The beginning of every NFL season is largely about understanding strengths and weaknesses. But as the seventh week of the 2022 campaign nears, the next phase has arrived.

It's time to chase the playoffs—or build toward next season.

When looking at their team's shortcomings, a front office has to determine what positions and trends have been hurting its roster and still need a solution. While rebuild candidates may elect to focus on the future, playoff hopefuls might sign a free agent or make a trade before the looming Nov. 1 deadline to address that issue.

Our focus is identifying one of those most impactful question marks for all 32 teams around the league.

Arizona Cardinals

Question: Where is the danger?

During the offseason, Arizona extended the contract of head coach Kliff Kingsbury through 2027 and invested $160 million of guaranteed money in quarterback Kyler Murray.

But, uh, that's not working out wonderfully right now.

That isn't to suggest the Cardinals won't figure it out. However, they've tumbled to 2-4 with an offense averaging a league-worst 5.8 yards per pass attempt.

Star wideout DeAndre Hopkins has returned this week from his six-game suspension, but he can't be the sole solution. New addition Robbie Anderson might not be any more effective than Marquise Brown, who's expected to miss approximately six weeks with a broken foot.

Arizona isn't out of the playoff race, but that window of opportunity is closing quickly.

Atlanta Falcons

Question: Where is Kyle Pitts?

As a rookie, Kyle Pitts immediately became the Falcons' most important pass-catcher. He attracted a team-high 110 targets, pacing Atlanta in both receptions (66) and yards (1,026).

Though the Falcons used a 2022 first-round draft choice on USC's Drake London, the wideout was supposed to benefit Pitts. He'd no longer be the only feared option on the field, and a bolstered receiving corps meant Atlanta could have a more effective passing game.

That was the on-paper hope, at least.

Instead, Pitts has mustered two or fewer catches in three of his five appearances. He snared a touchdown in Week 6—and that's meaningful, for sure—but finished with three receptions for 19 yards. For the season, he's managed 13 catches for 169 yards and that one touchdown.

While the Falcons have surpassed expectations at 3-3, long-term plans undoubtedly include Pitts in a prominent role again.

Baltimore Ravens

Question: Can this secondary hold up?

Last season, the Ravens were simply bad against the pass. They surrendered NFL-worst marks of 7.2 net yards per attempt and 4,742 total yards, intercepting only nine passes all year.

Baltimore tried to address that weakness in the offseason. After landing safety Marcus Williams in free agency, the Ravens drafted safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerbacks Jalyn Armour-Davis and Damarion Williams. Later, they signed veteran corner Kyle Fuller.

Following a rough start—the Miami Dolphins tossed six scores in their stunning win—the secondary has improved.

Granted, it was hard to get worse. Still, ceding a combined 430 passing yards to Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, even as dreary weather aided the Ravens in that clash with the Buffalo Bills, is reasonably encouraging. Despite the loss to the New York Giants, Baltimore held Daniel Jones to 6.4 yards per attempt and tallied four sacks.

Skepticism, nonetheless, is a proper outlook for this secondary.

Buffalo Bills

Question: Will a running game ever appear?

When an offense has an aerial attack this powerful, "establishing the run" is overrated. Josh Allen can pick apart any defense through the air.

Now, before we dive too deep, realize we understand the Bills seemingly have few weaknesses.

At the same time, it sure wouldn't hurt Buffalo to have a semblance of a running game. Allen is a legitimate mobile threat with 257 yards and two touchdowns, but the strong-armed quarterback only has Devin Singletary (256 yards) as a meaningful counterpart.

Zack Moss has rapidly fallen out of favor with the staff, seeing his role decline sharply this season. James Cook is a rookie who's primarily played in garbage time.

With or without a rushing attack, the Bills are capable of winning the Super Bowl. Allen will not-so-simply be tasked with shouldering a heavier burden in key moments.

Carolina Panthers

Question: Who's the quarterback?

Entering the season, the Panthers knew the QB situation was a problem. They'll be finishing 2022 the same way, barring a miraculous rise that no reasonable person is expecting.

