5 things NFL teams need to be Successful

Every off-season NFL teams begin almost immediately preparing for the next NFL season. For some teams who failed to find success or were stuck in mediocrity that time begins at the end of December. From there pretty much each weekend a handful of other teams slowly join the list of teams entering the off-season. For all 32 teams there is always plenty of work to be done. Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, however that is not the only variable teams have to worry about. Things like players aging, or players contracts expiring, and demanding more money, etc… Some teams will not necessarily need the same changes each year. Here is a list of the top 5 positions I believe are important for team success.

1.) Coaching Staff

In Football it all starts with the coaching staff. Like many team sports Football is no different in that the Head Coach as well as the other coaches are very important to the success of the team. As each game can often turn into a game of chess between coaching staffs when it comes to having a good playbook, calling the right plays at the right team, encouraging and leading a team through adversity, dealing with wins and losses, and helping players be the best they can be at their position.

2.) Quarterback

I don’t think there are many people who would argue that the Quarterback isn’t an important position. Many agree that it is in fact the most important player position on the team. Quarterbacks have a lot expected of them, not only do Quarterbacks touch the football on basically every Offensive play, they are often involved in play calling or at least making adjustments to the call at the line (after accessing the Defense), they are often expected to be leaders, be able to through the ball accurately and in today's game it continually becomes more crucial that a Quarterback be athletic and able to move out of the pocket and either use his own legs to gain yardage or at least to give receivers more time to get open for a pass.

3.) Defensive Linebackers

Defensive linebackers are often given many different jobs on defense. Oftentimes it is the LBs who are in charge of leading the Defense and making changes before the offense is set. LBs often help in pass coverage whether they’re in man or zone. They also are important in stopping the run. Of course the other job they help with is the rush, assisting the defensive line in working to get to the QB.

4.) Offensive Line

Often one of the most overlooked parts of a football team is the offensive line. The way football is evolving is a lot faster pace, with higher scoring and more passing than running. This in general does often lead to more entertaining games however because there is such a focus on QBs and “skilled positions” such as Wide Receivers and Running Backs the focus and with that the money generally becomes less and less for Offensive Linemen in correlation with this average offensive line play has declined in the NFL however many of the teams who struggle on offense struggle for that reason, and oftentimes the reactionary response to lack of success is to blame the Coach or the Quarterback but if your Quarterback is constantly having to scramble and deal with getting hit multiple times a drive that is going to kill any hopes for success.

5.) Kickers/Punters

Although having a punter on the field isn’t necessarily a good sign for an offense no offense can manage to score on every drive. Having a good punter can really help a team be able to place the opposing team's offense deep in their own side of the field. With kickers… Just think about how many NFL games or other Football games you know in general were decided by a field goal kick? For me I could spend hours compiling a list of games I’ve seen like that. The difference between a good and bad kicker can often make a major difference in wins!