Building a winner in the NFL is tough. Assembling a complete team has become all but impossible. The salary cap, free agency and impatient owners work against it.
Five teams deserve recognition for coming closer than their peers this season, including one team that was a laughingstock within the past couple seasons. All five have flaws. Some are in better position than others to mask them.
"It usually takes a few years to build a top defense, and people lose their patience," a veteran coach said. "Simultaneously, you're trying to get something going on offense, and if you don't find a quarterback, none of it matters in the end, anyway."
On that uplifting note, here's a look at five of the more complete teams.
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are the only team in the league with a dominant defense and a dynamic quarterback. They also have a game-breaking talent in the return game as Tyler Lockett moves past a knee injury suffered in Week 2.
The stats say other teams have been as good or better defensively this season, at least by some measures. Seattle, while first in points allowed, ranks only 11th in defensive expected points added after bending against New Orleans, Buffalo and New England. But the defensive talent is obvious, the pedigree is well-established, and Michael Bennett is about to return. Earl Thomas' hamstring injury is the latest hurdle for this unit to overcome.