Baker Mayfield was a worthwhile gamble. While costing only a conditional late-round draft pick, he took a slight pay cut—and the Cleveland Browns paid a majority of his salary anyway. Carolina knew Sam Darnold wasn't the answer, and rookie Matt Corral ended up hurt anyway.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, Mayfield has been objectively awful even before his ankle injury. The offense's poor performance also served as the final straw for Matt Rhule's unsuccessful tenure.

The best-case scenario would be to take an early look at Corral, but an ankle injury will sideline him in 2022. Instead, the Panthers may be shuffling through QBs—both P.J. Walker and Jacob Eason played in the recent loss—for the rest of the season.

And they're very likely not going to find an answer this year.

Chicago Bears

Question: How is Justin Fields progressing?

Chicago is attempting to ride the delicate line of tearing down the roster and not stunting Justin Fields' development.

The earliest signs are disheartening, however.

Now dealing with a shoulder injury, Fields has spent the season under constant pressure. If the Bears offensive line isn't the worst in the NFL, it's not far from that. Meanwhile, the receiving corps, especially since Darnell Mooney hasn't had a breakout year as hoped, is uninspiring.

Fields is not immune to criticism. But it's tough to evaluate the second-year QB when his supporting cast has been so ineffective.

Cincinnati Bengals

Question: Is the offensive line bad again?

"I thought they fixed this!"

Bengals fans, if you've exasperatedly yelled some form of that statement, you're not alone. Cincinnati poured tens of millions of dollars into Alex Cappa, La'el Collins and Ted Karras to upgrade a problematic unit, yet the investment hasn't yielded what the Bengals hoped to see in 2022.

Last year, they surrendered 74 sacks in 21 total games for an average of 3.5 per contest. This season, after all that spending, that number hasn't budged with Joe Burrow getting tagged for 21 sacks amid a 3-3 start.

Cincinnati overcame that problem to reach the Super Bowl last season, but the story is different. Burrow has dropped from an NFL-best 8.9 yards per attempt to 11th at a 7.1-yard average.

Time is on the Bengals' side. Patience, on the other hand, has to become thin eventually.

Cleveland Browns

Question: Can the Browns finish games?

This is one of those moments when you'd be asked whether you first want the good news or bad news.

Through five weeks, the Browns entered the fourth quarter with a lead in every game. Only the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers had accomplished the same thing.

Philadelphia was 5-0. San Francisco was 3-2. Cleveland was 2-3.

Most notably, the New York Jets pulled off a shocking 13-point comeback during the last two minutes of the game. Plus, even in one of those victories, the Browns squandered a nine-point lead to Carolina before stealing a last-second win.

Cleveland, despite a first blowout loss in Week 6, is largely a competitive team. Falling apart in the fourth quarter is not a trademark of a real playoff contender, though.

Dallas Cowboys

Question: When should Tony Pollard's role increase?

Since you probably know the discussion is about Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott, there's no reason to hide the names.

But you have one player, Pollard, who's notched 5.3 yards per carry and 5.8 yards per touch yet only averages 10.7 chances per game. On the other hand, you have Elliott at 4.1 yards and 4.2 yards, respectively. He's been given 16.7 attempts each week.

The number speak for themselves, right?

Additionally, this is a continuation of a trend. Pollard registered 6.2 yards per touch compared to 4.5 for Zeke last season and even 4.9 to 4.4 in the previous year.

Elliott still has value. Maybe not $18.2 million worth, but he's a decent contributor. However, he is also no longer the dynamic player he used to be—and the one Pollard is more of today.

Denver Broncos

Question: Wait, is Russell Wilson a problem?

Russell Wilson threw for 340 yards in the opener—a surprising loss to his former team. Odd situation, sure, but it was an emotional game while playing in a new offense with a new franchise. That's forgivable, at least.

Then, however, he went 14-for-31 in an ugly victory over the hapless Houston Texans. After he threw for 184 yards against a tough San Francisco 49ers defense, the Broncos fell to the winless Las Vegas Raiders. Wilson then tossed a decisive interception in an absolutely disgusting loss to the Indianapolis Colts and threw for 15 yards during the second half of a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

In short: What the heck is happening?

Wilson has a decade of good/great performances on his resume. Even without Tim Patrick, the 2-4 Broncos have plenty of pass-catching options. The offensive line is struggling, but that's nothing new in Wilson's world.

