1 THING EVERY NFC TEAM CAN DO TO MAKE SUPER BOWL LIV

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Bring college football's offensive revolution to the NFL

If the Cardinals are to overcome the shortcomings of their roster and ride Josh Rosen all the way to next year's Super Bowl, they'll need some wizardry from rookie head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Arizona poached Kingsbury from the college ranks hoping he'll replicate Sean McVay's success in Los Angeles. McVay reached the Super Bowl in Year 2. Arizona's brass is hoping Kingsbury can do the Cardinals one better.

ATLANTA FALCONS

Get league-average defensive play

Atlanta has the weapons to go toe to toe with the rest of the league's offensive powers. What the Falcons are lacking is a defense that will keep them in games. Despite a top 10 finish in points scored, the Falcons finished minus-9 in point differential. Injuries to Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen, and Derrick Shelby at various points of the season obviously didn't help. Head coach Dan Quinn will take over the defense in 2019 and that's a good place to start.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Ensure Cam Newton makes an Andrew Luck-like recovery

The Panthers' fortunes rest on Newton's shoulders, so his ailing throwing shoulder should be treated with the utmost care. Some 600 miles north, the Indianapolis Colts lost Andrew Luck for a full season because of a shoulder problem; a patient - though painstaking - recovery process allowed him to lead the Colts back to the playoffs upon his return this season. Let that be a cautionary tale for Carolina.

CHICAGO BEARS

Build an indomitable defense

With Matt Nagy leading a still-developing Mitch Trubisky, the Bears are on the right track on the offensive side of the ball. On the defensive side of things, Chicago is already one of the best in the league; there's little room to improve on football's third-best defense and top-ranked run-stuffing unit. But if the Bears continue investing heavily in their defense, it could be the NFL's best for years to come.

DALLAS COWBOYS

Hire an innovative offensive coordinator

It wasn't working under Scott Linehan. The Cowboys' offense hit its stride halfway through the season, but there's no reason a team with Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and that offensive line should be ranked 22nd in total offense. Rather than hiring Linehan's replacement from within, Dallas should target an innovative mind for its next offensive coordinator, one that will best utilize the dual-threat capabilities of both Prescott and Elliott.

DETROIT LIONS

Rebuild the receiving corps

If Matthew Stafford's going to hang with the other passers in the NFC North, he'll need a replenished stable of receivers. Gone are Golden Tate and Eric Ebron, and Marvin Jones could follow. Kenny Golladay and TJ Jones won't get it done in the high-flying NFC without reinforcements. Stafford finally has a trustworthy running back in Kerryon Johnson. Now he needs reliable hands on the other end of his passes.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Make Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur best friends

The Packers have no time to waste. Rodgers has one Super Bowl ring through his first 14 NFL seasons, so it already feels like most of his time as Green Bay's starter has been wasted. He and his new head coach have to click immediately to ensure the Packers not only end their two-year playoff drought but get back to the top of the mountain before the 35-year-old quarterback calls it quits.

LOS ANGELES RAMS

Stay aggressive

Correctly identifying this as their championship window, the Rams spent big in the offseason to add Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, and Brandin Cooks. The result is a trip to Super Bowl LIII. Whether they beat the Patriots or not, the Rams only have so long with Jared Goff on his rookie contract and Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley in the prime of their careers. Keep your foot on the gas.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Rebuild the offensive line

Mike Zimmer may hate offensive coordinators, but the Vikings' problems lay in their inability to give Kirk Cousins time to throw and Dalvin Cook space to run. Cousins was the second-most pressured quarterback in the league and Cook was held to one yard or less on 30 percent of his carries. Any tinkering Minnesota does in the offseason has to start with the offensive line.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Add a secondary receiving option

No single fix would have prevented the gaffe that led to the Minneapolis Miracle in 2017 or the blatant missed call in this year's NFC title game. But there is one thing this perennial juggernaut can do to improve its chances at reaching next year's Super Bowl: Get Michael Thomas some help. It was supposed to be Dez Bryant's role before he tore his Achilles. Thomas was held to 36 yards against the Rams. Alvin Kamara caught 11 passes out of the backfield and all other receivers had three catches or less. The Saints' All-Pro wideout needs a partner out wide.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Draft Kyler Murray

The best way to take immediate advantage of a crop of skill players featuring dynamic running back Saquon Barkley and star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is to give them a new quarterback who can put them in a position to succeed. Add Murray's dual-threat ability and the Giants instantly become one of the most feared offenses in the league. In today's NFL, that just may be enough to reach title contention.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Add a running threat

Aside from covering Carson Wentz in bubble wrap, the Eagles could do their franchise quarterback a favor by providing him with a dependable running game. Due in part to Jay Ajayi's injury-shortened season, Philadelphia finished 28th in rushing. To compensate, the Eagles attempted the seventh-most passes in the league. The lack of a running threat hurt them in the playoffs, where they averaged 45.5 yards on the ground in two postseason games.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Hit a home run with the No. 2 pick

If the Niners have it their way, they won't have such an early pick again for the foreseeable future. For the second consecutive year, San Francisco will enter 2019 with enthusiasm and optimism for what could be. Jimmy Garoppolo should return from injury to join a strong offensive line, proven playmakers, and a top-15 defense. With the right selection in April, the 49ers could be a sneaky Super Bowl pick.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Put the ball in Russell Wilson's hands

Wilson has proven he can accomplish great things even with a shallow supporting cast. As the Seahawks learned in their wild-card round loss - in which they relied predominantly on their defense and run game - they need to empower their Pro Bowl quarterback. He threw a career-high 35 passing touchdowns in 2018 despite posting the fewest pass attempts since his sophomore season. He also ran the ball less than he has in any other season. Seattle needs to trust in Russ.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Get the defense up to speed with the offense

Despite a three-game suspension to Jameis Winston and a game of hot potato between him and Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Buccaneers finished the season with the league's top-ranked passing game and third-ranked offense. They've since installed quarterback whisperer Bruce Arians as head coach to get the most out of Winston. If new defensive coordinator Todd Bowles can shore up Tampa Bay's 27th-ranked defense, the Bucs can right the ship in a hurry.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Sign Joe Flacco in free agency

They might be better off tanking for a top pick in 2020, but if the Redskins really want to go all-in for a Super Bowl, the first step is acquiring a healthy quarterback. They'd have to find a way out of Alex Smith's expensive contract first, but at that point, they could target Flacco - a former Super Bowl MVP - and build a dynamic passing attack around him. Washington would also have to add the requisite receiving targets, but it all starts with signing one of the biggest names in free agency.