Winning in the NFL is difficult. We’ve seen this resonate throughout history with coaches standing at the podium after a not-so-great victory, shoulder-shrugging a “Hey, it’s a win.” But that theory’s acceptance often seems relative to the organization and its fan base. The Patriots? Yeah, it’s “difficult” like getting out of bed to go and lay on the couch. For a franchise like, say, the Browns? It’s carrying your groceries by hand because you’re using the brown paper bag to cover your face.
Glass half empty. Glass half full.
This season, there are currently six teams that understand this relative headache, the winless dilemma. Hope? There might not be any hope. Then again, this is only Week 5… maybe it’s all a misperception.
Arizona Cardinals
Glass: Half Full
The Cardinals head into Cincinnati this week, followed by games against the Falcons and the Giants. That’s three matchups against defenses ranked in the bottom 10 and the team’s winning percentage is .500 or lower. Underdogs going in, tops dogs going out? Kyler Murray has been shaky at times but also fun to watch other times. If the defense improves even marginally and Murray can find some of the 4th quarter mojo from the Lions game, you’re looking at a chance to build decent momentum by Week 7.
Glass: Half Empty
The Cardinals are underdogs. Against Cincy. Rookie coach, rookie quarterback, and the defense has struggled against the run and the pass. Not great. They visit the Saints in Week 8 and then welcome the 49ers in Week 9, on a short week, playing Halloween night on Thursday Night Football. BOO!
Denver Broncos
Glass: Half Full
The Broncos haven’t been that bad so far, and definitely fit the “winning ain’t easy” mantra. None of the four losses have been lopsided learning experiences, and Joe Flacco has held it together under OC Rich Scangarello’s offense (66.2 completion rate). The squad heads to Carson this week to take on the Chargers, a team they still lead overall, 65-52-1. The team’s gotta start somewhere—and getting the first win in the confines of a soccer stadium might be it!
Glass: Half Empty
John Elway has been so close to the proverbial goal line with the roster, only to fumble, that you’d think he was paying a strange homage to Earnest Byner. The defense just gave up 225 yards rushing to Leonard Fournette, and adding to the dynamic woes, there’s Bradley Chubb’s unfortunate injury. Eleven of the 12 games left are against teams that are currently 2-2 or better, beginning with the Chargers, Titans, and then Chiefs. The latter two are at Mile High, but that doesn’t mean enough to sway an outcome (hello, Jaguars).
New York Jets
Glass: Half Full
Sam Darnold is back (allegedly)! And, after an exhausting three weeks ahead, the Jets will face a more manageable schedule: Jaguars, Dolphins, Giants, Redskins, Raiders, Bengals, and Dolphins. I’m no scientist, but there’s probably some wins in there, and will give the team more than enough opportunity to correct the current spiral. Plus, it’s the 2019 AFC. The battle for the Wild Card spots this year is shaping up to be a free-for-all, with no real grey area between the good and the bad. Throw in those new, flashy uniforms and, hey, why not J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets?
Glass: Half Empty
One touchdown in three games is awful—regardless of the QB situation. And until it’s made certain that Darnold’s spleen is done calling the shots, you just don’t know if there’s light at the end of the tunnel. And, even then? If Le’Veon Bell continues on a sub-three-yard-per-carry average, the offense will remain a sinkhole for the rest of the phases. To that, even though the defense ranks in the top 10, the bye week does skew the numbers. So, there is a reason to believe they can go through the next few brutal weeks—Eagles, Cowboys, Patriots—and end up 0-6 with a locker room on the precipice of “broken.”
Cincinnati Bengals
Glass: Half Full
The Bengals are the favored winless team against the Cardinals this week. (Somebody has to win that game!) Perhaps, with Ross and Green out, Tyler Boyd picks up the slack and performs like he did in Week 2? New head coach Zac Taylor has said this isn’t a rebuilding process, the team simply needs to perform better. I vaguely remember Dave Shula saying something similar back in the mid-1990s, but whatever. Maybe Week 5 is when that Sean McVay Understudy Swagger actually clicks.
Glass: Half Empty
Monday night against the Steelers, the Bengals looked like the “Team in Disarray” at the beginning of a feel-good sports movie. Sure, you have to put your hero or heroes in some peril to make it enjoyable, but yikes! Offense and defense, they looked…lost. Andy Dalton has the team’s one rushing TD. He’s 32 and yet, his eyes say “Retirement.” Now, John Ross is out of the lineup, joining A.J. Green, adding to an already stagnant offense. It’s a box office flop, no doubt.
Washington Redskins
Glass: Half Full
Bill Belichick thinks the ‘Skins are just great—very well-designed offense! And he has many, many Super Bowl victories, so he’s probably not…lying…right? Regardless of Bill’s monotone musings, though, Terry McLaurin’s development as a legit NFL receiver provides hope that, if the QB situation is ever solved, there are weapons at that person’s disposal.
Glass: Half Empty
Case Keenum said that even the food isn’t tasting as good—that’s how badly things are getting! Dwayne Haskins may one day be great, but getting tossed into the Giants game didn’t reassure anyone that “he’s got this.” Josh Norman hasn’t looked like Josh Norman, much like the rest of the team—sans McLaurin. They spend this week hosting the Patriots, then get some possible relief (?) against the Dolphins, but no one knows who the starting QB is and relishing in Quinton Dunbar’s team-leading two interceptions will only get you so far.
Miami Dolphins
Glass: Half Full
Technically, the brown paper bag would protect your hair from the humidity, so that’s a sort of win-win. And, remember this: For as difficult as winning in the NFL is proclaimed, I bet it’s equally hard to swallow “that” loss to “that” team. Hey, remember when your team lost to our team—the Dolphins? There shouldn’t be a week that goes by where the Dolphins collective doesn’t tune in for that very scenario.
Glass: Half Empty
It’s difficult to even begin to understand what this organization’s fan base is feeling—all the reliance of pleasant-weather excuses for watching mediocrity. The Dolphins are last in team defense. The Dolphins are last in team offense. The team doesn’t have any immediate elements who are exciting enough to make for must-see tv, and the “tanking” word gets thrown around more often than not. And why? For the right to draft more unproven college arms that end up being traded back to Arizona.
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