Although it's probably too soon to bail on Wilson, the beginning of his Denver tenure has been miserable.

Detroit Lions

Question: Will the defense stop anyone?

In 2018, the Lions ranked 16th in the league with 22.5 points allowed per game. Their actual performance was worse, but the scoring rate was average.

What the fans wouldn't give for "average" right now.

Starting in 2019, the Lions have ranked 26th, 32nd and 31st in the category. This year, they're bringing up the rear at 32nd and flirting with all-time, uh, badness.

The single-season record for points allowed is 533, and Detroit is on pace to surrender 578. Sure, that's a product of a 17-game season. The mark for points allowed per game is 35.8, and the Lions are at 34.0.

In the words of a long-devoted, long-struggling Detroit-fan friend, "same old, sorry [butt] Lions."

Green Bay Packers

Question: Do they have the receivers for a playoff run?

Look, you and I aren't the smartest people in the room. If building a roster was so easy, we'd be receiving calls from NFL teams once we make a few smart connections.

This one seemed so obvious, though.

All offseason, Packers fans could not avoid the chorus of local and national media scrutinizing the receiver depth. Shoot, I was part of that joyful noise. Were they really planning to enter the season with oft-injured Sammy Watkins and a cast of rookies to replace the production of Davante Adams and—to a lesser extent—Marquez Valdes-Scantling?

Sometimes, a bold decision works out. It's probably not wise to completely count out Aaron Rodgers considering the late-season winning streaks he's produced in the past.

But as Rodgers has trudged to a measly 6.7 yards per attempt—tied for the worst mark of his career as a starter—the most glaring offseason need remains that way today. Green Bay should certainly be looking at the trade market for any upgrade available.

Houston Texans

Question: Is Davis Mills the long-term QB?

In the thick of a rebuild, roster evaluation is especially difficult. Can these players be productive despite the circumstances, could they contribute on an improved team or are they simply not a long-term option?

Quarterback, without question, is the most challenging one. If both the offensive line and receiving corps are mediocre, what's the proper level of progress you need to see?

That's the long version of saying we're trying to give Davis Mills a fair amount of patience. Houston is not built to win much in 2022, and that's not his fault.

On the other hand, he's hardly elevated the offense. After managing 6.8 yards per attempt last season, Mills has dipped to 6.3 this season. He tossed two crushing interceptions—one in the end zone, another late in the fourth quarter—during a frustrating loss to the Bears.

Mills should be the starter for the remainder of 2022. Find out what you have, Houston.

But the Texans also need to see some level of improvement.

Indianapolis Colts

Question: How much can the offense improve?

No team in the NFL had scored fewer points than the Colts through five weeks. That's really all you need to know.

Indianapolis needed a 17-point fourth quarter comeback to even tie the Texans. Then, the Jacksonville Jaguars shut out the Colts who—by nothing short of a miracle—turned around and edged the Kansas City Chiefs. Indianapolis fell to the Tennessee Titans before pulling out a miserable Thursday win against the Broncos.

The optimist will point to Matt Ryan and Co. exploding for 34 points to beat Jacksonville in Week 6. The pessimist will remind you that, well, it's still the Jags.

The AFC South is rough enough that the Colts may steal a division title anyway. Unless the offense builds on the Week 6 surge, though, anything more than an immediate playoff exit would be shocking.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Question: How often will both units show up?

As the Jaguars are working to turn the corner on yet another rebuild, teamwide consistency is a major part of that effort.

The problem is they're still falling short.

Jacksonville's best moments are stellar. In consecutive weeks, the Jags blanked the Colts and rolled to a 38-10 victory over the ailing Los Angeles Chargers. They even jumped ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles before the NFL's hottest team engineered an unsurprising comeback.

Though the defense played well in a 13-6 loss to the struggling Texans, the offense could not finish drives. The next week, Jacksonville scored 27 but the defense ceded 34 points to a Colts offense that had been dreadful.

This narrative is all-too-familiar for the franchise. Will first-year coach Doug Pederson change the feeling at some point in 2022?

Kansas City Chiefs

Question: Is the defense good enough?

