NFL postmortems: What went wrong for all 18 non-playoff teams

The 2025 season is officially over for 18 teams. We visited the coroner's office and returned with an official cause of death for each one.

Jump to: ARI | ATL | BAL | CIN | CLE | DAL | DET | IND | KC | LV | MIA | MIN | NYG | NYJ | NO | TB | TEN | WAS

Arizona Cardinals

☠️ Cause of death: Coaching

Since Jonathan Gannon took the head coaching job in 2023, Arizona's 48% success rate on defense ranks last in the NFL. Although he was hired as a defensive guru from Philadelphia, his unit was among the worst in the league again in 2025 despite adding Josh Sweat. The Cardinals finished 2-8 in one-score games. While some of that may be misfortune, some of it speaks to an inability to push the right buttons. Gannon definitely pushed the wrong button when he hit running back Emari Demercado, leading to a $100,000 fine. Arizona needs a fresh start, and firing Gannon was necessary.

Atlanta Falcons

☠️ Cause of death: 2021-24 draft classes

General manager Terry Fontenot drafted Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Michael Penix Jr. in the first round from 2021-24. Penix was up and down in his first year and then only played nine games in his second season due to a knee injury. The other three first-rounders were serious contributors. But how much did the rest of Fontenot's selections from those years bring to the table in 2025? Let's break it down.

Matthew Bergeron is responsible for 15 of the 22 starts made by the 2023 selections, with his four classmates mostly nonfactors. Getting 31 starts out of the other 26 picks from that four-year stretch is the definition of futility. The lack of success on Days 2-3 left Atlanta with a top-heavy roster, while the best teams in the NFL feature stars supported by a formidable middle class. That's why the Falcons are cleaning out their lockers and Fontenot - fired Sunday - is cleaning out his office.

Baltimore Ravens

☠️ Cause of death: Tyler Loop's missed field goal

So many things went wrong for the Ravens: Lamar Jackson missed four starts and played hurt for the majority of the year, Derrick Henry had early-season fumble woes, and the defense couldn't get stops in crucial spots, especially in its final game. The pass rush was a major issue, with Baltimore ranking 28th in sacks and 29th in pressure rate. And even with that long list of problems, the Ravens were a 44-yard field goal away from making the playoffs. Longtime coach John Harbaugh paid for Loop's miss with his job, as the Ravens cut ties with him Tuesday.

Cincinnati Bengals

☠️ Cause of death: Bad - very bad - defense

Was Joe Burrow's injury in Week 3 devastating? Absolutely. But injuries happen, and the Bengals would've been in contention down the stretch had the defense kept them afloat. Cincinnati ranked 30th in points allowed, 29th in EPA/play, and 27th in success rate in 2025. Those numbers would've been even worse if the Bengals hadn't faced two rookie quarterbacks in the final three weeks. Instead of spending the summer embroiled in needless drama with pass-rushers Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart, the Bengals should've focused on bringing their defense together.

Cleveland Browns

☠️ Cause of death: Offensive infrastructure

The Browns' offense just never had enough pieces around the quarterback, even if using three different starters is a recipe for failure in itself. Cleveland finished 31st in rushing success rate in a Kevin Stefanski system that is known to create lanes for runners. The receiving weapons weren't good enough either; Jerry Jeudy was arguably the most disappointing player on the roster, and those behind him didn't step up. An aging offensive line allowed a league-high 46.5% pressure rate. This team won't compete until it gets more offensive talent.

Dallas Cowboys

☠️ Cause of death: Matt Eberflus

The Cowboys' minus-151.41 total EPA on defense is the fifth-worst mark by a team in a single season since 2000, according to TruMedia. Sure, the Micah Parsons trade affected the pass rush, but there was enough talent on that side of the ball to avoid being one of the worst NFL defenses in decades. Dallas spent 56.3% of its snaps in either Cover 2 or Cover 3, the second-highest rate of any club this year. When he blitzed, Eberflus failed to disguise his defense or generate free rushers, leading to the second-worst mark in the NFL in yards allowed per play (7.5). Eberflus is officially one-and-done as Dallas' defensive coordinator after being fired Tuesday.

Detroit Lions

☠️ Cause of death: Inconclusive 🤷

The coroner's office couldn't give us a specific cause of death here. Detroit's offense finished fourth in points per game, while the defense ranked 15th in EPA/play. Kelvin Sheppard's unit did struggle down the stretch, but when the defense was healthy earlier in the season, it played well enough to win more games. Under the radar, the Lions had trouble with their down-to-down rushing attack. Jahmyr Gibbs had a ton of explosive plays, but the ground game posted a mediocre 39.8% rushing success rate, ranking 22nd in the league. There were too many negative plays on offense, and Jared Goff took the most sacks of his career, stalling too many important drives. Detroit went 9-8 to wind up one game outside the playoffs despite looking like one of the league's scarier teams all year.

Indianapolis Colts

☠️ Cause of death: Bad luck

The Colts are one of only six teams in NFL history to start 7-1 and miss the playoffs, and they're the only squad to do it under the 14-team expanded postseason format. But it took a ton of misfortune. Imagine Adonai Mitchell didn't drop the ball before the goal line against the Rams. Suppose they got a lucky bounce when they lost three fumbles to the Steelers. And then there were the injuries: The Colts got hammered on both sides of the ball. Daniel Jones' torn Achilles derailed an offense that ranked second in EPA/play from Weeks 1-13. Anthony Richardson fractured an orbital bone in a freak pregame accident. They traded for Sauce Gardner, but he only played 196 snaps for them because of calf problems. DeForest Buckner missed significant time down the stretch with a neck injury. Yeesh. Better luck next year!

