It’s the unofficial midway point of the NFL season…well, sort of.
With 17 regular season games now on the slate, eight games played is now more of an approximate line of demarcation.
Even still, we have had a two-month sample size of games to digest and analyze.
Certain things have gone according to plan, like the Buffalo Bills proving that they are once again the class of the AFC East.
Derrick Henry (before his foot injury) predictably was running circles around the league from the backfield.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain a force to be reckoned with and have an excellent chance to defend their Super Bowl crown.
On the other side of the coin, we’ve had some pretty eye-opening surprises.
We’ll take a closer look at the teams with the most astonishing win-loss records at this point in the year.
1. Miami Dolphins
After the Dolphins barely missed out on postseason play in 2020, they were expected to be squarely in the mix for an AFC wild card berth in 2021.
Head coach Brian Flores was viewed as one of the premier leader of men in the league, and Tua Tagovailoa’s supporting cast was bolstered by the drafting of Jaylen Waddle and signing of Will Fuller.
Yet, here we are in early November, and they sit at 1-7 in the cellar of the AFC East.
They could be 0-8 if not for an untimely fumble by New England Patriots running back Damien Harris in Week 1.
DeVante Parker and Fuller have missed significant time this season, but it was hard to fathom that they would be 1-7 after the first eight games.
2. Las Vegas Raiders
Heading into the 2021 season, a 5-2 record after seven contests probably wouldn’t have been too hard to buy into for the Raiders.
They spent a lot of resources on improving their defense, and they had some impressive weapons on offense around quarterback Derek Carr.
However, the amount of adversity the team has had to go through in the middle of the season has been immense, which makes their win-loss tally a bit surprising.
Former head coach Jon Gruden was embroiled in controversy after the team’s home loss to the Chicago Bears.
Owner Mark Davis had spent years trying to lure Gruden away from the Monday Night Football booth to return to coach Las Vegas and gave him a ten-year contract, but his demise was swift.
He ended up resigning before the Raiders played the division-rival Broncos on the road.
Interim head coach Rich Bisaccia has kept the ship afloat, and they deserve credit for persevering.
With the Henry Ruggs news of the last couple days, the team’s resolve will once again be tested.
See you all next week 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Fs1ghj6T79
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) October 31, 2021
3. Kansas City Chiefs
With a generational team like the Chiefs, and an infrastructure featuring some legendary talent, it’s hard to believe that they are currently at .500 with a 4-4 record.
A team led by Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce should vie for the conference’s overall top seed perennially assuming health.
It isn’t like the three pillars of the Chiefs offense have missed time due to injury, so their lack of effectiveness has been a bit perplexing.
Kansas City has fallen to the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, and Tennessee Titans—all of whom might make the playoffs this season.
But for a dynamic team like the Chiefs, this type of futility is very surprising.
They might be getting a little bored of the regular season knowing their true tests will come in the playoffs, but they’ll need to start playing better to establish momentum heading in.
NEXT: Saints Have A Difficult QB Decision To Make Going Forward"Our guys battled. They didn't give up on each other."
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 2, 2021