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USATSI

At this point in the season, no one is healthy. There have been more injuries to starting quarterbacks this season than years prior, which puts stress on teams to find other ways to arrive at victory. 

Some of the notable names added to injured reserve this week include Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal, Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson, Jets offensive tackle Duane Brown and Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson.

With that in mind, here is a look at the most pressing positional needs for every NFL team entering Week 17.

AFC

Bengals: Cornerback

Projected key free agents: DT D.J. Reader, WR Tee Higgins, WR Tyler Boyd, OT Jonah Williams, CB Chidobe Awuzie

The Bengals are allowing 256.1 passing yards per game, which is fifth-most in the NFL. They put a lot of faith in a young cornerback room that has understandably seen its share of ups-and-downs this season. Cam Taylor-Britt was added to the injured reserve Dec. 4.

The franchise has invested significant resources into the offensive line over the past two offseasons, but still have positions to fill. The unit has not played up to expectations as it is allowing pressure, on average, in 2.38 seconds, according to TruMedia; the fifth-worst margin in the league.

Cincinnati added defensive tackle D.J. Reader to the injured reserve this week. Zach Carter will see more repetitions alongside B.J. Hill with Reader out.

Bills: Defensive tackle

Buffalo is charging towards the postseason with some momentum and teams will not want to play them. One cause for concern is the middle of the defense. Defensive tackles DaQuan Jones and Jordan Phillips and linebacker Matt Milano are on the injured reserve. Defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been slowed down by injury as well. Terrel Bernard, Tyrel Dodson and Dorian Williams have been asked to grow up in a hurry as the team attempts to fill a need at the position.

Broncos: Defensive tackle

Despite a really promising month-plus of football, the wheels have fallen off in Denver. Russell Wilson has been benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham. The Broncos have lost three of their last four games after winning five in a row. 

The defensive front has been an issue every step of the way. Dre'Mont Jones left Denver in free agency. Length and depth were integral in head coach Sean Payton's time with the Saints, and that has been challenged early in his time with Denver. The Broncos are allowing 141.1 rushing yards per game, which is the second-most in the NFL. 

Safety is also a weakness. Kareem Jackson was released after returning from his second suspension this season. Caden Sterns remains on the injured reserve. 

Browns: Offensive tackle

The Browns clinched a playoff spot with Thursday night's win, but they have suffered debilitating injuries to offensive tackles Jack Conklin, Dawand Jones and Jedrick Wills. They have been able to overcome those losses but there is no hope of those players coming back this season to save the franchise. James Hudson and Geron Christian will have to get the job done the rest of the way. 

Wide receiver Elijah Moore suffered a disturbing head injury against the Jets. His situation will be one to monitor in the coming weeks.

Chargers: Quarterback

Los Angeles has lost six of the past seven games. They fired their head coach and general manager and there is not a lot of confidence in either interim becoming the long term answer. 

Quarterback is a problem with Justin Herbert on the injured reserve. Easton Stick is now starting, but fans can not realistically expect the team to make any big moves at the position this late in the season. 

The Los Angeles defense, in general, has been underwhelming. It has added players at defensive tackle in recent offseasons, but that investment has not produced the results the franchise had hoped. Edge rusher Joey Bosa was added to injured reserve, but rookie Tuli Tuipulotu can fill some of the void. 

Cornerback is also a need. J.C. Jackson was traded back to New England after signing a lucrative contract just a few offseasons ago. Los Angeles is allowing 259.3 passing yards per game, which is the third most in the league.

Chiefs: Offensive tackle

The Chiefs are 3-5 in their last eight and their offensive tackle additions of Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor have been underwhelming. They have allowed 70 combined pressures, according to TruMedia. There are 20 NFL players with at least 36 pressures allowed, and the Chiefs' tackles are two of them. 

Wide receiver and defensive tackle play, aside from Chris Jones, have been lackluster as well. Kansas City's 29 drops is the third-most in the league. Patrick Mahomes can not trust his skill talent to run the right routes or complete a catch. 

Colts: Cornerback

Indianapolis has been fighting all season despite an injury to rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson. They are currently in position to advance to the playoffs in Shane Steichen's first season as head coach. 

Opponents have the ninth-highest passing success rate against the Colts, according to TruMedia. Three rookies (JuJu Brents, Jaylon Jones and Ameer Speed) have played a combined 1,073 defensive snaps for them this season. To no one's surprise, that level of commitment to youth has been met with ups and downs.

