Which NFL Teams Can Still Save Their Season?

Five weeks into the NFL season, “there’s still plenty of football left” is either a reasonable point or something fans say to avoid looking at mock drafts. It depends on the team.

Some disappointing starts are easier to forgive than others. Injuries matter, close games can swing either way, and a bad record looks less threatening when the rest of your division is struggling too. There are teams that are absolutely out of the playoff picture (looking at you, Chargers), and others that have had a rough start but can still bounce back.

That’s part of the discussion surrounding the odds for the first NFL coach fired. Expectations and the chances of a recovery matter alongside the losses. For these three teams, there are still reasons to believe the season can amount to something.

Los Angeles Rams: The Obvious Pick

Entering the season, the Rams were the odds-on favorites to win the Super Bowl. So far, they look a long ways a way from that. The Rams are 2-3, but Monday’s overtime loss to Buffalo offered more encouragement than the record suggests. It looked like a potential Super Bowl matchup, even if it led to the Rams falling to a losing record.

Their 3 losses are all to contending teams. The game that is most cause for worry was a come-from-behind win against the struggling Eagles, where the offense couldn’t get anything going in the first half.

Nacua missed two early games with a groin issue. Getting him back gives Stafford his go-to target back, even though Davonte Adams filled in nicely as the WR1. If Monday was a preview of the passing game going forward, the Rams should win plenty more games.

Los Angeles can’t keep asking Stafford to win shootouts while allowing the opposing quarterback to run around at will. Getting the best defensive player in football, Myles Garrett, will surely help.

San Francisco’s 5-0 start makes the climb tougher, but the Rams have enough offensive talent to stay in the divisional race, and certainly are a favorite for a wild card spot. They need the defense and special teams to stop making that talent work overtime, literally, in Monday’s case.

Dallas Cowboys: The NFC East Is Keeping Them Alive

Giants lead at 3-1-1 (and are without their QB for the season), Philadelphia is also 2-3, and Washington sits at 1-3-1. Nobody has established much separation.

That gives Dallas time to sort out a team that has shown enough offensive ability to remain dangerous. Dak Prescott has great targets in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and the Cowboys shouldn’t need perfect circumstances to put points on the board.

The concern is how often the defense gives them an uphill battle. The offense ends up needing to compensate for problems elsewhere rather than controlling games. Dallas also needs better ball security and to more consistently establish the run.

The division gives the Cowboys a more forgiving path than the Rams have. Philadelphia is dealing with injuries, Washington has struggled, and the Giants are trying to maintain their lead without Jaxson Dart. Dallas doesn’t have to chase down a team that already looks unbeatable.

But an open division only helps if you start winning. The Cowboys have enough established talent to do that. Whether they can become dependable enough to take advantage is another question.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A Bad Start in a Forgiving Division

At 1-4, Tampa Bay has the most ground to make up. Fortunately, the NFC South is still up there for worst division in football.

Carolina leads at 2-2, Atlanta is 2-3, and New Orleans is also 1-4. Tampa Bay has ground to recover, but it hasn’t spent its first five games watching a division rival disappear into the distance.

The immediate priority is establishing an offense that can function while Baker Mayfield is unavailable. Bucky Irving gives the Bucs a running game to build around, and Jalon Daniels doesn’t need to become a weekly hero for that approach to work. Keeping him out of obvious passing situations would help Tampa Bay avoid asking too much of an inexperienced quarterback, who also forces defenses to respect his legs.

At 1-4, there isn’t room for another slump. But the division keeps a playoff berth within reach. Tampa Bay doesn’t need to catch San Francisco or become an offensive powerhouse. It needs to outperform three teams that have plenty of their own problems.

That’s still a reasonable goal.