What a difference a week can make! This time last week, only nine NFL teams had winning records. Now, that number has swelled to 15, with teams in the league nearly averaging over .500.
Of the NFL’s other 17 teams, 15 are currently below .500. Washington (4-1) and Denver (3-2) are perhaps the most surprising teams in the league with current winning records. Conversely, the New York Jets (2-3), San Francisco 49ers (2-3), and Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) are among the most surprising teams with more losses than wins through five weeks. There are three.
The road won’t be easy, but there are some teams with losing records who have very realistic goals to right the ship and stay relevant until the end of the season. Let’s find out who those teams are by ranking each NFL team’s losing record based on their chances of making the postseason.
There’s not much to talk about here. Deshaun Watson is scary, but the Browns continue to keep him as their starting quarterback. As long as that continues, I don’t think much will change in Cleveland. On the other hand, the quarterback that the Browns drafted first overall in 2018 (Baker Mayfield) is a franchise quarterback, and the quarterback that led the Browns to the playoffs last year (Joe Flacco) is playing well in Indianapolis. continues.
Carolina’s Week 3 win over the Raider was a mirage. The Panthers have settled down in recent weeks and are likely to be sellers at the trade deadline. Miles Sanders, Diontae Johnson, Adam Thielen and Jaycee Horn are just a few of the players the Panthers could acquire.
The Drake Maye era begins Sunday, and he will breathe life into what has been a memorable season for New England thus far. Maye’s progress will be notable, but it’s unlikely to impact the Patriots’ non-existent playoff hopes. Like the other teams on this list, the Patriots could opt for a seller at the trade deadline.
The Jaguars showed some resolve last week, but Doug Pederson’s team dug too big of a hole after starting 0-4. Jacksonville’s offense should continue to improve this season, especially if rookie Brian Thomas Jr. continues to put up numbers, but the Jaguars’ defense may ultimately hold them back.
The Titans got off to a tough start, but could be a team that creeps up on people as the season progresses. But the problem is Will Levis and his tendency to turn the ball over. Titans head coach Brian Callahan may consider taking another look at Mason Rudolph (who played most of Tennessee’s Week 4 win over Miami) if Levis continues to turn the ball over. You should.
10. Rams (1-4)
I give a lot of credit to Sean McVay and his staff for keeping the injury-plagued Rams competitive in all but one game so far. But LA has probably put itself in a hole too big to climb out of, especially in the competitive NFC West. That being said, I’m not ready to completely walk away from the Rams. The main reason is the fact that the Rams still have Matthew Stafford under center.
The always interesting Raiders move forward with Aidan O’Connell as their starting quarterback. Will this move force Davante Adams to stay? Adams highlighted the growth O’Connell showed last year. If Adams stays, the Raiders will be in playoff talks by late December. But unless O’Connell exceeds the highest expectations, I don’t see them actually making the playoffs.
8. Colts (2-3)
The Colts are shrouded in mystery. They upset the Steelers in Week 4, but lost to the previously winless Jaguars a week later. Sunday’s loss was due to injuries, with running back Jonathan Taylor (ankle), defensive lineman Kwity Paye (quad) and center Ryan Kelly (neck) missing the game against Jacksonville. The team will reportedly be without wideout Michael Pittman for the next few weeks. Indianapolis is also without Anthony Richardson (oblique), but Joe Flacco has been solid the past two weeks. The problem for the Colts is their relatively tough schedule and late bye (Week 14).
It’s crazy how quickly the Saints have fallen after starting 2-0. New Orleans, which has lost three straight games, suffered another blow Monday night when Derek Carr suffered an oblique injury and is expected to miss multiple games. With Carr out, the Saints will turn to rookie Spencer Rattler in the short term.
Two years ago, the Giants surprised most people when they advanced to the divisional round of the playoffs. Will Brain Daboll’s team be able to do it again this year? Probably not, but the Giants beat the Seahawks last Sunday on rookie Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s 129-yard run, I showed you. The Giants have a tough schedule ahead of them. But if they can keep running the ball, play tough defense, and get solid quarterback play from Daniel Jones, they’ll still be a contender when the ball drops in the Big Apple in three months from now. may remain.
I don’t think the Cardinals will make the playoffs, but as long as Kyler Murray, James Conner, and Marvin Harrison Jr. are healthy, I think they’ll remain a team. Playoffs or not, the Cardinals are a very interesting team in that they can look very good one week and then be completely bad the next.
Cincinnati reminds me of the Chargers teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s. They had a prolific offense and poor defense. The Bengals have a chance as long as Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are healthy. Their defense needs a few more stops per game. My belief in the Bengals is the fact that their next two games are against teams with losing records (Giants and Browns).
Miami’s season hinges on Tua Tagovailoa and his recovery from his recent concussion. The earliest he can return is Miami’s Week 8 game against Arizona. If Tagovailoa returns, he will have a new weapon in Odell Beckham Jr., who was sidelined with a knee injury. With nine of the remaining 12 games coming against teams with losing records, the Dolphins certainly have the schedule to turn things around.
2. Jets (2-3)
Gang Green will be looking to become the first team to reach the Super Bowl after firing its head coach during the season. New York’s next two games (against the Bills and Pittsburgh) are tough, but after that they have games against New England (1-4), Arizona (2-3) and Indianapolis (2-3). The schedule will be lighter. Week 12, bye bye. The Jets will need to add Aaron Rodgers and Breece Hall to turn their season around. New York will likely also look for outside help on offense to help Rodgers, but that won’t be a problem unless the team does well on the ground with Hall and Braylon Allen.
1. 49ers (2-3)
San Francisco has lost three games by a combined 10 points, including last week’s one-point loss to the Cardinals. The 49ers could easily go up to 4-1 or even 5-0 with a few more plays.
However, San Francisco’s early struggles have put them in a bad position with a schedule that won’t ease up anytime soon. The 49ers’ next eight opponents currently each have a winning record. The Rams and Cardinals, who have already defeated the 49ers, are the only remaining opponents on San Francisco’s schedule currently below .500.
A big boost will be the return of Christian McCaffrey, the team’s All-Pro running back, who is expected to make his season debut sooner rather than later.