In August, every fan base dreams of division titles, and eventually the Lombardi trophy. As we enter fifth week of this NFL season, some teams are already checking in with their scouting department for the upcoming draft. Although many of these franchises are looking up at the rest of the division, all is not lost as we enter October. Let’s take a look a some of the teams at the bottom of the standings and see if there’s any hope as they head into Week 5:
New York Jets (0-3)
At 0-3 and coming off a bye week, the New York Jets will travel to Philadelphia to face off against the Eagles. The Jets have been ravaged by injury at every level, especially to the quarterback position. The strength of the Jets lies with their running game, but will face a stiff Eagles defense that ranks 4th in rushing defense.
The Jets and Adam Gase have had an extra week to gameplan for the Eagles weakest link: Their secondary. The Eagles rank 26th in passing yards allowed, which could be the saving grace for a Jets win this Sunday.
Washington Redskins (0-4)
Did you know that Case Keenum has more completions, a higher completion percentage, and the same number of touchdowns thrown this season as Tom Brady? After Sunday’s lost to the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins fell to 0-4, and are now starting Colt McCoy in Week 5.
The New England Patriots come into town Sunday, but their offense was slowed to a halt against the Buffalo Bills. Can a team ranked 28th in offense and 31st in defense upset the Patriots, or will they fall to 0-5? The Patriots have been slow starters as of late, so forcing turnovers could be promising in hopes of their first win on the season.
Atlanta Falcons (1-3)
The 1-3 Falcons are falling fast after a home loss to the Tennessee Titans. Another AFC South team will have its turn this week as the Houston Texans come to town. The Falcons are 28th in turnover differential this season, but will have the chance to force a few against a Texans offensive line that has routinely had trouble protecting Deshaun Watson.
Matt Ryan is second in passing yards this season (1,325), and the Texans pass defense ranks 20th in the league. With New Orleans at 3-1, and both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers at 2-2, the Falcons need to throw their way back into the division.
Denver Broncos (0-4)
At 0-4, the Broncos are looking up at a division in which all other three teams are .500 or better. They may be winless, but their effort has not been the reason for their start. Denver has lost all four games this season by a combined 23 points, and will be facing a 2-2 Los Angeles Chargers team that is always primed for a home loss.
Their defensive line finally got going by recording their first sack on the season against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chargers are in the top five in passing yards, while the Broncos are in the top five in passing yards allowed.
Arizona Cardinals (0-2-1)
After a 27-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Cardinals are looking up at a division that is a combined 12-2 on the season. The offense has been hit or miss, and scoring has been hard to come by. The running game has been nonexistent, and the defense has been left to fend for themselves.
The Cardinals may be near the bottom in points scored (24th) and points allowed (29th), but so are their next opponents in the Cincinnati Bengals. Eventually, Kyler Murray and the offense are bound to have a turnaround performance, and this could the week.
Photo Credit: Thomas J. Russo, USA TODAY Sports
