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We have passed the quarter mark of the professional football season, which indicates we have a clear picture of the trajectory of the majority of squads. So let’s celebrate the teams whose positive energy have evaporated after Week 5. Note that these are not exactly the most terrible squads in the league (the Titans and Browns, for example, are awful but are largely playing as projected) as much as the ones who have been greatest underachievers.

Jets Remain at 0-5

The sole franchise without a victory in the league, the Jets check all the misery boxes. There have been devastating losses, starting with Chris Boswell nailing a 60-yard winning field goal for the Steelers in Week 1. And there have been routs like Sunday’s 37-22 beating to the Cowboys, which was much less competitive than the score suggests. The Jets’ presumed asset, their defense, became the first 0-5 team with zero takeaways in league history. The Jets continue to shoot themselves in the foot with flags, mistakes, poor offensive line play, ineffective short-yardage play and lackluster coaching. Incredibly the Jets are declining each game. If that didn't suffice this has been happening for a long time: their playoff drought of over a decade is the league's lengthiest. And with one of the worst owners in the league, it could persist indefinitely.

Despair Index: 9/10 – What is Aaron Glenn's future?

Baltimore Ravens: Struggling at 1-4

Admittedly, it’s easy to chalk up Baltimore’s loss to Houston on Sunday to Jackson not playing. But 44-10 – the most lopsided home defeat in Ravens history – is humiliating and even a player of Jackson's caliber won't single-handedly change things if his defensive unit, which in fairness has been blighted by injury, is terrible. Making matters worse, the Ravens defense hardly put up a fight against the Texans. It was a productive outing for Houston's QB, the Browns' star, and company.

Nevertheless, Jackson is expected back in the next few weeks, they play in a relatively weak division and their future games is soft, so all hope is not lost. But given how sloppy the Ravens have performed with or without Jackson, the confidence level is close to empty.

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

Bengals Fall to 2-3

This one boils down to one incident: Burrow's year-ending ailment in Week 2. Three weeks without Burrow has resulted in a trio of defeats. It’s hard to watch a pair of elite wideouts, Ja’Marr Chase and the other starting receiver, doing their thing with no positive results. Chase hauled in two huge touchdowns and 110 yards on Sunday in a 37-24 loss to one of the league’s best teams, the Detroit. But Cincinnati’s O did the bulk of the scoring once the game was out of reach. Meanwhile, Burrow’s replacement, Jake Browning, while notable in the fourth quarter against the Lions, has generally struggled. His three turnovers on Sunday sank the Bengals.

No franchise in football hinges on the health of one player like the Bengals do with Burrow. Positive followers will note the fact that they will be a playoff contender when Burrow is back the following campaign, if he can stay fit. But only five weeks into the present year, the campaign looks all but over for Cincinnati.

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

Las Vegas Raiders: Stumbling at 1-4

Let Maxx Crosby go, who is still one of the few good things in a unusual time of Las Vegas struggles. Sunday’s 40-6 rout to the Colts was more proof of the disastrous pairing of the signal-caller and the sideline leader in the desert. Smith has been a giveaway factory, ranking first this season with nine turnovers. His two picks in the latest contest resulted in Indianapolis touchdowns. It's unclear what Plan B is, but Plan A – being all in on Smith – is a hard-to-watch situation.

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

Surprise Entry! Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)

Indeed, they’re the defending champions. And of course, they have only been defeated twice in 22 outings. But between the star receiver and the other receiver expressing dissatisfaction with their roles, followers' criticism about their sluggish offense and the Philadelphia's uncertainty about the head man, you’d think the Eagles were 0-5. True, Sunday’s meltdown was worrisome: the Eagles squandered a 14-point lead to Denver in the final period thanks to five penalties, an O that disappeared, and a D that was beaten and outthought by the Broncos' coach. Stranger events have occurred. Still, they were on the receiving side of questionable rulings and are sharing the top mark in their NFC. What happened to the joy?

Misery rating: 3/10 - The vibes may be off but the Eagles will reach the postseason again.

Honorable mention: Arizona Cardinals (2-3)

The Cardinals are middle-of-the-road rather than awful, but their shameful 22-21 defeat to the formerly victory-less Titans was incompetent. A goalline fumble from the ball carrier, who celebrated a 72-yard would be touchdown too soon, followed by a muffed pick that resulted in a Titans touchdown did Arizona in. You couldn’t concoct this setback if you tried. Since this, and their previous two losses, were on last-second kicks, there isn't much happiness in Cardinals territory these days. “I'm not sure how to process that,” the signal-caller said after the game. “I'm confused. I truly don't understand. That’s ‘How to Lose a Game 101.’ I can't explain. It was unbelievable.”

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

Top Performer

Carolina's Rico Dowdle, RB. The running back, substituting for the absent Hubbard, {could do with a little more confidence|