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St Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger feels the defence - Source: Getty -
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As in any sport, there are winners, and then there are losers.
So far this season there are plenty of teams drowning in the waters of the NFL while others charge ahead to the playoffs.
Fumbles, interceptions, leaky defence and just plain ugly football are a feature of these unlucky franchises.
Let's take a look at some of the worst sides in the league right now;
St Louis Rams (0-7)
Oh how the mighty have fallen.
The Rams won the Super Bowl in 2000 with Kurt Warner as their quarterback, Marshall Faulk at running back and wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce in their prime. There was no question they were the best team in the NFL by a long shot.
Fast forward to 2009 and there's absolutely no doubt St Louis is now the WORST team around. Winless so far, the Rams have only scored 60 points through seven games while allowing in 211 points at an average of just over 30 per game. Their terrible defence is matched only by their inept offence which has only scored six touchdowns all season.
But why? The Rams have one of the NFL's best running backs in Steven Jackson who is third in the league for rushing yards (613). The problem is however, he's still yet to find the endzone. Quarterback Marc Bulger was tipped as the next golden boy after he took over behind centre but has thus far failed to live up to the hype. There's no doubt he has talent but a combination of injuries and lack weapons around him (bar Jackson) means it'll be a stretch to even win a game this season.
For now the Rams face an arduous rebuilding period before they can even think about reliving past glories.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)
All is not good in the Bay with our second winless side offering little for fans to cheer about.
Second-year quarterback Josh Johnson is still warming into his new side with a lot of pressure falling on Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams in the backfield. For opposing sides the equation is pretty simple - shut down the Bucs' running game and you shut down their offence.
Tampa Bay's aggressive defence, led by veteran Ronde Barber, is likely the only thing that will spark anything noteworthy this season. Having said that, their 35-7 loss to the New England Patriots in week seven is a worrying sign.
Tennessee Titans (0-6)
The Titans, while not the worst team going around in the NFL, do win the prize for biggest letdown.
A 13-3 record in 2008 had tipsters picking another huge year for the Titans but that theory has been blown out of the water.
Kerry Collins has failed to inspire a sputtering offence and despite six straight losses, coach Jeff Fisher refuses to give quarterback Vince Young another shot following his brat-like actions after being benched last year to keep a red-hot Collins in the game.
Much like the Rams, the Titans have a great running back in Chris Johnson but one man is simply not enough. Tennessee's usually hard-nosed defence has also been left wanting this season - allowing an average of 33 points per game.
Notable mentions
The Detriot Lions (1-5) and Cleveland Browns (1-6) are obligatory additions thanks to their terrible records.
Thankfully the Lions, who lost all 16 games last season, have already picked up one win in 2009. I guess that's a victory in itself. Meanwhile, the world will keep an eye on Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson and wonder if his stats can possibly get any worse than they already are next week.
