Five weeks into the NFL season, a few franchises are thrilled with how they've done so far. Led by Daniel Jones, the Indianapolis Colts are 4-1 and one of the top teams in the AFC. (You read that right.) The Pittsburgh Steelers are 3-1, rested and sit in an advantageous position on top of the AFC North. Even having dealt with injuries, the San Francisco 49ers are 4-1 and also in their division's perch.
On the flip side, a handful of teams are wishing for a redo. Who's been most disappointing so far this season?
Baltimore Ravens (1-4)
Entering this season, Jim Harbaugh's Ravens shared the best odds to win the Super Bowl (+700) with the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. Heading into a Week 6 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore has dropped three in a row, giving up at least 37 points in each.
Injuries to major names have hampered the Ravens. Two-time Associated Press NFL MVP Lamar Jackson is currently shelved with a hamstring ailment, while cornerback Marlon Humphrey and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike have also dealt with injuries of their own. The latter is sidelined for the rest of the season with a neck issue.
It'll be an uphill battle for Harbaugh's crew, which has the NFL's second-worst pass defense (262.6 yards per game) and fourth-worst rush defense (146.4). Nobody has given up more points per game (35.4). Whether the Ravens can turn it around will depend on healing up and patching an uncharacteristically porous resistance. Both are easier said than done.
Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
Andy Reid's Chiefs are only a game out of first place in the AFC West, but neither of their wins to this point — the shaky New York Giants and limping Ravens — is all that impressive. There's a deeper concern, too.
Last season, Kansas City leaned on its propensity to survive games decided by seven points or fewer, going 10-0. This time around, however, the Chiefs are 0-3 in such contests, including a 31-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night.
Without Rashee Rice, Patrick Mahomes has been missing a downfield threat. Of course, that can be fixed when he returns from suspension in Week 7. It's hard to count out a team that's reached five of the past six Super Bowls. Chiefs fans probably aren't sweating it out. Expect this team to be in the mix by the time the postseason rolls around.
Miami Dolphins (1-4)
Sorry, Dolphins fans.
Had Mike McDaniel's team been able to hold onto a 17-point first-half edge against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, things would be a lot more manageable right now. Instead, Miami is in the same company as the Tennessee Titans and New Orleans Saints.
There are a few winnable games down the stretch, but at least six of their remaining contests are against teams that should make the postseason. A top-five draft pick is much more likely than a dramatic turnaround, but that might not even mean the Dolphins move on from Tua Tagovailoa, who they have a boatload of cash tied up in.
McDaniel will probably be out of town by January, but not out of work for too long. He'll find a gig as an offensive coordinator, and the Dolphins will have to wait at least another year for their first playoff win since 2000.
Minnesota Vikings (3-2)
The Vikings' inclusion on this list isn't as much about the team's success as it is J.J. McCarthy having yet to fill the shoes of a franchise quarterback. Carson Wentz has been a serviceable temporary replacement, going 2-1.
Minnesota invested the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft in the former Michigan Wolverines star, who missed his entire rookie season and is working back from a high ankle sprain.
Under Kevin O'Connell, one of the best offensive minds in the game, there isn't any reason to sound the alarm. But emerging atop the NFC North won't be easy, especially being that it's the only grouping in the league without a team with a losing mark.
It's not unfair to say the Vikings would be in a much better place going forward if McCarthy were on the field and playing up to his promise.
New York Jets (0-5)
By washing away Aaron Rodgers and the failures of their previous regime in the offseason, the Jets provided some optimism entering this go-round. Even after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, things looked promising.
Nearly halfway through October, however, the Jets are the league's lone winless team. Making that distinction even worse, no NFL team has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-5.
"There's a first time for everything, brother" quarterback Justin Fields said after a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, pushing back against that tidbit. "The team is good, we have a locker room full of warriors, a locker room full of men that want to get better."
Fields has average numbers, but if things continue to trend like they have, he probably won't be the answer behind center going forward. It would probably be wise not to count on the Jets climbing back into the postseason picture.