Two Sides of a Disappointing First Half

The Miami Dolphins are among four 2023 playoff teams with a losing record.

Tyler Bass boots a 61-yard field goal with five seconds left to give the Bills a 30-27 win over the Dolphins. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins reached the halfway point of the NFL season with a 2-6 record, matching their loss total for the entire 17 games of 2023 in eight games.

But the Dolphins are far from the only team that has yet to achieve or satisfy so far this season. They are one of three teams that made the playoffs last season to currently have a losing record, along with the Cleveland Browns (2-7), Dallas Cowboys (3-5), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5).

Then there are those teams that didn't make the playoffs last season but came with high expectations, such as the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

So, where do the Dolphins rank among the most disappointing teams of 2024 to this point? And, more importantly, where do they stand in terms of which of those teams has the best chance to make a second-half run?

WHERE THE DOLPHINS RANK AMONG THE MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAMS

While the concussion that sidelined Tua Tagvailoa for four games doesn't completely justify the Dolphins' poor record — they're 1-3 in the games he has started — it's pretty safe to suggest they'd have a better mark had it not happened.

For that reason, maybe the Dolphins' collapse from 11-6 to 2-6 so far isn't as dramatic as Jacksonville's going from 9-8 to 2-7 and looking really bad in the process, Cleveland's going from 11-6 to 2-7, or the Cowboys' going from 12-5 and the No. 2 seed in the NFC to 3-5.

The Jets, of course, were a mediocre 7-10 last season, but things were supposed to be different if Aaron Rodgers could stay in the lineup, but they haven't, despite the fact he has.

With the Bengals, this might be a case of unrealistic expectations, but they were 9-8 last year, with Joe Burrow missing the end of the season. He's back and playing lights out, but Cincinnati is at 4-6 because it can't finish games.

We could throw in San Francisco in the group because the 49ers are only 4-4 after going to the Super Bowl last year, but we'll leave them out because they don't have a losing record and figure to make a run with Christian McCaffrey about to return to the lineup.

What is our ranking of the most disappointing teams in the NFL so far in 2024?

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7)
2. New York Jets (3-6)
3. Miami Dolphins (2-6)
4. Dallas Cowboys (3-5)
5. Cleveland Browns (2-7)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)

WHERE THE DOLPHINS RANK AMONG THE DISAPPOINTING TEAMS MOST LIKELY TO MAKE A RUN

It's pretty easy to dismiss the Jaguars, Browns, and Cowboys immediately because Trevor Lawrence, who hasn't come close to playing up to the level of his new contract, is nursing a shoulder injury, the Browns are resetting after trading Amari Cooper, and Za'Darius Smith, and the Cowboys are going to be without Dak Prescott for at least four games after putting him on injured reserve.

The Dolphins will face the Jets twice in their final five games, and if either team can sweep, that will obviously help propel a second-half push.

At this time, the Dolphins have a slightly more difficult schedule ahead than the Jets, though each has a tricky road game this week, the Jets at Arizona and the Dolphins facing the L.A. Rams at SoFi Stadium on Monday night.

Cincinnati's schedule is favorable for making a run if it can get past the L.A. Chargers next week. That's followed by three home games and roadies against the Prescott-less Cowboys and Tennessee Titans.

So, what's the final verdict for the disappointing team most likely to make a second-half run?

1. New York Jets
2. Miami Dolphins
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Dallas Cowboys
5. Jacksonville Jaguars
6. Cleveland Browns