The 2025 NFL season has reached a point where the truth is impossible to ignore. For the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and Tennessee Titans, a single viral post on X became the mirror reflecting their bleak reality. With each team stuck near the bottom of the league standings, fans are all asking the same gut-wrenching question: Why can’t they ever get ahead in games? The answer lies in a brutal metric that has become the talk of the NFL world, defining a season of frustration for three struggling franchises.
Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; A New Orleans Saints helmet during the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
During the first week of October, a viral X post [by Sharp Football Analysis](https://x.com/SharpFootball/status/1973760127917248841?t=buNf0wKE0t_mx8Dw6vrMMQ&s=19) revealed a shocking statistic that first seemed fake, but now feels like an undeniable reality. Through Week 9 of the 2025 season, the Saints have taken zero offensive snaps with a lead, the Browns just two, and the Titans only three. The image spread like wildfire across social media because it perfectly captured how rare it has been for these teams to play from in front. This one stat highlighted their core issue: offenses that are unable to control the tempo, maintain drives, or create early pressure on their opponents.
Ultimately, the post was not wrong. Each of these three franchises has struggled to find consistency in its execution and identity this season. Their failures tend to start early in games and snowball as opposing defenses begin to predict their plays, leaving their quarterbacks constantly trying to catch up from behind.
For New Orleans, the 0-8 record says it all. Through nine weeks, the Saints have yet to take a single snap while leading. Derek Carr’s offense averages just 10.2 points per game, the lowest in the NFC. Their Week 8 loss to Tampa Bay brutally exposed this lack of urgency, as they failed to score until the final quarter. Furthermore, Carr’s limited pocket movement and the absence of a consistent downfield threat have allowed defenses to pressure him relentlessly. With the Saints’ red-zone efficiency ranking near the bottom of the league, their play-calling remains predictable even with weapons like Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara. To fix this, head coach Dennis Allen must open up the playbook and trust his offense to take risks early.
In Cleveland, the problem is not just about scoring; it is about control. The Browns’ lone win, a Week 5 walk-off victory against Green Bay, was the only time the team managed to get ahead, and that happened after the final whistle. In total, they have led for fewer than five minutes all season. Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was thrust into the starting role after Week 4, has shown plenty of effort but little consistency. He has completed 59.9% of his passes for 702 yards with five touchdowns and two picks, but the offense averages just 15.8 points per game. Even with a strong defense, Cleveland struggles to sustain momentum due to inefficient first downs and costly missed blocking assignments.
Meanwhile, the Titans’ offensive woes extend far beyond the statistics. Their three offensive snaps with a lead are a byproduct of a deeper issue: shaky protection and predictable offensive schemes. In their Week 9 loss to the Chargers, for instance, the team gave up 343 yards compared to the 206 it gained, even after a defensive score put them ahead early. In that game, rookie quarterback Cam Ward completed only 12 of his 21 throws for 145 passing yards, and the Tennessee offense failed to find the end zone for the third game this year.
With interim boss Mike McCoy leaning heavily on the run, a combination of weak blocking up front and questionable decisions from the booth has choked the offense. To turn things around, the Titans must simplify Ward’s reads while giving him a real shot to throw the ball, rather than stubbornly jamming the run into tough downfield situations with smashmouth concepts that clearly are not working.