Evaluating the 16 NFL teams with losing records through Week 3

Second-year RB Rashard Mendenhall has been a disappointment so far for Pittsburgh. AP John Lopez's Mailbag Submit a comment or question to John Lopez. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND

The sky is falling in Tennessee, they're on suicide watch in Pittsburgh and dogs and cats are living together in Buffalo.

And that doesn't even begin to describe the angst and worry gripping fans in biblical proportions in Houston, Arizona, Washington and other NFL locales. Three weeks into the 2009 season, early trends have some teams that were expected to do big things flopping, badly.

Some teams with 1-2 or 0-3 records won't recover and everyone knows it. But others just might turn things around. Let's look at the chances of that happening.

(Don Banks breaks down the 16 NFL teams with a winning record here.)

There's Still Hope

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) -- It's more than just All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu's absence that is haunting the defending Super Bowl champs. There are other deficiencies cropping up, including flat-out busts in the making in first- and second-round 2008 draft picks Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed. Blowing your top two picks in any draft is going to impact any team, even the Steelers. Mendenhall's work ethic, or lack thereof, has cost him touches. And Sweed's drops have been crucial.

In other ways, as much as the Steelers collectively vowed not to fall victim to a Super Bowl hangover, it very much looks like this team could use a couple of Advil and several strong cups of coffee. The dominant Steelers defense is having trouble creating turnovers and making crucial stops.

If coach Mike Tomlin can shake the doldrums and Polamalu returns 100 percent, the schedule gets easy enough over the middle portion of the year that the Steelers should be able to regain form.

Arizona Cardinals (1-2) -- You're not just being paranoid, Cardinals fans. The rest of the football world does, in fact, think the 2008 Super Bowl run was a fluke. Your team is even playing like it.

There is no doubting the talent in key spots on this team, beginning with quarterback Kurt Warner, receiver Larry Fitzgerald and extraordinarily gifted safety Adrian Wilson. But holes are getting exposed on the offensive line, at cornerback and the running game. Tackling and fundamental blocking assignments have been exposed.

In Sunday night's nationally televised game against the Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning shredded the defending NFC champs, while Dwight Freeney pitched a tent in the Cardinals backfield, harassing Warner and running backs all night. The Cardinals have gotten virtually nothing from Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells, ranking last in the league in rushing offense. That's no way to get back to the playoffs, much less make another big run.

But alas, there is hope. Arizona has a bye week, which could not have come at a better time. Ken Whisenhunt will work heavy on fundamentals while making some serious personnel decisions. And of course, the Cards do play in the soft NFC West and catch a few breaks in the schedule, too.

Besides two games against the lowly Rams, the Cards also will face the Lions and come off the bye week at home against the Texans, who have the league's worst run defense. Don't panic just yet. Arizona still could get there from here.

Buffalo Bills (1-2) -- Make no mistake, this team has severe issues defensively that likely will cost them at important moments all season long. Worse, it is a defense already hit with big injuries, most recently secondary starters Leodis McKelvin (leg) and Donte Whitner (hand).

But when you step back and look at just how well the Bills have played in spurts, the soft upcoming schedule and the likelihood of key missing elements returning big, I'd bet on the Bills making a run before their division rival Dolphins, or even the 2-1 but struggling Patriots. Keep in mind, the Bills had the Pats flat-out beat before an ill-conceived kick return and fumble by McKelvin.

And look here: Their only other loss was to the sizzling New Orleans Saints. Also, rest assured that Dick Jauron is going to make sure free-agent splash Terrell Owens doesn't go another game without getting a touch. There also is the return this week of leading rusher Marshawn Lynch, who was suspended the first three games for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

As for the schedule, the Dolphins' misfortune of losing quarterback Chad Pennington to injury is to the Bills' advantage as they head to Miami for Sunday's division game. And including Sunday's game, five of the Bills' next six opponents are a combined 1-14. Tighten up the defense and, sure, this could be a big year for a Bills resurgence.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) -- The Jaguars knew the only chance they had to make any kind of big step forward was to follow the knee-pumping little steps of Maurice Jones-Drew. The Jags did that in a must-win victory over the Texans on Sunday, pouncing on an end zone fumble in the final moments.

And all of a sudden the Jaguars look a lot smarter and better than they did after season-opening losses to the Super Bowl-contending Colts and defending NFC champion Cardinals.

Besides Jones-Drew stepping into the featured-back role in a big way with a 61-yard touchdown blast in Houston, quarterback David Garrard is fitting into the game-management role nicely and has found a pair of reliable receivers in Mike Sims-Walker and free-agent acquisition Torry Holt.

After a few early burps, the defense also is finding a comfort zone in its switch from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. They have found a gem at defensive tackle in third-round pick Terrance Knighton, who's a perfect complement to the veteran John Henderson.

The Jags may play in football's toughest division, but clearly are on the rise, while the Titans are winless and the 1-2 Texans have one of the league's worst defenses. Jacksonville still will be looking up at the Colts by season's end, but there is a definite opportunity to make a run.