Look, the offense isn't without concerns. The running game is hardly a threat, and the passing game hasn't yet replaced the gravity of Tyreek Hill creating space vertically.

The opposite side of the ball is a problem, though.

Steve Spagnuolo is an aggressive coordinator, and Kansas City often uses pressure in attempt to mask its issues. There are many examples of his philosophy working, too. But if the Chiefs aren't successfully creating havoc that way, they're pretty much stuck.

The result is a secondary that has allowed the sixth-most passing yards per game (266.0) and a staggering 15 touchdowns to just one interception. Plus, the D-line lacks a consistent disruptor beyond Chris Jones.

Kansas City should be headed to the postseason again, but there is reasonable doubt surrounding this defense without an impactful addition or two.

Las Vegas Raiders

Question: Can they stop being "close" to wins?

Easily the most frustrating piece of the Raiders' season to date is the point differential. Through five games, the team has surrendered only five points more than it has scored.

Yet, the Raiders are 1-4.

Las Vegas could not capitalize on a potential go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter and lost to the Chargers 24-19. Arizona pulled off a remarkable 20-point comeback to beat the Raiders, who roared back from a 14-point deficit at Tennessee but missed a tying two-point conversion.

After beating the Broncos, the Raiders somehow managed to combined all three of those negatives into one game. On the road at Kansas City, they squandered a 13-point lead, missed a possible go-ahead two-point conversion and stalled on a last-minute drive.

Close is good. But a season full of "close" losses would basically be a kinder way of saying they missed the playoffs.

Los Angeles Chargers

Question: How much will injuries impact the season?

The good news is the Chargers, despite all of their setbacks, still hold a 4-2 record. Everything from an AFC West title to a Super Bowl run remains in play.

Still, could the injury report chill out?

Star quarterback Justin Herbert (ribs) has a nagging ailment. Wide receiver Keenan Allen (hamstring) has missed five games. Edge-rusher Joey Bosa (groin) is currently on injured reserve. Left tackle Rashawn Slater (biceps) and wideout Jalen Guyton (knee) are done for the season. Key cornerback J.C. Jackson sat a couple of games earlier this year.

As if that's not enough, Dustin Hopkins kicked four field goals despite hurting his hamstring in Week 6.

Los Angeles must be desperate to hear any positive news on the injury front.

Los Angeles Rams

Question: Will the offense shake its slump?

The title-defense season is not going as hoped for Los Angeles.

Matthew Stafford has mustered only 7.0 yards per pass attempt, which is his second-worst mark of the past decade. Last season, he tossed 17 interceptions and took 30 sacks. Already in six games, he's thrown eight picks. Los Angeles has given up 22 sacks, the second-most in the NFL.

Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3.1) have mustered fewer yards per carry than the Rams (3.4), and Los Angeles is a near-unconscionable 25th in points per game (17.3) after finishing seventh (27.1) last season.

You get the picture. It's been really bad.

The saving grace is the Rams are playing in a mediocre NFC West, so dreams of a repeat championship aren't totally fading. Simultaneously, though, they're not inspiring much confidence.

By the way, Odell Beckham Jr. is on Line 1.

Miami Dolphins

Question: Can the defense be trusted?

Tua Tagovailoa's health is a key component of the Dolphins' season. His return from a concussion will shift the offense into a brighter spotlight.

As that happens, though, it's the proper moment to question what Miami has—and has not—done defensively.

Although the Fins clipped both Baltimore and Buffalo, those two opponents combined for 970 yards. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow then picked apart the secondary for 287 yards, and the Jets rushed for five touchdowns. Miami largely played well against the Minnesota Vikings, but two major breakdowns led to 14 critical points in that loss.

In theory, a healthy Tagovailoa means the defense has a greater margin for error. But the unit simply must be more reliable for the Dolphins to remain a postseason hopeful.

Minnesota Vikings

Question: Will they do more than survive?

Since a season-opening win over the rival Packers, the Vikings have meandered to a mildly encouraging 5-1 record.

The one-phrase description of practically the entire team is "hasn't been great, but hasn't been bad, either."

