64 sacks in 16 games), it's shocking to see this number in the takeaways department. They should have at least double this number with how often they get to the quarterback.
And what's even more staggering is that not even all 12 of these takeaways are from the defense. One of them came from a forced fumble on kickoff return coverage by Jonah Elliss. The Broncos' inability to force turnovers has put them in a lot more one-score games than ideal. They've obviously endured, but they need turnovers to start coming in bunches for the postseason run.
Chicago Bears: 357.3 yards per game allowed (28th in NFL)
We've seen the Chicago Bears' defense give and take away this season, quite literally. The Bears have had some serious stinkers defensively throughout the course of the year, but they've also been one of the best teams in the league at taking the ball away.
Going into the playoffs, it's nice to know for this team that they can create a lot of turnovers, and it's also nice to know that they can play in any type of game. They fell just short against the 49ers in a shootout, but this team can score a lot of points.
They might have to if the defense is giving up nearly 400 yards in the postseason.