Dolphins: Center

Starting center Connor Williams was lost for the season. Liam Eichenberg has been able to step into any role asked of him but the team also signed Jonatthan Harrison to the active roster. 

Miami has a well-balanced roster. Most positions on the roster have a viable solution. With Jaelan Phillips on injured reserve, the Dolphins have leaned more on Andrew Van Ginkel and Emmanuel Ogbah opposite Bradley Chubb. Van Ginkel has stepped up thus far.  

Jaguars: Wide receiver 

They've had a rash of injuries to Trevor Lawrence, Christian Kirk and Walker Little, and Cam Robinson is already on the injured reserve. An AFC South race that looked like Jacksonville's to lose coming into the season has now become contentious with Houston and Indianapolis pushing. 

The interior offensive line needs to play better given the injuries at tackle. The offense has looked out of sorts when the trio of Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones and Kirk has not been available this year. 

The Jaguars are allowing 1.67 yards before contact in the run game, which is the sixth-worst rate in the league, according to TruMedia. The secondary has regressed of late and is now allowing 257.1 passing yards per game, which is the fourth-worst rate in the league. 

Jets: Offensive tackle

Left tackle Duane Brown was recently placed back on the injured reserve after fulfilling a term on the list earlier this season. Alijah Vera-Tucker is also on injured reserve. He had been playing right tackle in Week 5. When he exited, second-year offensive tackle Max Mitchell stepped into that role but rookie Carter Warren has now gotten the nod. Mekhi Becton has been flip-flopped back and forth whenever asked. He probably had another false start trying to get a jump on Myles Garrett as this was being typed.

New York is allowing pressure on 41.1% of dropbacks, which is the fifth-quickest in the NFL, according to TruMedia. General manager Joe Douglas has built a roster that has few limitations, but offensive tackle is one of them. Fans should expect the team to invest heavily into fixing the problem once the season ends; perhaps a reunion between Aaron Rodgers and David Bakhtiari.

Patriots: Pass rushers

The issues at quarterback are well documented, but a ready-made solution is not available. The offensive line has actually shown improvement lately. New England's pass rush remains an issue with Matt Judon on injured reserve. The franchise has 34 sacks on the season, and its 32.7% team pressure rate is the seventh-lowest in the NFL, according to TruMedia. They are trending upwards after Christian Barmore and Co. collapsed Denver's offensive line to the tune of five sacks last week.

With Rhamondre Stevenson headed to the injured reserve, Ezekiel Elliott moves into a primary role with Kevin Harris getting scrap touches. 

Raiders: Defensive tackle

Las Vegas has been playing with renewed spirit since interim head coach Antonio Pierce took over. Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs have been playing inspired football in the secondary. 

Las Vegas ranks in the bottom half of the league in rushing yards allowed per game this season (122.2). The defensive tackles have actually performed better in recent weeks but still get the nod in this instance. 

Ravens: Tight end

The Ravens are rounding into form right now with few weaknesses. The offense, specifically wide receiver, has shown growth over the last month, while cornerback Marlon Humphrey is back from injury for the defense. Safety Kyle Hamilton played at a high level in last week's win over San Francisco.

With Mark Andrews out for a while after an injury on Thursday night in Week 11, the tight end position was turned over to Isaiah Likely.

Baltimore's run game is just always going to produce no matter who is in the backfield. J.K. Dobbins played just 30 snaps this season and the Ravens still rank first in rushing yards per game, though Keaton Mitchell is now on the injured reserve as well. 

Steelers: Quarterback

Pittsburgh moved on from offensive coordinator Matt Canada and the team's performance has been markedly better. They have cycled through quarterbacks as Kenny Pickett deals with an ankle injury. Mason Rudolph was the latest last week. 

Pittsburgh is allowing pressure on 38.4% of its dropbacks, which ranks in the bottom half of the league, according to TruMedia. Offensive tackles Dan Moore, Broderick Jones and Chuks Okorafor are among the six-worst beaten percentages in the entire league.

Linebacker has not been an issue for the always consistent AFC franchise, but Cole Holcomb was lost to a knee injury. They now employ once highly-regarded linebackers Myles Jack and Jaylon Smith. 

The Steelers defensive line is one of the best in the league when healthy and is capable of keeping blockers off the second-level talent. Cam Heyward returned and brought accountability to that room.

Texans: Linebacker

C.J. Stroud is trending towards a return to the field in Week 17 after suffering a concussion.

