Wild Card Weekend is over. While six NFL teams have punched their tickets to the divisional round, another six are headed into the offseason looking for ways to improve in 2025.

The Los Angeles Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Minnesota Vikings made the playoffs, which is more than 18 other teams can say. That's of little consolation with their seasons now over, though.

Falling short is never easy, and each of these teams has work ahead of it to go further next season.

Let's take a look at what went wrong for the wild-card losers over the last two days and the biggest weaknesses that must be addressed in the coming months.

Los Angeles Chargers: A Lack of Playmaking Receivers

Projected 2025 Cap Space: $78 Million

Not much went right for the Chargers against the Houston Texans on Saturday. L.A.'s defense, which ranked 11th overall in the regular season, coughed up 429 total yards. The offense stalled repeatedly, and quarterback Justin Herbert threw four interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

A cleaner performance from Herbert might not have changed the outcome, as Houston appeared to be better prepared and executed more efficiently in all phases.

"They were the better team today," Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters after the game.

However, cleaner quarterback play and more punch in the passing game wouldn't have hurt. The reality is that the Chargers' receiving corps isn't talented or deep enough to make L.A. a serious contender, and it was an obvious issue throughout the season.

Rookie Ladd McConkey was phenomenal in 2024, but he was the only Chargers player to top 750 receiving yards on the season. Quentin Johnston ranked second with 711 receiving yards, but he battled drops and sometimes disappeared for entire games.

On Saturday, the Texans clamped down on J.K. Dobbins and the ground game, forced Herbert to beat them through the air and sent the Chargers home with a 32-12 loss. McConkey finished with 197 receiving yards. No other Chargers player had more than 16.

Simply put, Herbert doesn't have a reliable go-to receiver aside from McConkey. That needs to change this offseason.

General manager Joe Horitz should have the financial flexibility to chase a top receiver like Tee Higgins or Chris Godwin in free agency. He could also consider taking a receiver early in April's draft. The Bleacher Report Scouting Department paired L.A. with Mississippi receiver Tre Harris in its post-regular season mock draft.

The Chargers know they have a good coach in Harbaugh and a quarterback who can be special in Herbert. If Los Angeles keeps playing solid defense and adds an improved receiving corps to the mix, it could be a bigger AFC threat next season.

Pittsburgh Steelers: A Lack of Identity

Projected 2025 Cap Space: $55.2 Million

What can Pittsburgh hang its proverbial hat on? That's the question after Saturday's 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and a miserable final month of the regular season.

The Steelers experienced another non-losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin and made the playoffs for the second straight year. However, they lost the final four games of the regular season and lost all of them fairly convincingly.

In its last five games (including playoffs), Pittsburgh didn't seem to do any one thing particularly well.

A defense that played extremely well early in the year—and still finished 12th overall—failed to take over games. The Steelers' lack of a consistent running game (25th in yards per carry) put far too much pressure on quarterback Russell Wilson. And with a lack of quality receiver depth, Wilson was incapable of carrying the offense.

From a roster standpoint, general manager Omar Khan faces several challenges. He needs to figure out if Wilson is worth re-signing and at what cost. He needs to find a starting running back who operates more efficiently than Najee Harris (4.0 yards per carry), along with receivers who can complement George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth.

Defensively, the Steelers could use help at cornerback and along the defensive line.

Overall, though, the Steelers need to decide what sort of team they wish to be and build their roster accordingly. If Pittsburgh wants to win with defense and a strong running game, it needs to invest in those areas. The B/R Scouting Department had Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going to Pittsburgh in its latest mock draft.

If the Steelers want to field a dynamic offense like that of Baltimore, the Buffalo Bills or Cincinnati Bengals, they need to target playmakers like Jeanty and Tee Higgins. They'll also need to find an upgrade over Wilson, who was a serviceable game-manager this season but little else.

Right now, the Steelers don't seem to know what they do well. That caused them to look like one of the league's worst teams since early December. Until they figure that out, they can't be contenders.

Denver Broncos: An Unreliable Running Game

Projected 2025 Cap Space: $58.4 Million

The Broncos should feel good about their 2024 season, even if it ended with a 31-7 loss in Buffalo. Head coach Sean Payton only needed two seasons to make Denver a playoff team, and he did it with a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix.

Nix showed tremendous growth throughout the season, and the Broncos uncovered some capable pass-catchers in Devaughn Vele and Marvin Mims Jr., who complemented Courtland Sutton well. Pairing a good passing attack with a defense ranked seventh overall and third in points allowed was enough to get Denver into the postseason.

Unfortunately, the Broncos were never a complete team because they struggled to run the ball consistently on the ground. They ranked 21st in yards per carry and didn't have a single running back establish himself as a difference-maker.

Javonte Williams led the team with 513 rushing yards but averaged only 3.7 yards per carry.

Against the Bills, Denver's inability to run effectively—Nix had 43 of the team's 79 rushing yards—put extra pressure on the rookie QB. That made it difficult to sustain drives and led to a huge discrepancy in time of possession (41:43 against 18:17).

The good news for Denver is that it shouldn't be difficult to upgrade the backfield during the offseason. The Broncos have the cap space needed to target a free agent like Aaron Jones or Rico Dowdle. It also might be able to land a playmaker like North Carolina's Omarion Hampton early in the draft.

"Omarion Hampton is a talented and versatile offensive player," Dame Parson of the B/R Scouting Department wrote in Hampton's scouting report. "He makes his impact felt as a receiver and runner."

The Broncos could afford to add another receiver or an explosive pass-catching tight end in the offseason. However, adding more talent to the backfield might be the quickest way to get more growth out of Nix and another jump by the Broncos.

