After five games, it might be time to hit the panic button for a few NFL franchises that had high expectations for the 2026 season but have fallen flat on their faces. In fact, there's a pair of divisions that look like they'll produce champions with near-.500 records.
Let's get something straight; we're not talking about the teams that everyone projected would be locking in Top 5 draft picks next April. That includes the Miami Dolphins (0-5), Tennessee Titans (0-5), New York Jets (2-3) and Arizona Cardinals (1-4). We all knew they were going to be bad, so their abysmal starts to the campaign come as no surprise.
Let's talk about the squads that were supposed to be undefeated or clearly in the mix for a top playoff spot at this point in the year. We'll evaluate how panicked fans should be rank them based on a concern level from 1-10.
6. Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
Preseason Super Bowl favorites? That prediction is starting to look a bit shaky. Despite acquiring last year's Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett and unretiring Aaron Donald, the Rams are sub-.500 and struggling to hit their stride. Quarterback Matt Stafford looks like he's been caught by Father Time finally with six interceptions and can only be carried so far with Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.
The offense isn't necessarily the problem. It's the defense that hasn't been anywhere near as dominant as it should be. Los Angeles is allowing 285.2 yards and 24 points per game. That's not terrible, but it's been porous enough to prevent Stafford and Co. from keeping up in tight games. It's not a sustainable pattern of play, but with a fully healthy roster — bursting with talent — the Rams are going to eventually emerge as a playoff contender.
Concern level: 3
5. The NFC East (8-12 combined)
Every team in this division was expected to improve in some shape or form. Ironically, the New York Giants — who were given the lowest expectations of the four members — is leading the division by 1.5 games by surviving matchups by the skin of their teeth. The Washington Commanders are clearly only good if Jayden Daniels is healthy. The Dallas Cowboys defense is still atrocious and the Philadelphia Eagles suffer from a fading star quarterback and dysfunctional coaching.
Somebody has to win this division, but they don't have to be great; they just have to be better than three other teams. It's unlikely the Giants hold on in the second half of the season, but that's okay because they were expected to finish third at best. The Commanders would be pretty disappointing in Daniels' third year at the helm, but if neither Philadelphia nor Dallas can figure things out quickly, the "NFC Least" moniker will stick for another year.
Concern level: 5
4. The NFC South (6-13 combined)
This is essentially a repeat of what happened last year, but this time there was legitimate reason to believe at least one team had turned the corner. It wasn't supposed to be the Carolina Panthers, that's for sure, but there's still a significant chance they, too, could find themselves at the bottom of the division by Thanksgiving. That's just how topsy-dallying the NFC South is.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints were predicted to top the standings with Baker Mayfield's shiny new contract and Tyler Shough emerging as a 2025 Draft surprise. Both teams are currently 1-3 with absolutely no way of knowing if they'll recover or continue to slide (Mayfield has a dislocated thumb). The Atlanta Falcons are a coin toss each week with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. There's just no way of knowing which lucky loser is going to represent the division in the playoffs.
Concern level: 6
3. Houston Texans (1-4)
Well, three straight seasons starting winless is not a great trend for an NFL team. The playoffs are all but out of the picture for Houston and trading for potential draft bust Marvin Harrison Jr. isn't going to change things drastically enough in the short term. The Texans need to build momentum from beating the Titans on Sunday in order to fend off restless fans who are tired of this routine.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans shouldn't expect to be fired if things get worse — though more drastic decisions have been made — but his seat is going to get substantially warmer. Quarterback C.J. Stroud may not be the guy after all and Nico Collins' talent may be wasted on him. A final record below .500 will start the clock on everybody with next season needing to be miles better.
Concern level: 7
2. Detroit Lions (3-2)
Dan Campbell, on the other hand, should be feeling the flames on his seat. Yes, Detroit is above .500 but the NFC North is just as tight as the NFC East just with actually good teams. The Minnesota Vikings are shockingly undefeated with minimal offense and a suffocating defense. That's eventually going to break and somebody is going to have to take advantage.
The Lions have one of the most talented rosters outside the Los Angeles Rams but can't seem to find consistency in scoring and holding opponents out of the redzone. For now, the only thing keeping the team afloat is the fact that is still has most of its in-division slate ahead of it. Winning those and nothing else will be enough to sneak into the postseason and avoid the return of fraud allegations.
Concern level: 7
1. Los Angeles Chargers (0-5)
What the heck happened, Los Angeles? Justin Herbert was supposed to finally have his breakout season after Jim Harbaugh worked his QB guru magic in the offseason. Instead, we're treated to a five touchdowns to seven interceptions ratio that should have Chargers fans gagging. It's hard to imagine there's any team out there that would offer anything for Herbert at this point.
The defense is even more sad. It's given up 311.6 yards per game and 129 points total, making it nearly impossible for the offense to get anything right. Harbaugh's time may be limited if he can't find a win sooner than later. The Chargers' upcoming schedule offers little opportunities to do so with the division rival Kansas City Chiefs coming up, followed by the Rams after a bye week. Start sweating, Los Angeles.
Concern level: 9
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