Houston's defensive front has really stepped up as the season has progressed but Will Anderson Jr. has been dealing with an injury and Hassan Ridgeway is on the injured reserve. The linebacker room has been an issue even following the return of Denzel Perryman. 

The interior offensive line has also been a point of weakness. Kendrick Green, Kenyon Green, Jarrett Patterson and Scott Quessenberry are all on injured reserve. The situation became even worse this week when offensive tackle Tytus Howard was added to injured reserve. George Fant will move back into a starting role.

Titans: Safety

The play of rookie quarterback Will Levis has been up and down since he was named the starter but there is reason for optimism. With Levis hampered by an injury last week, veteran Ryan Tannehill returned to the starting lineup. It is difficult to evaluate quarterback play considering how poorly the offensive line has played. Mike Vrabel's team is allowing pressure on 41.9% of dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which is the third-worst rate in the league. 

Safety took a hit when Kevin Byard was traded to the Eagles. Tennessee's defense has just four interceptions this season, which is the fewest nationally. No other team has fewer than six.

NFC

49ers: Interior offensive line

There is not a lot of cause for concern among Kyle Shanahan's NFC contender despite last week's performance against Baltimore. If they take better care of the football, they will be just fine in the long run. 

San Francisco is giving Colton McKivitz a chance at right tackle following the departure of Mike McGlinchey in free agency. McKivitz still has a lot to prove, but it is magnified by the lack of confidence in the interior offensive line. Spencer Burford had some success as a rookie but grades out as one of PFF's worst offensive guards this season. His counterpart, Aaron Banks, has hardly been better. The offensive design does a good job of getting the defense moving in every direction, which takes some of the pressure off the offensive line.

Bears: Interior offensive line

Chicago is allowing pressure on 45.1% of the dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which is the highest rate in the league. The return of Teven Jenkins and Braxton Jones has not made the level of impact hoped yet.

The defense has looked much better with Tremaine Edmunds and Montez Sweat playing like the players in which they invested. They now have the third-fewest sacks in the NFL with 27 but are climbing.

Buccaneers: Interior offensive line

Baker Mayfield has played some of his best football to-date and Tampa Bay is on the doorstep of a playoff appearance. Tampa Bay's interior offensive line is a concern. It is averaging 89.3 rushing yards per game, which is the third lowest in the NFL. The offensive tackles have played well despite being a bit of a mystery coming into the season. Its most proven asset -- Tristan Wirfs -- has transitioned from right tackle to the left, and new right tackle -- Luke Goedeke -- played left guard last season, but has also looked solid.

Cardinals: Defensive tackle

Spin the wheel and state your case for the defensive position it lands on with the Cardinals. Their defense features a lot of names who would stump the average fan. The Cardinals need help on the interior of the defensive line, especially with Carlos Watkins and Leki Fotu on injured reserve. Arizona is applying pressure on 32.7% of opponent's dropbacks, which is the eighth-lowest rate in the league, according to TruMedia.

Cornerback is another area of need, and the offensive line has been in shambles. 

Commanders: Edge rusher

No team has been more difficult to pinpoint than Washington this season. It plays up and down each week. Trades of Montez Sweat and Chase Young set back the pass rush. The Commanders ranked in the top 10 in sack production prior to the trades. In the past four games, the team has three sacks.

Former first-round pick Jamin Davis had an up-and-down season but is now on the injured reserve. The Commanders need more depth and consistency from the linebacker group. 

Cowboys: Defensive tackle

Defensive tackle is a group that needs to play better alongside Osa Odighizuwa, but there are options on the roster. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is known to get the most out of his players, and it became even more important with the Trevon Diggs injury. In Diggs' absence, the Cowboys have turned to Jourdan Lewis and DaRon Bland alongside Stephon Gilmore. They have stepped up. Bland, in particular, is playing out of this world.

Eagles: Cornerback

It was concerning to learn that the Eagles were making a switch from Sean Desai to Matt Patricia as defensive playcaller. A change that big, this late in the season is a problem. Philadelphia has to get back on the same page over the next two games.

The NFC franchise is allowing 250.8 passing yards per game, which is the sixth worst, despite significant investment into James Bradberry and Darius Slay. According to TruMedia, they have allowed a 94.1 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks, which is the sixth worst in the league. Depth has been inhibited by injuries to Avonte Maddox and Zech McPhearson. The hope is that Kevin Byard's presence starts to constrict opposing offenses.