Green Bay Packers: Inconsistent Quarterback Play

Projected 2025 Cap Space: $63.4 Million

Quarterback Jordan Love led the Packers to a playoff win last year and earned a massive $220 million extension in the offseason. It's easy to forget that the 26-year-old is still a fairly inexperienced quarterback, though fans were reminded of that during Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Love (20-of-33 for 212 yards) threw three interceptions, which helped turn a competitive game into a double-digit loss. He had some errant throws during the game and occasionally seemed to not spot a defender before uncorking his pass.

Love's mistakes were compounded by the fact that Green Bay was missing its top receivers. Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL in Week 18, Romeo Doubs left Sunday's game for a concussion evaluation, and Jayden Reed exited with a shoulder injury.

Having a healthy roster in 2025 will help, but the Packers must get more consistent play out of Love to be title contenders. He hadn't thrown an interception in his previous seven games but threw 11 in his first eight. While he limited turnovers late in the season, he also failed to reach 250 passing yards in any of his final four full regular-season games and had only five touchdown passes in that span.

Love has also now thrown multiple interceptions in back-to-back playoff games.

The Packers got themselves an elite running back in Josh Jacobs last offseason and have a defense that finished the regular season ranked fifth overall and sixth in points allowed. They also have an offensive line that was ranked sixth in the league by Pro Football Focus, although Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers both exited with injuries on Sunday.

The pieces are in place for Green Bay to be a perennial contender if it can get steadier play out of Love.

Ball security and decision-making must be points of emphasis for head coach Matt LaFleur. It wouldn't hurt to improve the receiving corps, either.

While the Packers' receiver group has functioned well as a unit, it lacks a true go-to option. Reed led the team with 857 receiving yards but also dropped 12 percent of his targets, according to Pro Football Reference.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Poor Pass Defense

Projected 2025 Cap Space: $21.9 Million

The Buccaneers navigated some key injuries during the season and still managed to win their fourth straight NFC South title. However, they regularly needed their offense to overcome a defense that ranked 29th in passing yards allowed.

In Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Washington Commanders, Tampa's pass defense was a problem again. Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns and had several clutch throws down the stretch. Perhaps his biggest was a fourth-down touchdown strike to Terry McLaurin.

It's worth noting that Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean was ruled out with a knee injury while fellow corner Zyon McCollum left the game for a concussion evaluation. However, Tampa's pass defense was a liability even when the secondary was healthy.

Tampa's need for more cornerback help is obvious, but the Bucs also need edge-rushing aid in a big way. The defense generated 46 sacks in the regular season but relied heavily on the blitz. Defensive linemen Calijah Kancey and Vita Vea were the only players to reach seven sacks, while linebacker Lavonte David—who is not a true edge-rusher—and defensive lineman Logan Hall were next with 5.5 sacks apiece.

Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans, Bucky Irving and Cade Otton lead a potent offense (third overall, fourth in scoring), but the Bucs need to improve their defense to become real title contenders.

General manager Jason Licht should target a high-level cornerback like D.J. Reed or Charvarius Ward in free agency and add a capable edge-rusher, possibly in the draft. Re-signing David and adding another coverage linebacker should also be high on the Buccaneers' offseason to-do list.

The Bleacher Report Scouting Department paired Tampa with Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker, in its post-regular season mock draft.

"The opportunity to invest a first-round pick on a defender who has experience as an off-ball linebacker and on the edge like Walker does makes a lot of sense," Matt Holder of the B/R Scouting Department said.

If the Bucs can improve those areas and keep safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jordan Whitehead healthy—they both missed time in the regular season—they may finally have a complete team in 2025.

Minnesota Vikings: Poor Pass Blocking

Projected 2025 Cap Space: $73.3 Million

After losing both their regular-season finale and Monday's wild-card game in convincing fashion, it's clear that the Vikings have a few issues to address.

Minnesota's 28th-ranked pass defense was an issue all season, and the Vikings could potentially lose the majority of the starters in their secondary in free agency. Minnesota also faces some serious questions at quarterback.

Sam Darnold played at a Pro Bowl level for most of 2024, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on January 2 that a "slight majority" of league executives believe that Darnold will return on a new contract or via the franchise tag.

However, Darnold's lack of pocket awareness and tendency to hold onto the ball caused significant problems in the Vikings' last two losses. If he isn't back, Minnesota will turn the page to J.J. McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season following knee surgery.

Regardless of who is behind center next season, the Vikings need to upgrade their offensive line. It wasn't a strong pass-blocking unit in 2024, and that fact was exploited by the Detroit Lions in Week 18 and by the Los Angeles Rams on Monday with heavy blitz packages.

While Minnesota lost starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw to a season-ending knee injury in Week 8, that was only part of the issue. The Vikings found a respectable replacement in trade acquisition Cam Robinson, and there were other weak links.

Center Garrett Bradbury allowed four sacks, according to Pro Football Focus, while guard Blake Brandel allowed seven. Pro Football Focus ranked Minnesota's line, as a unit, 18th overall and 27th in pass-blocking efficiency at the end of the season.

Whether the Vikings hope to get more out of Darnold or to develop McCarthy into a franchise quarterback, they need a better pass-blocking unit. Getting Darrisaw back should help, but Minnesota must also boost its offensive interior.

Minnesota may consider free-agent centers like Drew Dalman and Ryan Kelly, and they must find at least one high-level guard—Risner will be a free agent. The B/R Scouting Department paired Minnesota with Georgia interior lineman Tate Ratledge in its post-regular season mock.

The Vikings will need to reload their secondary, but they can't hope to field a championship-caliber offense without an improved line, regardless of who is playing quarterback.

*Cap information via Spotrac.