Each NFC team's worst fear: Are Eagles susceptible because of the 'blueprint'?

No matter its record, every NFL team has concerns — some big, others small. Many concerns center on quarterbacks. Could a QB in the NFC South cripple his team's postseason hopes? Has one in the NFC West given his team false hope? Should teams move on from longtime starters in the NFC North and East? 

As determined by Yardbarker NFL writers, here is the worst fear for each of the 16 NFC teams:

NFC East 

DALLAS COWBOYS | Old Dak Prescott: He may be the favorite to win NFL MVP, but Cowboys fans haven’t forgotten 2022. In the final four games of the regular season, Prescott went 2-2 with six interceptions. He had a season-low 45.8 passer rating against Washington in the season finale.

NEW YORK GIANTS | A quarterback controversy: Everybody loves when a local kid (Tommy DeVito) makes good for the home team, but not when the team already gave someone (Daniel Jones) a four-year, $160M contract to play quarterback. After leading the Giants (5-8) to an upset victory over the Packers on “Monday Night Football,” DeVito already has two more wins this season (three to one) than Jones, who's out for the season with a knee injury.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | “The blueprint”: After the 49ers beat the Eagles 42-19 in Week 13 — Philadelphia's worst loss of the season — San Francisco DE Nick Bosa suggested his team had the "blueprint” for stopping QB Jalen Hurts. In Week 14, the Eagles lost to the Cowboys 33-13. Did the "blueprint" help Dallas? Philadelphia (10-3) better get back to the drawing board.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | Another Steve Spurrier: If new owner Josh Harris cleans house as expected this offseason, he better get the coach right. Washington was thrilled to get Florida’s Spurrier in 2002, but with a 12-20 record in two seasons, he’s among the worst coaches in franchise history. — Bruce Ewing

NFC West

ARIZONA CARDINALS | Kyler Murray gets them to pass on a quarterback: The Cardinals should have a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and therefore an opportunity to land one of the top quarterbacks in a QB-rich class. However, a worst-case scenario could result if Murray gives the Cardinals false hope that he is the long-term answer at the game's most important position. (Psst: He isn't.)

LOS ANGELES RAMS | A Matthew Stafford injury: In the nine games Stafford has missed over the past two seasons, the Rams went 2-7. The veteran QB has lifted Los Angeles (6-7) back into the playoff race, but if he were to go down again, the team's postseason chances would drop to nil because of a lame backup QB situation (Carson Wentz). 

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | Blowing another big playoff lead: The 49ers have done almost everything in the Kyle Shanahan era except win a Super Bowl. In two of their previous three playoff losses under Shanahan, they have blown 10-point leads in the fourth quarter, including one in Super Bowl LIV.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | The defense keeps failing: Since starting the season 5-2, the Seahawks have gone 1-5 and fallen to the fringes of the NFC wild-card race. The defense has given up an average of 30 points and 408 yards per game during that slump. — Adam Gretz

NFC North

CHICAGO BEARS | Buying in on QB Justin Fields: He has grown as a passer and showcased game-changing ability with his legs, but he's also wildly inconsistent three seasons into his NFL career. With potentially two top-five picks (including No. 1 overall) in April's NFL Draft, the Bears are at a crossroads at the game's most important position. It feels like it's time to move on. 

DETROIT LIONS | Defense will be their undoing: At 9-4, the Lions are still in the driver's seat to win the NFC North, but a leaky defense has the team backing its way toward a postseason berth. Their high-powered offense is turnover-prone (20, sixth most in the NFL), but the defense ranks 28th in takeaways (14) and has given up 26 points or more in five straight and six of the past seven games.

GREEN BAY PACKERS | Expectations: Suddenly back in the playoff race behind the emergence of QB Jordan Love, the Packers (6-7) may be feeling the pressure of expectations. Green Bay's remaining four opponents sport a combined 19-33 record, but after losing to the previously 4-8 New York Giants in Week 14, a promising stretch run isn't off to a great start.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS | Floating in QB limbo: The team's "competitive rebuild" hit a major snag when QB Kirk Cousins went down for the season with a torn Achilles. Now, at 7-6 and on their fourth QB, they aren't good enough to make a deep playoff run but won't finish low enough in the standings to grab a QB of the future to get excited about. — Mike Santa Barbara

NFC South

ATLANTA FALCONS | Desmond Ridder blows the team's playoff chances: He threw an interception and missed running back Bijan Robinson in the flat for an easy touchdown in Atlanta’s Week 14 loss to the Bucs. Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Ridder’s completion percentage (63.5%) is 1.2 percentage points worse than expected.

CAROLINA PANTHERS | Bryce Young remains unimpressive: To blame all of Young’s struggles on being a rookie would be wrong. Over his past two games, though, Young is 28-of-67 (41.8%) for 315 yards (4.7 yards per attempt) and an interception, making it clear that while the team around him must improve, the QB also must put in significant work this offseason or 2024 will look like 2023.

 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | Rush defense: The Saints (6-7) are tied for first but have no chance of making the playoffs if they don’t figure out how to play run defense. New Orleans has allowed over 200 rushing yards in two of its past three games and an average of 169.8 rush yards per game since Week 8.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | Rush offense: Tampa Bay ranks 29th in rushing (90 YPG) and 31st in rush yards per attempt (3.5). As valiantly as quarterback Baker Mayfield has played to keep the Bucs afloat following Tom Brady’s retirement, he needs assistance from a running game that rarely provides any to get Tampa into the postseason for a fourth consecutive season. — Eric Smithling