Falcons: Quarterback

If one were to squint, they would see that Atlanta has legitimate contributors at essentially every position. Quarterback play is holding the Falcons down. The franchise placed a lot of faith in Desmond Ridder, and he has simply not made good. Taylor Heinicke was thrown into the equation after Ridder was pulled for a concussion evaluation, and the results were hardly any better. The NFC South is very much up for grabs, but Atlanta has little time to waste.

Defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and Kentavius Street are on the injured reserve, but David Onyemata has played well. Atlanta's pass rush has been slow to get home. The Falcons are allowing opposing quarterbacks 2.7 seconds to throw, on average, according to TruMedia, which is the third worst rate in the league.

Giants: Offensive line

Quarterback is obviously a problem as the Tommy DeVito experiment is over and the franchise has moved back to veteran Tyrod Taylor. 

The vulnerability of the interior offensive line has also been on display. It really could be expanded to include an offensive line that is allowing pressure on 43.6% of dropbacks, which is the second highest rate in the NFL, according to TruMedia. Right tackle Evan Neal was added to the injured reserve this week. 

They need to create more pass-rush opportunities as well. The Giants have the second-fewest sacks (25) in the NFL. Kayvon Thibodeaux has accounted for roughly half of that total.

Lions: Cornerback

Detroit addressed the position during free agency, but that group has a lower ceiling than most other teams. According to TruMedia, the Lions have allowed a 91.9 opposing quarterback rating, which ranks in the bottom half of the league. Emmanuel Moseley and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson have been on injured reserve for quite some time. The good news is that Gardner-Johnson is inching closer to a return to the field.

The team also added defensive tackle Alim McNeill to the injured reserve last week, which creates a gaping void at the heart of the defense. Levi Onwuzurike and Benito Jones are next men up.

Packers: Tight end

The Packers looked to be on pace for a playoff berth but ran out of gas. 

With Luke Musgrave on injured reserve, Green Bay does not have a lot of proven production from the tight ends on its roster. Tucker Kraft, Josiah Deguara and Ben Sims have contributed 33 catches. The cornerback room, led by veteran Jaire Alexander, needs to play up to their standards. The interior offensive line has also not been good. 

Panthers: Offensive line

The offensive line has done No. 1 overall selection Bryce Young zero favors. Carolina has allowed pressure on 40.5% of dropbacks, according to TruMedia, which is the sixth most in the league. Wide receiver, outside of Adam Thielen, has also been a problem. 

The Panthers also rank dead last in sack production (21). The team's 29.7% pressure rate is the league's worst, according to TruMedia.

Rams: Offensive line

The offensive line is still an issue despite investing resources into the unit this offseason. Right tackle Rob Havenstein has been getting better each week. However, he is one of three Rams with at least 300 pass-blocking snaps who rank among the top-20 highest-beaten rates in the league, according to TruMedia.

Cornerback has been underwhelming in the absence of Jalen Ramsey. They had a lot of blind faith in a young group of cornerbacks, and that faith has not been rewarded.

Saints: Offensive guard

The offensive line needs to perform at a higher level considering they've used top-50 draft choices on each of the five starters. Through 15 games, the offensive line has allowed 2.39 seconds before pressure arrives, according to TruMedia; only five teams are allowing pressure quicker. 

With Michael Thomas on the injured reserve, there is a bigger opportunity for players like A.T. Perry and Rashid Shaheed at wide receiver. With Marshon Lattimore on injured reserve, Isaac Yiadom and Paulson Adebo will be leaned on heavily. 

Seahawks: Interior offensive line

General manager John Schneider has found several long-term contributors over the past two years, including bookend tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas. Offensive guard is the biggest need for that team. The Seahawks could use a starter and most certainly need accountable depth. According to TruMedia, Seattle is allowing pressure on 38.6% of drop backs this season, which is the 10th worst in the league. 

The Seahawks will go as far as Geno Smith takes them, however.

Vikings: Edge rusher

Danielle Hunter has been good this season, but Marcus Davenport and D.J. Wonnum are on the injured reserve. Minnesota is applying pressure on 31.5% of opponent's dropbacks this season, which is the third-lowest rate in the NFL, according to TruMedia. Brian Flores' defensive design is a reason for that number, though. His team either sends everyone or drops everyone on every play; there is hardly an in-between. 

On the year, Minnesota is credited with 31 drops, which is the second most by any franchise this season, according to TruMedia. The injury to tight end T.J. Hockenson leaves Minnesota with Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt at the position. Minnesota is currently outside of playoff position. Could they be a team interested in veteran Zach Ertz as they try to make a push for the postseason?