Kirk Cousins is slightly more aggressive than usual, but he remains a game manager more than anything. The running game and offensive lines are just decent. The receiving corps is still inconsistent behind Justin Jefferson. The defense is fine, but it's not immune to frustrating days. Minnesota trailed each of the Lions, New Orleans Saints and Bears in the fourth quarter.

Without question, the Vikings are in a more preferable position than 90 percent of the league. Yet if fans aren't overwhelmingly confident, there's plenty of justification for that, too.

New England Patriots

Question: Can they stick in the playoff race?

Despite a string of bad injury luck—one that's fostered the rise of rookie QB Bailey Zappe—the Patriots are 3-3. Their rest-of-season outlook is fascinating.

While the season is young, New England has a trend developing. The team is 3-0 against sub-.500 teams but 0-3 against teams with a .500 winning percentage or better. Is that a product of small sample sizes, or is that an accurate reflection of the Pats?

That difference is notable because no AFC team has a tougher remaining strength of schedule.

Entering the season, the Patriots were a borderline playoff contender. That perception hasn't changed. But with a few victories over postseason hopefuls, it certainly can.

New Orleans Saints

Question: Where is last season's defense?

Although the Saints narrowly missed a playoff bid in 2021, the defense put them on the brink of the postseason. The unit surrendered just 19.7 points per game, the fourth-lowest average in the NFL.

So, uh, about that...

Through six weeks, New Orleans has given up 26.3 per game, which is an unsightly 28th in the league. Every opponent has reached the 20-point mark, and the past two opponents have hit 30. This is quickly becoming a "bad to worse" type of situation for the Saints.

Yes, a few turnovers have contributed to easy scores, but the rate of opponent points off turnovers is nothing out of the ordinary. New Orleans simply isn't playing well enough defensively right now.

New York Giants

Question: How much success should be attributed to Daniel Jones?

Heading into the 2022 season, the team's evaluation of fourth-year quarterback Daniel Jones was clear. After all, the front office declined the $22.4 million option that would've tied him to the Giants in 2023.

The incredible news, considering New York's low preseason expectations, is the Giants are 5-1. Along the way, Jones has been credited with leading four game-winning drives.

That all looks great, but let's explore those possessions.

Jones accounted for 28 of the 130 combined yards on the drives at Tennessee and Carolina. Saquon Barkley turned a three-yard crossing route into a 41-yard reception on the 60-yard go-ahead drive against Green Bay. An interception put the Giants on the doorstep to beat Baltimore, and a pass interference bailed out a horrible pick from Jones.

You might feel that's unnecessarily harsh, merely picking on a player to confirm a bias. It's also clear that everyone else—especially Barkley—on the Giants is doing most of the heavy lifting.

If it works, it works! But how much do you pay a QB for that?

New York Jets

Question: What is the offense's ceiling with Zach Wilson?

Similar to their MetLife Stadium counterparts, the Jets have a fascinating QB conundrum.

Zach Wilson, who sat three games because of a knee injury, has started for three straight wins. He's posted a 42-of-75 line for 572 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, adding one score each as a runner and receiver.

Winning is the goal, and the Jets are doing that. It'd also be preferable to see a better connection with key targets.

Corey Davis has provided nine receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown since Wilson's return. But otherwise, Garrett Wilson (6/76/0), Elijah Moore (4/64/0) and Tyler Conklin (4/68/0) have hardly contributed.

Although the Jets are 4-2, the early success would feel more sustainable if most of the playmakers were involved.

Philadelphia Eagles

Question: Can the third phase keep up?

Jalen Hurst is leading a dynamic, productive scoring attack. Philadelphia has ceded only 17.5 points per game. Both the offense and defense are thriving for the 6-0 Eagles.

As for specials teams, well, not so much.

Minnesota blocked a field goal, and Jake Elliott missed an extra point against Jacksonville. Arryn Sippos is 25th in the NFL at 40.3 net yards per punt. Philadelphia ranks 23rd in yards per punt return and 32nd in yards per kick return, and the kick-coverage unit is 26th in yards allowed per return.

Raw numbers don't tell a complete story, but the takeaway is clear: Philly has room to improve on special teams.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Question: When will the offense be threatening?

