Expert Analysis
12/27/23
5 min read
5 Players Whose Improvement Is Essential to NFL Playoff Contenders
Just two weeks remain in the 2023 NFL regular season, and all focus has turned to the AFC and NFC playoff pictures.
It’s time to turn our attention to a few players who need to step up in a big way heading into the playoffs.
5 PlaYERs Who Must IMPROVE
5. Trevor Lawrence, QB, JAcksonville Jaguars 
Trevor Lawrence does not have a ton of help. But the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Lawrence to be a difference-maker even when the circumstances are not perfect. Even with their spotty protection up front, a struggling defense and Lawrence playing banged up, if the Jaguars want to make some noise in the playoffs, they will need more from the 2021 No. 1 overall pick.
During the Jaguars’ four-game losing streak, Lawrence ranks 18th in EPA/play, 16th in success rate and 13th in CPOE. In that span, the Jacksonville offense has faced two of the top-ranked defenses (Baltimore and Cleveland) and two of the worst (Tampa Bay and Cleveland).
The Jaguars have enough weapons on offense to compete with any team in the AFC. But they need Lawrence to get healthy and start playing better to do so in this year's playoffs.
4. Damone Clark, LB, Dallas Cowboys
It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys' defense has hit the regression wall over the past month or so of the season. Facing better offenses, the Cowboys' defense has not answered the call. One reason is spotty linebacker play at the second level.
Since Jonathan Hankins went down due to injury in Week 14, second-year linebacker Damone Clark has struggled in the running and passing games. This was never more apparent than in Dallas' Week 16 loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Rookie Mazi Smith and veteran DT Carl Davis have struggled to replace Hankins. That has exposed Clark’s eyes and lack of instincts, especially during the past two to three games. It’s been a major issue for a Cowboys defense that ranks 24th in EPA/play and 31st in success rate over the last three weeks.
If Dallas wants to break its 28-year streak of missing the NFC Championship game, the team will need its defense as a whole, but especially Clark, to play much better during the next month.
3. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Putting Travis Kelce on this list may seem a little unfair due to him being the only real reliable and experienced receiving option in the Kansas City Chiefs' offense in 2023. But if the Chiefs want to make the run they are capable of, they need Kelce to play much better than he has over the last five games. In that stretch, Kelce has no touchdowns while averaging just 65 yards and five receptions per game.
There has been plenty of evidence of frustration with Kelce and the Kansas City offense throughout the 2023 season. There are no real receiving threats on the roster outside of Kelce and rookie WR Rashee Rice, so QB Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid need Kelce to return to his All-Pro form to make a playoff run.
2. James Bradberry, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
One of the main reasons the Philadelphia Eagles were so successful in 2022 was thanks to their secondary play. Cornerbacks Darius Slay and James Bradberry locked up opposing wide receivers and combined for six interceptions, helping the Eagles reach Super Bowl LVII.
That has been far from the case in 2023, when Slay and Bradberry have struggled for most of the season. Slay is out after having his knee scoped, and Bradberry has been targeted repeatedly over the past few weeks. He has given up a ton of yards, receptions and big plays.
The 2023 Eagles feel like a much different team than the 2022 version that took the Chiefs to the mat in the Super Bowl. Philadelphia still has one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, so if Bradberry returns to his 2022 form, the Eagles have as good of a chance as any NFC team to reach the Super Bowl.
1. Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills have been one of the NFL’s hottest teams during the second half of the season. QB Josh Allen has returned to his MVP-caliber form, RB James Cook got going in a big way, and the Bills defense looks more like itself. Buffalo looks like one of the AFC’s scarier teams.
One issue is that Stefon Diggs has been kept quiet over the past nine games. Diggs has reached 80 yards just once and has scored only three touchdowns in that span. Even though the Bills offense has had success over the last five games, Buffalo needs to get Diggs going to compete on the road in the AFC.
The Bills are leaning on other players in their offense, but they are at their best when Allen, Diggs and Cook click at the same time. If Diggs is able to get going in the home stretch, Buffalo can be one of the playoffs’ scariest teams.
