Five weeks into the NFL season, we can officially write off four teams.
asserted
we → write → teams
By "write off," we mean teams that are going nowhere.
asserted
that → write → teams
Their fans should be more concerned with draft position than anything their teams might accomplish this season.
uncertain
teams → accomplish → anything
We understand how demoralizing it is to concede a season before mid-October.
asserted
it → understand → October
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
uncertain
page → contain → partners
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
uncertain
News → sign → wager
This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
asserted
that → create → newsroom
Let's start with two teams that aren't tanking, per se, but weren't exactly built to contend this season.
asserted
that → let → teams
The Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals are about as bad as expected, despite the latter managing an early-season win.
asserted
latter → expect → win
The positive is that both teams have stockpiled young talent while positioning themselves for a high draft pick.
asserted
teams → stockpile → pick
Miami's rookie class is impressive, including Kadyn Proctor, Chris Johnson, Jacob Rodriguez, Caleb Douglas, and Chris Bell.
asserted
class → include → Proctor
Arizona has the best tight end in football in Trey McBride, while Jeremiah Love, albeit injured, has generational upside.
asserted
Love → have → upside
Unfortunately, the 2027 quarterback class doesn't appear nearly as promising as anticipated.
asserted
class → appear → ?
Arch Manning, to this point, hardly resembles the prospect analysts projected him to become.
asserted
him → resemble → prospect
That's particularly concerning because Tennessee spent the offseason actively trying to improve its roster and coaching staff.
asserted
Tennessee → spend → roster
Through Week 5, the Titans rank last in the NFL in both scoring and total offense, averaging just 11.6 points and 246.4 yards per game.
asserted
Titans → rank → game
The winless Titans shouldn't be expected to win many games this season.
asserted
Titans → expect → games
After five weeks, we can also write off the Los Angeles Chargers, who entered the season with nearly the same Super Bowl odds as the Kansas City Chiefs.
asserted
who → write → Chiefs
A team coached by Jim Harbaugh and quarterbacked by Justin Herbert should not be this inept.
asserted
team → coach → Herbert
At 0-5, with games remaining against the Rams, Ravens, Chiefs twice, 49ers, and Patriots, it's difficult to find many wins left on the schedule.
asserted
it → remain → schedule
A midseason parting with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel now seems more plausible than a late-season surge toward the playoffs.
asserted
parting → seem → playoffs
Based strictly on their play, the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers should join this list.
asserted
Saints → base → list
Both teams have won just one game and have deficiencies on both sides of the ball.
asserted
teams → win → ball
Despite relatively high expectations entering the season, the Saints have a minus-33 point differential.
asserted
Saints → enter → differential
Neither team figures to be much of a factor in the postseason, if it gets there at all.
asserted
it → figure → postseason
However, both remain just one game out of first place in the perpetually mediocre NFC South.
asserted
both → remain → South
Likewise, the 1-3-1 Washington Commanders remain viable playoff threats largely because of the lackluster state of the rest of the NFC East.
asserted
Commanders → remain → East
Granted, it's hard to take seriously a team that did that in overtime on Sunday
The 2-3 New York Jets are the final team worth discussing.
asserted
Jets → grant → Sunday
As WWE commentator Michael Cole told OutKick last week, the Jets remain poorly coached and overmatched in the trenches.
asserted
Jets → tell → trenches
But we can't, in good faith, write off a team that sits just one game behind the Patriots and Bills, who play the Rams on Monday night, in the AFC East.
asserted
who → write → East
We suspect the Jets will join this list by the end of October.
asserted
Jets → suspect → October
For now, however, they've played well enough — including competitive games against the Lions and Packers — to keep the light on for a few more weeks.
asserted
they → play → weeks
So, through Week 5, the Dolphins, Cardinals, Titans, and Chargers are the only four teams we're officially declaring "season over."
asserted
we → declare → Week
The rest of the fan bases should at least have hope, even for just a short while longer.
asserted
rest → have → hope
The Aporia
