There are reasons for optimism surrounding these 5 bad NFL offenses

The inability to field a passable offense in today’s NFL is like being a member of New Edition in 1988 and not being able to land a date; if that happens, that’s on you.

How many advantages do offenses need these days? All the rules are tilted in their favor, from the inability to hand-check receivers downfield to the near ban on any sort of physicality on the quarterback. Hit him in the wrong place, flag. Hit him too late, flag. Land on him wrong, flag.

To people who love defense — or those who simply understand the importance of balance for the good of the game — it stinks. And yes, for all the offense’s advantages in today’s NFL, there are some horrific units out there through the first three weeks of the season.

Arizona (ranked No. 32 in the league in yards per game) is about to start a rookie pocket passer, Josh Rosen, behind a bad offensive line, while Buffalo (No. 31) features rookie passer Josh Allen, who has all the physical gifts in the world but is very raw. It’s hard to see either one of those teams climbing out of the offensive cellar anytime soon.

But there are some offenses in the bottom half of the league that have some reason for optimism. Here are five, and why:

Chicago Bears (2-1)

The Bears’ offense is ranked 26^th in the NFL, and this one is on the quarterback. But while Bears fans are silently praying the decision to select Mitchell Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes 17 months ago doesn’t come back to be a Bowie-over-Jordan moment, there are reasons for optimism.

Let’s start with this: While Trubisky is not the natural playmaker that Mahomes is, he has all the tools to be a solid pro quarterback in the mold of Alex Smith. Trubisky is athletic and he’s got a good arm, and while he’s a bit more committed to staying on script than Mahomes is — he loves to stick with his reads — that’s not a bad thing with a good play-caller, and I love the offensive staff that head coach Matt Nagy has put together to support his young quarterback.

What’s more, general manager Ryan Pace has done a nice job giving Trubisky everything he needs to have immediate success. The Bears have solid, young or young-ish weapons at running back (Jordan Howard), tight end (Trey Burton) and receiver (Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel), and the only thing holding them back is Trubisky, who will get only better with time. This entire offensive unit will grow together, especially as Trubisky gets more comfortable with the scheme, and I fully expect these guys to be operating at a different, better level later in the season.

Dallas Cowboys (1-2)

The Cowboys’ 30^th-ranked offense, to be blunt, stinks right now. And while running back Ezekiel Elliott is a legitimate star, it’s the passing game — or lack thereof — that is the biggest culprit.

Only the Cardinals have thrown for fewer yards than the Cowboys, and there’s plenty of blame to go around. Start with the offensive line, for instance, which misses center Travis Frederick and has surrendered 11 sacks, the seventh-most in the NFL. The breakdown in protection has had a direct impact on quarterback Dak Prescott, who thrived in 2016 behind a killer line but thus far this year, has guided the Cowboys to a measly three passing plays of 20 yards or longer, tied for the fewest in the NFL with Tennessee.

Some of the blame can also be laid at the feet of offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, as the Cowboys are not particularly innovative. They rarely attack defense’s weaknesses, preferring to do what they do, and this has led to frustration in every part of the offense, including the underwhelming receiving corps, where the lack of creativity is affecting the future paydays of players in contract years like slot receiver Cole Beasley, for instance.

Speaking of Beasley, there has been little movement on a new deal, sources close to the 29-year-old tell Yahoo Sports. Given the struggles of Dallas’ offense, his camp is already looking forward to seeing him hit free agency in March, where up-tempo offenses across the league could use a competitive receiver with Cole’s skills in short spaces.

There is, however, hope in Dallas. Start with Elliott, one of the league’s premier backs. He looks pretty quick this year, and he’ll start performing even better if the Cowboys can force teams to stop stacking the box so much. They can do that by running more hurry-up — which they’ve had success with this year — and mixing in more run-pass options, which they’ve also fared well with when they’ve used it.

It’s on Linehan to use both approaches more frequently, just like it’s on Prescott to start letting it rip more downfield.

New England Patriots (1-2)

Fans in the Northeast might be upset right now, but trust me, the Pats will be fine. New England is currently 25^th in the NFL in total offense, but the Patriots haven’t finished a season that low since 2000, Bill Belichick’s first year in New England. Drew Bledsoe was the quarterback that season.

Since Tom Brady took over midway through the next season, New England has finished no lower than 12^th in total offense. And since 2010, the Patriots have finished no lower than fourth.

What’s more, Brady sidekick Julian Edelman will return from a four-game PED suspension after this weekend’s tilt against the Miami Dolphins, and he’ll slide comfortably into Phillip Dorsett’s spot and be an immediate upgrade. And while the Patriots’ decision to trade for Josh Gordon reeks of desperation, there’s little doubt that if he can make it onto the field, he’ll immediately open up things underneath for the rest of Brady’s precision route runners.

Betting against Brady and Belichick in a wide-open AFC is like betting against Michael Jordan in 1998. If you’re tired of their greatness, you’re hoping that Father Time has caught up with them, praying that the reign can’t possibly continue another year. But then, when the playoffs hit — and you see the Patriots facing the 2018 NFL equivalent of the ’98 Utah Jazz — you’ll immediately feel a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, knowing that the outcome has already probably been decided.

New York Giants (1-2)

Guess when the Giants last scored 30 points in a game? The 2015 season finale! Dead serious.

That’s embarrassing, and the Giants’ 24^th-ranked offense isn’t going to bring to mind any visions of the ’99 Rams, especially with stud tight end Evan Engram out for roughly the next month. But the Giants showed signs of life in their 27-22 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, including:

• Quarterback Eli Manning ripped it up for 297 yards and two touchdowns, all while completing 25 of 29 passes.

• Rookie running back Saquon Barkley continued to look like a stud, rushing 17 times for 82 yards and a touchdown while catching five passes for 35 yards.

• The receiving duo of Odell Beckham Jr. and Sterling Shepard caught 15 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown.

Giants head coach Pat Shurmur is a respective offensive mind across the league, and as the Giants grow more comfortable in his system — and Barkley settles into his role as star running back — the offense will improve. What’s more, after a rough showing against the Jaguars in Week 1, their pass protection has showed signs of improvement.

If the Giants’ revamped line continues to keep Manning upright throughout the course of the season, there’s little to keep these guys from fielding an offense that rises to the middle of the pack.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

Calm down, Philly fans — the defending Super Bowl champs will be fine. The Eagles’ offense isn’t terrible — it ranks 19^th in total yards — but it’s a long way off from the seventh-ranked unit from a year ago.

Injuries have been a big problem here. Quarterback Carson Wentz just returned to the lineup last week, and while he looked fine, completing 25 of 37 passes for 255 yards, a touchdown and an interception, he’ll get better over the season.

What’s more, more of his weapons will be coming back soon. No. 1 receiver Alshon Jeffery has just been cleared for contact following rotator cuff surgery, and he’ll be back soon, and so will their top running backs, Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles. Meanwhile, stud left tackle Jason Peters just returned from a quad injury.

Listen, I’m not going to tell you the Eagles aren’t smarting a bit from the offseason loss of offensive coordinator Frank Reich and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, two smart play-callers who optimized the play of Wentz and Super Bowl hero Nick Foles.

But once these guys heal up, there’s little standing in the way of an offensive upswing, as the offensive line has generally performed well, and the tight ends — Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert — along with receiver Nelson Agholor already appear to be in solid form.

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