Kansas City Chiefs

☠️ Cause of death: Third downs

Many of the Chiefs' 2025 issues can be traced back to their struggles in big spots, particularly on third downs. Patrick Mahomes' passer rating on third down was 65.2, which ranked 30th among 33 qualifying quarterbacks. In his previous seven years as a starter, he averaged 110.6, and his worst mark over a season was 99.6. From Weeks 1-15, when Mahomes was the starter and Kansas City was still in playoff contention, the defense ranked 26th in EPA/play allowed on third down and 28th in conversion rate. Previous Chiefs teams were clutch in crucial moments and came out victorious in tight games. This version of the Chiefs wasn't and didn't.

Las Vegas Raiders

☠️ Cause of death: Everything

Frankly, what wasn't wrong with the Raiders? Geno Smith was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, the defense ranked 25th in points per game, and the Pete Carroll hire - along with the coaching staff he built - turned out to be a disaster. Chip Kelly, who became the highest-paid coordinator in the league in 2025, was dismissed after an atrocious 11-game stretch. Carroll was supposed to help stabilize a franchise in free fall, but the Raiders kept plummeting. This was by far the worst team in the NFL, even if three other clubs shared its 3-14 record. Las Vegas will start from scratch again after making Carroll a one-and-done coach.

Miami Dolphins

☠️ Cause of death: Same old core

Miami decided to run it back with the same pieces that had failed to win a playoff game under Mike McDaniel, and the results continued to flatline. The $212-million Tua Tagovailoa extension became a full-blown disaster after a brutal season landed him on the bench. Tyreek Hill, who's on the wrong side of 30, made fewer and fewer explosive plays before he suffered a season-ending injury. Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, and Zach Sieler seem to have peaked, and they had too many unproductive stretches. Former general manager Chris Grier, who was fired in October, left the Dolphins with an aging, talent-deficient roster.

Minnesota Vikings

☠️ Cause of death: Wrong QB decision

Had the Vikings held onto Sam Darnold or even Daniel Jones, they'd likely be one of the seven NFC teams in the postseason. Instead, they stuck with J.J. McCarthy, and the experiment did not pay off. McCarthy's performance was better down the stretch, but he struggled mightily early in the season when the games counted, and injuries continued to threaten his development. McCarthy's 4.9% interception percentage was the highest among 38 qualifying quarterbacks. The defense, on the other hand, ranked third in EPA/play and did everything it could to keep Minnesota in the hunt. Brian Flores coached a playoff-caliber unit, but the offense's inability to sustain drives doomed this team.

New York Giants

☠️ Cause of death: Organizational dysfunction

First, the Giants brought back Brian Daboll as a lame-duck coach. He should've focused on Jaxson Dart's health and development, but his shortsighted approach led him to interrupt concussion checks and design too many quarterback runs. The Giants appear to be heading down the same path in 2026, retaining general manager Joe Schoen, who will take Daboll's spot on the hot seat. Since the Tom Coughlin era, owner John Mara has consistently put the wrong people in charge.

New York Jets

☠️ Cause of death: Another year, another disaster at QB

The Jets' defense gave up a ton of explosive plays and was a disappointment under Aaron Glenn, but it still ranked 12th in success rate from Weeks 1-14 before falling apart. Quarterback play was once again the team's downfall, with primary starter Justin Fields ranking 28th in EPA/play among 32 qualifying signal-callers while posting a 2-7 record. The Jets arguably made the right call to move on from Aaron Rodgers, but they ended up getting worse at the position. After deadline trades landed them three extra first-round picks over the next two seasons, they're in a great spot to finally land a franchise quarterback one of these years.

New Orleans Saints

☠️ Cause of death: Rebuild

The Saints entered the year with the lowest Super Bowl odds and a 4.5-win total. This roster needs a ton of work, and no one expected them to make any noise. This season was all about building for the future and finding out whether Spencer Rattler or Tyler Shough could be their long-term answer at quarterback. Shough showed enough down the stretch that the front office should be comfortable rolling with him in 2026, giving New Orleans the flexibility to allocate resources elsewhere.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

☠️ Cause of death: Baker Mayfield's regression

The Buccaneers started 5-1 with Mayfield playing like an MVP candidate. Then they went 3-8 with losses to the Saints, Panthers, Falcons, and Dolphins. If they'd won one of those games, they'd be in the playoffs. Out of 32 qualifying quarterbacks from Weeks 7-18, Mayfield ranked 27th in EPA/play and 30th in passer rating. He tied for the most interceptions during that stretch with 10 while he threw just 14 touchdown passes. Was Todd Bowles' defense disappointing? Sure. But Mayfield's play over the last three months was nowhere close to his performance early in the season. Perhaps injuries contributed to his drop-off, but the Bucs needed more from him.

Tennessee Titans

☠️ Cause of death: Cam Ward's supporting cast

Ward had his issues during his first NFL campaign, but he flashed enough potential to make Titans fans excited for next year. Then Tennessee surrounded him with arguably the worst group of offensive talent in the league. Top wideout Calvin Ridley played seven games, fellow receivers Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson were total nonfactors, and big-ticket left tackle Dan Moore Jr. struggled for most of the year. Throw in coach Brian Callahan's midseason firing and Ward and the Titans didn't stand a chance.

Washington Commanders

☠️ Cause of death: Adam Peters

Last offseason, the Commanders general manager had a golden opportunity to build on a playoff run with a quarterback on a rookie contract. He wound up constructing the oldest roster in the NFL by a wide margin, acquiring veterans like Deebo Samuel, Laremy Tunsil, Von Miller, and Deatrich Wise Jr., and they didn't move the needle enough. Washington entered the 2025 season with 25 players aged 30 or older, eight more than any other team, and the Commanders often looked athletically outmatched. Peters has serious work to do to restore Washington to contender status.