One reason each NFC team could disappoint its fan base: Are expectations too high for Rams?

A look at the biggest red flags across the conference, from the Rams' sky-high expectations to the 49ers' constant injury woes Sep 2, 2026 at 10:12 am ET • 7 min read Training camp is over and the NFL season is finally here. Hopes are high around the league. Every team is envisioning the upcoming season going as well as possible, hoping everything they did during the offseason to improve works out perfectly and takes them to the promised land.Of course, we know that that's not always how things go. Things do not always work out perfectly. Sometimes, the opposite happens. Their moves don't work out as well as they hoped and for one reason or another, teams disappoint. That's what we're here to talk about today. We're going to envision a scenario where each team in the league disappoints and try to pinpoint the reason behind that disappointment, if it happens. We're starting with the NFC, and my colleague Jordan Dajani will handle the AFC on Thursday.Without further ado, we present one reason each NFC team could disappoint its fan base this season... NFC East Dallas Cowboys: Pass rushAfter trading Micah Parsons almost exactly a year ago, the Dallas pass rush wasn't much to write home about in 2025. The Cowboys added Rashan Gary, Von Miller and Malachi Lawrence this time around, but they still don't have a top-flight edge rusher who can definitively test tackles the way Parsons could. While the defense should be better this year, it might not reach above-average if the Cowboys can't consistently get after the quarterback. New York Giants: Offensive architectureThe Giants feel good about their head coaching change with John Harbaugh replacing Brian Daboll. But I don't think they should feel quite as good about the staff they've assembled to run the offense. Matt Nagy, Greg Roman and Brian Callahan aren't the type of murderer's row you'd like to have putting your players in position to succeed. Things were reportedly a bit rocky during camp, and that could carry over to the regular season. Philadelphia Eagles: The new offenseEveryone expects things to be better for Philly on offense after the Eagles replaced Kevin Patullo with Sean Mannion. And it could hardly be worse than it was for much of last year, when things got pretty ugly at times. But what if it just doesn't take as well as we think it could? What if the loss of legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland matters more than the hopeful upgrade from Patullo to Mannion? What if the line's injury issues don't get solved? Things might not improve as much as is hoped. Washington Commanders: Offensive lineWith Laremy Tunsil going down and probably missing the entire season, things look rough in front of Jayden Daniels. The Commanders even signed D.J. Humphries just in case things don't work out with Brandon Coleman at left tackle. If they can't keep Daniels upright for the full season, things could spiral in Washington.NFC North Chicago Bears: SecondaryThe Bears were counting on better health and a big free-agent signing to improve their defensive backfield this season. It doesn't look like they're getting either. Coby Bryant is out for the foreseeable future. Kyler Gordon is without a timetable to return. Even Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have been banged up recently. It's going to be a pretty big mess on the back end in Chicago, and that could undermine the defense. Detroit Lions: Also secondaryGo ahead and look at the depth chart for the Lions' defensive backfield. It's pretty ugly, especially with both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch on the physically unable to perform list. They're likely starting Avonte Maddox and Chuck Clark at safety. It's Rock Ya-Sin and D.J. Reed at corner. There's just not a lot of high-level talent, and they're going to need the pass rush (where Aidan Hutchinson still needs some help) to really step up and carry the load. Green Bay Packers: Pass rushWithout Micah Parsons, the Packers need Lukas Van Ness to really tap into his full potential. But there's not much in the way of depth on the edge beyond Van Ness, and the Packers will be desperately awaiting Parsons' return, which will hopefully come sometime in October. If he needs to ramp up from there, though, or isn't at full strength for a while, they could struggle to get after the passer all season. Minnesota Vikings: Defensive frontThe Vikings have been a fast and ferocious defense under Brian Flores. Most people expect them to be exactly that once again. But the talent up front isn't what it once was. The Vikes are heavily depending on guys like Dallas Turner, Caleb Banks, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Jalen Redmond (whom I like a lot) and others to be not just role players but really good ones. If they can't do what Flores needs them to do up front, he can't be as aggressive and creative on the back end as he likes to be.NFC South Atlanta Falcons: QuarterbackTua Tagovailoa lost a quarterback competition where he was essentially the only one competing. Michael Penix is not yet healthy and hasn't shown that he's a starting-caliber quarterback even when he is. The Falcons could be one of the league's major disappointments this year if the quarterback position undermines what the team has with Bijan Robinson and Drake London on offense. Carolina Panthers: Pass rushWhat if Jaelan Phillips isn't enough to lift Carolina's edge rush group out of the doldrums of the league? The Panthers have struggled badly to get pressure on quarterbacks for several years now and signed Phillips to help alleviate that problem, but he can't do it all on his own. He's got a history of injuries, so he may not be on the field to do it anyway. After losing Nic Scourton for the season, the pass rush remains a concern. New Orleans Saints: DefensePeople have pretty high hopes for New Orleans' offense this season if Tyler Shough can carry some things over that he did at the end of the 2025 campaign. But the defense is looking pretty thin, especially in the secondary. Outside of Kool-Aid McKinstry, cornerback looks like it could be a problem. There could be some really high-scoring games on the fast track in the Superdome. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: DefenseThe Buccaneers are counting heavily on rookies to remake their defense under Todd Bowles this year. As much as this Miami alum feels good about Rueben Bain Jr. and Keionte Scott (and as good as he feels about Josiah Trotter), it's still a dangerous game to be so dependent on rookies to improve from one year to the next. If they're not total studs right away, Bowles could be one of those guys looking for a new job next year. NFC West Arizona Cardinals: ScheduleThe Cards have one of the toughest schedules in recent memory. They're not favored in a single game in the look-ahead lines, and they're more than a touchdown underdog in most of them. Even if they're a better team than they were last year, it might be tough for them to show it in the win column. Los Angeles Rams: ExpectationsThe only way the Rams can not disappoint their fan base this year is to win the Super Bowl. Anything else is unacceptable when you assemble the kind of roster that Les Snead has put together. When you pair Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald on the defensive line, add Trent McDuffie in the secondary and return the MVP quarterback for another season after reaching the NFC title game last year, there's only one thing left to do. And if you don't, then it's a letdown. San Francisco 49ers: InjuriesWhat else is new for the 49ers? George Kittle seems like he'll miraculously be ready for Week 1 after his late-season injury, but he's still 33 years old and coming off an Achilles tear. The last few times Christian McCaffrey has had 300-plus-touch seasons, he's gotten injured the following year. (And he had a ridiculous 413 a year ago.) Mike Evans has been in and out of camp with soft tissue injuries. This whole thing could be built on a house of cards. Seattle Seahawks: TurnoverWhen you're the Super Bowl champs, you typically get raided for some of your talent, and that happened to the Seahawks, just like it does to any other team. They lost offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak to the Raiders, running back Kenneth Walker III to the Chiefs, safety Coby Bryant to the Bears and cornerback Riq Woolen to the Eagles. That's not a devastating amount of players to lose, but it is a lot, and it could affect Seattle on the field.