NFL Power Rankings: Every team’s holiday wish list

A Super Bowl: The Panthers are most likely going 16-0. Cam Newton will be MVP. Josh Norman has made a serious case for defensive player of the year. Ron Rivera might be coach of the year. There’s only one thing left.

Good health: The Cardinals can’t seem to catch a break on the injury front. Last season it was offensive catalyst Carson Palmer—this year it’s defensive sparkplug Tyrann Mathieu.

Pre-2013 Steven Jackson: The Patriots have been devastated by injuries on the offensive side of the ball, but the signing of Steven Jackson seems like a reach. In his prime, Jackson was elite, but don’t expect anything close to that same form from the 32-year-old this go-round.

Marshawn Lynch back for one more playoff run: Christine Michael and Bryce Brown looked good against Cleveland, but if the Seahawks want any chance of beating top-tier NFC teams like Carolina or Arizona in the playoffs, they need No. 24 in the backfield in what is likely his last year with Seattle.

A playoff win: The Chiefs’ turnaround thanks to an incredible eight-game winning streak is one of the best stories so far this season, but it’ll all be for naught if K.C. can’t grab a post-season victory. The Chiefs haven’t won in the playoffs since 1993.

Cornerbacks: The Steelers are the team in the AFC that no one wants to face in the playoffs. Having scored 30-plus points in six straight, the offence has been basically unstoppable. The problem is Pittsburgh’s defence can’t stop anybody. The Steelers rank 31st in passing yards allowed and have been susceptible to giving up big plays.

A playoff win: Like Chiefs fans, followers of the Bengals have been waiting a long time for a victory in the playoffs. Cincinnati hasn’t come out on the winning end of a post-season game since 1990, having lost on wild-card weekend in four straight seasons since Andy Dalton was drafted.

To not have to face Antonio Brown again: Denver is one of the teams that wants no part of Pittsburgh come playoff time. No. 84 roasted the Broncos for 189 yards and two TDs on Sunday and if the season were to end today, the Broncos would face Brown and the Steelers in the first round of the post-season.

Jordy Nelson: The Packers have really struggled without their top receiver. Davante Adams hasn’t been able to fill the void and it’s turned Aaron Rodgers into an angry man, who was recently grumbling about the team’s play calling after a win. Getting Jordy back would make A-Rod much happier.

A Chiefs or Steelers loss: The Jets could win their final two games, finish 11-5 and still miss the playoffs if both Pittsburgh and Kansas City win out.

Offensive linemen: Aside from the last two games, the Vikings’ passing game has not been pretty this season, but it’s not Teddy Bridgewater’s fault. Minnesota’s offensive line struggles mightily in pass protection. They can’t block at all. Plus, getting better up front would help Adrian Peterson, too.

Not to return to typical Washington ways: Washington has hurt themselves in the past by getting too bold in the off-season, usually leading to dumb trades or free-agent signings that have rarely worked. They need to stay the course, keep getting tougher on both offensive and defensive lines, and find more young players in the draft.

A quarterback: The Texans have used four different guys under centre and might be forced to use Brandon Weeden in a playoff game if Brian Hoyer isn’t able to bounce back from his concussion.

A strong finish from DeMarco Murray: When you spend big on one of the top free agents in the off-season only to have him ride the pine in crucial late-season games, you know something’s wrong. Nothing would calm the Philly faithful more than a pair of Murray-fuelled wins that catapult the Eagles to an NFC East title.

A legit running back: The Giants have blown so many games in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter because they haven’t had a runner who can help close them out. They are forced to rely too much on Eli Manning and a shotty defence, and eventually they break down.

A device that shocks players when they commit penalties: It’s got to be infuriating for Bills coaches and fans to watch these players commit an absurd amount of penalties week-in and week-out. They’ve got the talent—they just need to clean up their act.

Young wide receivers: Vincent Jackson is getting up there in age, and outside of Mike Evans, Jameis Winston has had to throw to guys named Adam Humphries and Donteea Dye in important games. If you haven’t heard of them, you’re not alone.

