This season is not shaping up for a bounceback

I honestly thought we'd be sitting around 2-1 right now, and optimistically I had the Texans starting the season 4-0 before heading to M&T Bank Stadium. The Bucs and Rams are better than advertised, and apparently the Texans have regressed enough that we're on par with the Jags.

Only six NFL teams (including the Texans, who were the last team to do it in 2018) have made the playoffs after starting 0-3. There is a get-right game coming up against the Titans, but then it's a possible murderer's row of a season (depending on how the concurrent weeks shake out) – as it stands now:

Titans: also 0-3 – this is a must win. Only one team – the 1992 Chargers – have ever started 0-4 and made the playoffs.

Then we have:

Ravens: currently 1-1; I do not have confidence that the Texans can beat the Ravens.
Seahawks: 2-1 – the NFC west is CRAZY this year – everyone has a winning record.
49ers: 3-0, with a one-game lead on everyone else in the division!
Broncos: 1-2; winnable game against 2nd year QB with very few weapons.
Jaguars: 2-1; should've been a winnable game THIS week, alas…
Titans: again, 0-3 and terrible – still a must win for any shot at the playoffs.
Bills: 3-0; no chance the way we're currently playing.
Colts: 3-0; the actual f**k?
Chiefs: 1-2; also, the actual f**k? Did they finally fall off the cliff?
Cardinals: 2-1 (zuh?)
Raiders: 1-2 and terrible – must win
Chargers: 3-0; (see Bills above)
Colts (to finish off the season) – I still don't know what to think about these guys. They have a point differential of +47…that is number one in the NFL (Bills are in second with +31)

So, as I see it – currently on paper – wins against the Titans (twice), the Broncos, the Jags in a revenge match, the Raiders, and a split (hopefully) with the Colts. That's 6 wins. Tell me where another four wins are coming on this schedule in this way-too-early, small sample size, panic.

You could talk me into the wins against the Seahawks, and a down Chiefs team…so there's 8 wins optimistically.

I mean, the good news? So far, we haven't been beaten by more than a touchdown, so we're still *in* every game. Maybe the defense can get better so we don't have to score more than 17 a game? 14?