We’re at an awkward spot on the NFL calendar. A few teams are preparing for the playoffs, while a couple of others are still fighting for a spot in the postseason. The rest of the league has already given up hope and started looking to the offseason.
But this is the NFL! Fortunes can change in an instant. One draft pick, trade, signing or coaching hire can turn a bottom-feeder into a true contender. Unless, of course, you root for the Jets or Jaguars. Then you just better get used to this. We’re joking! Even those snake-bitten franchise aren’t too far off from being competitive.
So we’re here to provide hope for the hopeless. According to FiveThiryEight’s playoff odds, 16 teams have a less than 50% chance at making the playoffs this season. For all 16 of those teams, we’ve picked out the one piece they’re missing in order to become playoff contenders in 2021.
Let’s fix some teams…