NFL Week 5: 3 Offenses That Need to Panic

October 11, 2022 , ,

Through five weeks of the 2022 regular season, some surprising and concerning trends have emerged for some of the league's proudest franchises. Despite offseasons full of hype and promise, these three projected contenders are off to alarming starts on offense, and it may be time to press the panic button.

Indianapolis Colts

Miraculously, the Indianapolis Colts are .500 through five games, but things aren't looking good for the rest of the season. Offseason quarterback acquisition Matt Ryan has been a disaster, taking a league-leading 21 sacks, tossing a league-worst seven interceptions, and fumbling a staggering 11 times, four more than any other player in the league. The Colts rank dead-last in scoring and 30th in giveaways. Their defense has kept them alive, allowing the eighth-fewest yards in the league, but that's no recipe for long-term success. Unless Ryan can get more comfortable and limit his mistakes, the Colts won't stand a shot in the AFC South.

Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angles Rams offense hasn't looked anything like the unit than hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the 2021 season. They've scored 10 points or less in their three losses, and quarterback Matthew Satfford has looked like a shell of himself. Stafford has hurled a league-high seven interceptions and been sacked a distressing 21 times. He isn't getting any help from his run game, which ranks 31st in the league with a 3.2 yards-per-attempt average. They've been positively crushed by the three teams with winning records they've faced, losing each game by multiple scores and being outscored 77-29. If the Rams can't show up against relevant teams, their title defense might not even see the postseason.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos were immediately projected for contention when they traded for quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason, but they certainly haven't gotten the return they expected so far. The team ranks 31st in scoring through five weeks due in large part to a disastrous 21.4% conversion rate in the red zone, the worst in the league. The team is actually only mediocre in terms of moving the ball, ranking 18th in yards gained, so they might be able to pull things together if they can make more plays on third down, where they rank 30th with their 30.6% conversion rate. Considering the defense has allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league, the Broncos have a roadmap to success if only they can get out of their own way.

Photo Credit: © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports



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