Based solely on this past Sunday's result, the timing of this question is flawed. Hey, the Steelers just beat Tom Brady and the Bucs!

That surprising win, however, doubled as the first moderately positive day for Pittsburgh's offense.

At this moment, the unit's 4.8 yards per play is tied for the lowest average in the NFL. Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett have combined for 6.2 yards per pass attempt, the league's second-worst mark. Pittsburgh is 28th in yards per carry and 30th in points per game.

Defense will usually keep the Steelers competitive, but the offense needs a jolt for Pittsburgh to win more often.

San Francisco 49ers

Question: Will the defense have to carry the team?

Heading into the season, we knew defense would be the strength of this roster regardless of whether Trey Lance or Jimmy Garoppolo was lining up under center.

San Francisco has once again put a dominant defense on the field. The Niners, which have held six opponents to a league-low 3.3 yards per snap, rank second in the NFL with 14.8 points allowed per game.

Yet, the 49ers are 3-3.

During the losses, San Francisco's offense largely hasn't held up its end of the bargain. The Niners scored just 10 points in a rain-soaked letdown in Chicago and were again limited to 10 points against Denver. Against Atlanta—the lone opponent to surpass the 20-point barrier against this tremendous defense—Garoppolo and the offense only scrounged up 14 points.

San Francisco has good pieces with Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and others, but Garoppolo and the offense must become a larger part of the Niners' success.

Seattle Seahawks

Question: Is this sustainable?

Seattle has jumped out to an interesting 3-3 start.

At this moment, the Seahawks have played the easiest schedule in the league. Despite that favorable slate, they've also registered the second-lowest mark (-6.1) on the Simple Rating System via Pro Football Reference. That combination suggests a decline may on the horizon.

That belief is easy to justify, too. Seattle ranks 29th in points allowed per game (27.2), basically only putting together one solid game defensively in six tries.

On the other hand, the Geno Smith-led offense is surprisingly fun and legitimately explosive. The Seahawks hold top-12 rankings in both passing gains of 25-plus yards and runs of 10-plus yards.

We're not saying Seattle is a big-time contender, but the Seahawks are a fascinating team to monitor.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Question: Is the offense broken?

Point to any part of the offense, and there's no doubt the Bucs are searching for answers.

Tom Brady looks decidedly un-Brady-like. The running game is objectively miserable, and that's not in the least part because the offensive line is the same. The receiving corps has dealt with injury setbacks and recoveries, but this group of big-name players isn't producing at that level.

The result is a 3-3 start that could be considerably worse if not for Tampa's superb defense.

Although the Bucs' remaining schedule is favorable, they might be headed for a fair number of ugly wins. At worst, they should be scouring the market for upgrades on the line.

Tennessee Titans

Question: Will the passing game improve?

Once the Titans dealt A.J. Brown to Philly, they shifted a reasonable concern to a major liability.

Tennessee put extra pressure on a declining Ryan Tannehill to carry an offense now lacking a lead wideout. Robert Woods is a nice complement, but he's not a No. 1. Treylon Burks is a promising talent, but expecting a rookie wideout to propel a receiving corps is always risky. He's injured now anyway and won't return for several weeks.

Sure, you could say Tennessee needs to lean on star running back Derrick Henry. However, his efficiency has tumbled from 5.4 yards per carry in 2020 to 4.3 last season to a career-low 3.9 behind a shaky offensive line that is without longtime left tackle Taylor Lewan.

As with the Colts, the Titans have a chance to emerge from a bad division. As of now, that's probably the ceiling.

Washington Commanders

Question: What's next at QB?

One way or another, this topic would've found a way to Carson Wentz and Washington's QB situation.

Through six games, the Commanders are just 2-4. He's taken a league-high 23 sacks and tossed six interceptions at the second-highest rate (2.6) of his career. Short of some remarkable surge when he returns following finger surgery, Washington likely won't re-sign him this offseason.

Taylor Heinicke, who started 15 games in 2021, will replace Wentz. Given that the Commanders essentially watched him play for a whole season and added Wentz anyway, Heinicke has a high bar to clear for the front office to consider him as a long-term option.

Washington is desperate for clarity at the position, and 2022 isn't likely to provide a new answer.