5 NFL teams with the worst offensive units ahead of 2023 season ft Houston Texans

NFL teams like the Houston Texans are gearing up for training camp. It’s one of the essential parts of the off-season because it’s when they finalize their active rosters.

The new Collective Bargaining Agreement states that teams can bring as many as 90 players to camp. Depending on the player’s performance at camp and the depth chart of respective positions, teams reduce the count to 75 after the first cut.

They then reduce it to the 53-man roster in the second and final cuts. Some players not favored to join the main roster might be included in the practice squad.

But despite the considerable sample size of talent, some teams have less threatening offensive units than legitimate contenders. Bad drafts, poor trades, and salary cap mismanagement could be some of the reasons leading to struggles in producing points.

That said, these are the NFL teams whose offenses do not strike much fear among opposing teams heading into the new season.

#5. Arizona Cardinals

NFL athletes Kyler Murray and Marquise Brown of the Arizona Cardinals attend Game Four of the NBA Western Conference Semifinals between the Phoenix Suns and the Denver Nuggets at Footprint Center on May 07, 2023, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Releasing star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins watered down Arizona’s talent at wide receiver. They still have an excellent wideout duo in Marquise Brown and Rondale Moore, but they combined for only 1,123 yards and four touchdowns.

James Conner will also have difficulty running the ball if Brown and Moore cannot create separation from their defenders. He has been their best option on offense, tallying 22 rushing touchdowns in his first two seasons at Arizona.

The Cardinals’ offensive line situation will make it harder for Conner to dominate. Pro Football Focus ranked Arizona as the second-worst O-line coming into the season.

Drafting Paris Johnson Jr. is a slight boost, but it might not be enough when facing top-tier defensive players like Nick Bosa and Aaron Donald at least twice in 2023.

Finally, Kyler Murray’s situation is still questionable. He is still on the road to recovery after suffering an ACL tear. While he has had plenty of time rehabilitating his knee, his status for Week 1 is still up in the air.

If that happens, Colt McCoy will likely start the season at quarterback for the Cardinals.

#4. Chicago Bears

Justin Fields #1 of the Chicago Bears speaks to the media during minicamp at Halas Hall on June 15, 2023, in Lake Forest, Illinois.

There’s no question about Justin Fields’ mobility. Last season, he became only the third quarterback in NFL history to have a 1,000-yard rushing season.

But can he accurately throw? The former Ohio State standout has a 59.7 completion percentage through his first two years. He did improve from 58.9 to 60.4 year-to-year, but it still isn’t enough to compete with fellow AFC North quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff.

If Fields cannot hit his targets, DJ Moore might struggle to get yards and touchdowns. The Bears traded for Moore to surrender the number pick of the 2023 draft to the Carolina Panthers.

It’s a fantastic deal on paper, considering he had 1,000 receiving yards in three of his first five seasons. Moore also had a career-high seven touchdowns in 2022.

Meanwhile, Chase Claypool’s lack of self-motivation might haunt the Bears. He might be out of the team if his attitude doesn’t change. He is capable of great things, as proven by his 873 yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Lastly, PFF ranked the Bears’ offensive line 21st out of the 32 teams. They shuffled positions throughout the 2022 season and haven’t made enough efforts to address their concerns. Braxton Jones at left tackle and Cody Whitehair at center give them a stable line.

#3. Indianapolis Colts

Anthony Richardson celebrates after being selected fourth overall by the Indianapolis Colts during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Colts’ quarterback situation is their foremost concern. They are banking on Anthony Richardson to be their franchise play-caller, but it’s still early to give him the reins. The Athletic’s James Boyd wrote that while Richardson had great throws, he rarely had the best day.

Likewise, Richardson hasn’t started in consecutive seasons since high school. Indianapolis reportedly plans to be cautious about his progression, meaning that Gardner Minshew might start for the Colts in Week 1.

Minshew can make plays but he is arguably not an elite quarterback. He also played sparingly last season, backing up Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia.

Aside from quarterback, the Colts still don’t know what they have with Jonathan Taylor. Ankle injuries limited him to 11 games. He still had solid numbers of 861 yards and four touchdowns, but they were nowhere near his 2021 production when he led the league in rushing yards (1,811) and touchdowns (18).

Michael Pittman Jr. is their top option at wide receiver, but he hasn’t had a breakout season. The Colts also hope that Josh Downs will be a great slot receiver.

Indianapolis’ saving grace is their offensive line. PFF ranked them 10th best this offseason. However, Quenton Nelson will be coming off his worst season as a pro, giving up five sacks last year. Notably, he allowed only four in his first four seasons.

#2. Houston Texans

Quarterback C.J. Stroud, #7 of the Houston Texans, leads a team huddle during the first day of Houston Texans Rookie Minicamp at NRG Stadium on May 12, 2023, in Houston, Texas.

The Texans have the pieces to be a dark horse squad in 2023, especially with the AFC South up for grabs. But their fate will depend on how C.J. Stroud and John Metchie will perform this season.

Stroud will likely be the team’s starting quarterback from Week 1. There’s no sense in putting Davis Mills at the top of the depth chart because Stroud is a steadier option than Richardson. But growing pains are possible, especially behind an offensive line ranked 25th by Pro Football Focus.

Meanwhile, Metchie III will finally play after skipping his rookie season due to acute promyelocytic leukemia. The Texans are in for a treat if he performs like in his final year at Alabama (1,142 yards, eight touchdowns).

Dameon Pierce showed promise during his rookie campaign with 939 rushing yards and four touchdowns. But whether he has fully recovered from a season-ending ankle injury remains to be seen.

Outside of those three players, the Texans’ offense is riddled with questions. Can Robert Woods perform like a top option at quarterback? Can Dalton Schultz deliver the catches and yards in a team that doesn’t have a bona fide threat downfield? Time will tell.

Lastly, can anyone other than Laremy Tunsil be trusted on the Texans’ offensive line? Shaq Mason helps stabilize the fort, but having a rookie center in Juice Scruggs might cause problems. The offensive line must also improve their paltry 0.8 yards before contact in last year’s run game.

#1. Tennessee Titans

Joshua Dobbs, #11 of the Tennessee Titans, hands the ball off Derrick Henry, #22 of the Tennessee Titans, during the second quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field on January 07, 2023, in Jacksonville, Florida.

Derrick Henry is still a monster, finishing with 1,538 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Unfortunately, the NFL hasn’t been kind to aging running backs. The inevitable decline will come, even if Henry is one of the most imposing backfield options in the league.

Therefore, the Titans must find his heir apparent or gradually shift towards prioritizing the passing game. Unfortunately, the results of their efforts haven’t generated much fruit so far.

They traded A.J. Brown for the Philadelphia Eagles’ first-round pick last year. They used it on Treylon Burks, who had 444 yards and a touchdown in 11 games during his rookie season.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine isn’t much help either, tallying 397 yards and three touchdowns. Their struggles in the passing game led the Titans to average 17.5 points per game, the fourth-worst last season.

Pro Football Focus also ranked Tennessee’s offensive line as the league’s worst, leading into the offseason. They drafted Peter Skoronski in round one of the 2023 draft, and he could be their best player in the trench. Furthermore, Nicholas Petit-Frere’s six-game suspension won’t help their cause either.

Finally, the succession plan at quarterback still isn’t clear. They didn’t offer Ryan Tannehill a contract extension, making 2023 potentially his final year as the Titans starter.

Choosing between Malik Willis and Will Levis arguably isn’t the best of choices because of their respective flaws.