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We have passed the quarter mark of the professional football season, which means we have a good idea of the direction of many franchises. So let’s examine the teams whose optimistic outlook have evaporated after the latest round of games. Note that these are not exactly the lowest-ranked franchises in the league (the Titans and Cleveland Browns, for example, are awful but are largely playing as anticipated) as much as the ones who have been most disappointing.

Jets Remain at 0-5

The only winless team in the league, the Jets check all the misery boxes. There have been heartbreaking defeats, starting with Chris Boswell hitting a 60-yard winning field goal for the Steelers in the first game. And there have been one-sided contests like Sunday’s 37-22 beating to the Cowboys, which was far more lopsided than the score suggests. The Jets’ presumed asset, their defense, became the first 0-5 unit with no forced turnovers in NFL history. The Jets continue to hurt their own cause with penalties, mistakes, weak O-line performance, ineffective short-yardage play and lackluster coaching. Amazingly the Jets are declining each game. If that weren't sufficient this has been a recurring issue: their playoff-less streak of over a decade is the longest in the NFL. And with a controversial franchise head in the league, it could persist indefinitely.

Misery rating: 9/10 – How long is Aaron Glenn’s leash?

Baltimore Ravens (1-4)

Certainly, it’s easy to chalk up Baltimore’s loss to Houston on Sunday to Jackson not playing. But a 44-10 scoreline – the most lopsided home defeat in Ravens history – is embarrassing and even a player of Jackson's caliber won't single-handedly change things if his defense, which admittedly has been plagued by health issues, is terrible. Making matters worse, the Ravens defense hardly put up a fight against the Texans. It was a big day for CJ Stroud, Nick Chubb, and their teammates.

Still, Jackson should be back in the next few weeks, they play in a relatively weak division and their future games is favorable, so optimism remains. But given how sloppy the Ravens have executed regardless of Jackson, the confidence level is running on fumes.

Despair Index: 6/10 - The division is still within reach.

Cincinnati Bengals: Slipping to 2-3

This situation stems from a single play: Burrow's year-ending ailment in Week 2. Three weeks without Burrow has led to a trio of defeats. It’s difficult to watch a pair of elite wideouts, Cincinnati's WR1 and Tee Higgins, performing well with nothing to show for it. Chase caught two major TDs and 110 yards on Sunday in a 37-24 defeat to an elite squad, the Lions. But Cincinnati’s O did most of the damage once the game was out of reach. Simultaneously, Burrow’s stand-in, the backup passer, while notable in the fourth quarter against the Lions, has often been ineffective. His three turnovers on Sunday cost the Bengals.

No franchise in football relies so heavily on the well-being of one player like the Bengals do with Burrow. Hopeful supporters will note the fact that they will be a playoff team when Burrow is back the following campaign, if he can remain healthy. But only five weeks into the current campaign, the campaign looks essentially finished for Cincinnati.

Misery rating: 6/10 – Once again, Bengals fans are left to wonder at what could have been.

Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)

Release Maxx Crosby, who is still one of the only bright spots in a strange period of Las Vegas struggles. Sunday’s 40-6 demolition to the Indianapolis was another demonstration of the poor combination of the quarterback and the sideline leader in the desert. Smith has been a mistake-prone player, ranking first this season with nine turnovers. His two turnovers in Week 5 produced Indianapolis scores. We’re not sure what the alternative is, but the primary strategy – being all in on Smith – is a hard-to-watch situation.

Suffering Score: 7/10 – Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly must adjust quickly.

Wildcard alert! Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)

Indeed, they’re the current title holders. And admittedly, they have only been defeated twice in 22 outings. But between AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith expressing dissatisfaction with their situations, supporter grievances about their slow-moving attack and the city’s continued skepticism about head coach Nick Sirianni, you’d think the Eagles were without a victory. Yes, Sunday’s breakdown was alarming: the Eagles lost a significant margin to Denver in the fourth quarter thanks to several infractions, an O that disappeared, and a D that was beaten and outthought by Sean Payton. Crazier things have happened. Nevertheless, they were on the subject to debated officiating and are sharing the top mark in their conference. What happened to the joy?

Despair Index: 3/10 - Despite the mood, the Eagles are playoff-bound.

Also Noteworthy: Arizona Cardinals (2-3)

The Cardinals are average rather than miserable, but their humiliating 22-21 setback to the until-then winless Titans was poorly played. A turnover near the end zone from the running back, who prematurely celebrated a long run prematurely, followed by a botched interception that resulted in a opposing TD did Arizona in. You couldn't invent this defeat if you tried. Since this, and their previous two losses, were on last-second kicks, there can’t be much joy in Glendale these days. “I'm at a loss for words,” the signal-caller said after the game. “I don’t even know. I truly don't understand. That's Football Mistakes 101. I don’t know. It was crazy.”

Suffering Score: 3/10 – Does Kyler Murray remain the franchise QB?

MVP of the week

Rico Dowdle, running back, Carolina Panthers. The ball carrier, filling in for the injured Chuba Hubbard, {could do with a little more confidence|