Quality young players in the secondary: An exciting young offence gave the Raiders some mid-season hope, but ultimately a vulnerable defence led to a 13th straight season without playoffs in Oakland. Aside from Charles Woodson—who is 39 and retiring after this season—there’s not much to like about the Raiders’ secondary, which should be Jack Del Rio’s focus in the off-season.

Some defensive talent: It’s ugly. The Falcons haven’t had a legit pass rusher since John Abraham, and they fail to generate any real pressure on a weekly basis. Bruce Irvin is a free agent and he might make sense, given his ties to former Seahawks defensive coordinator and now Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn. It’s a big reason why the Falcons have collapsed down the stretch.

A new GM: The Colts’ failures come down to one thing: horrible player-personnel moves. Current GM Ryan Grigson has signed old players past their prime to big deals, drafted in areas where Indy didn’t need help and completely ignored areas of need. Sure, the loss of Andrew Luck hurts, but the Colts weren’t any good before his injury. An overhaul of the front office is much-needed in Indy.

A time machine: Another year, another disappointing season in Miami. The perfect gift for any Dolphins fan at this bitter time of the season would be a way to get back to the days of Dan Marino and Don Shula, a time when Miami actually mattered in the NFL.

Some semblance of a defence: A month ago, the Jaguars had a great opportunity to make a push for the AFC South title, but they still find themselves in third after just one win in their last four. The offence has been on fire, ranking 12th in league scoring thanks to Blake Bortles and the Allens, but the defence has failed to make any strides since Gus Bradley took over in 2013.

Keeping Jim Bob Cooter as offensive coordinatorL Jim Caldwell isn’t expected back next season, so the Lions will have a new head coach who might want his own O.C. But Cooter has gotten the most out of Matt Stafford, Detroit’s most important player, and it has paid off. Keep Cooter!

A game-winning/tying field goal: Before Sunday’s beatdown at the hands of the Vikings, the Bears had lost their previous two games thanks to missed field goals from normally stellar kicker Robbie Gould. Not that they would’ve made much difference in Chicago’s playoff hopes, but 7-7 looks a lot better than 5-9.

A new salary-cap manager: We’re not sure who structures the Saints’ contracts, but New Orleans is in it up to their necks. Jairus Byrd and Brandon Browner are two examples of horrible contracts that have put the Saints in an emergency cap situation heading into 2016.

A quarterback: The Nick Foles trade has completely blown up in the Rams’ faces. With young studs like Todd Gurley, Tavon Austin, Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn, St. Louis should have a much better record.

Health: No team has been decimated by injury more than the Ravens. Joe Flacco, Steve Smith, Justin Forsett and Terrell Suggs are just a sampling of the 17 players Baltimore has placed on injured reserve this season.

A quality head coach to pair with Marcus Mariota: The selection of a head coach will be a crucial factor in the steps the Titans will take in the near future. Mariota has proven he has big-play capability, but if Tennessee brings in a coach that tries to mould Mariota to fit a system rather than utilizing the young QB’s skill set, it could get worse in Nashville before it gets better.

A new stadium—or for the L.A. proposal to fall apart: Sunday’s emotional win in San Diego may have been the last game the Chargers will ever play at Qualcomm Stadium, a tough pill to swallow for fans of the team. It seems unlikely, but what better way to brighten up their holidays than a Chargers’ return to San Diego.

A backup QB: Matt Cassel, Brandon Weeden and Kellen Moore have all played in place of the injured Romo this season and that just won’t cut it. If Romo goes down again next season, which could very well happen, the Cowboys need a better answer than they’ve had in 2015.

Talent: Outside of the team’s underrated offensive line and the emergence of Gary Barnidge, there’s not much to be excited about if you’re a Browns fan. The future starts, like it has in Cleveland since the team’s return, at quarterback.

A new owner: Outside of bringing in Jim Harbaugh, Jed York has been an utter disaster. Replacing Harbaugh with little-known Jim Tomsula might be the worst coaching decision in NFL history.