NFL Power Rankings: 5 Teams in Most Dire Need of a Bye Week

It's only early October, but several NFL squads are already struggling.

Some teams are injury-riddled and can't seem to find any luck. Others are just not putting the pieces together and are struggling to execute. A couple squads entered the season with Super Bowl aspirations and are now in panic mode.

These franchises desperately need a break to lick their wounds and regain their footing. 

Here are the five teams that are in the most dire need of a bye week (Author's note: St. Louis and Miami are bad enough to be on this list, but they just had their bye).

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jack Del Rio's Jags need a bye week to figure out how to score some points.

Jacksonville has a decent run game, along with a respectable defense. But when it comes to the passing game, they're at rock-bottom. Luke McCown failed miserably, so he was replaced with rookie Blaine Gabbert.

Unfortunately, Gabbert is also ineffective. Sure, he hasn't turned the ball over. But he hasn't done many positive things, either.

Combine Gabbert's inexperience with a mediocre receiving corps, and you've got the perfect recipe for the worst-ranked pass offense in the NFL. The Jaguars need to find a way to improve the passing game to keep defenses honest.

Arizona Cardinals

When Larry Fitzgerald only has two touchdowns thus far, you know it's been a rough month for the Cardinals.

Arizona (1-4) has been on the losing end of some tough battles so far, but they have also had a couple ugly defeats. Their biggest problem has been protecting Kevin Kolb. Five games into the season, Kolb has already been sacked 16 times, losing 117 yards in the process.

The defense hasn't exactly picked up the slack. The Cards rank 21st in the league in pass defense, and 19th in the league in run defense.

The good news for Arizona is they actually have their bye week coming up. Back to the drawing board.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Don't worry, the Buccaneers are still in the playoff hunt. But they need a bye week to calm down and dust themselves off after getting embarrassed by San Francisco 48-3 on Sunday.

Tampa Bay failed in every phase of the game, and the ugliest aspect of the afternoon was how the team lost its composure. Multiple unsportsmanlike penalties and other blunders highlighted a forgettable afternoon for the Bucs.

San Francisco ran all over Tampa's defense for 213 rushing yards, and lit up the scoreboard for 48 points. On offense, the usually reliable Josh Freeman was 17-33 with 2 interceptions. They need to regain their rhythm if they want to make the postseason.

Indianapolis Colts

With Peyton Manning out, the Colts need much more than a bye week.

Even though they were competitive against the Chiefs on Sunday, they still have a handful of insurmountable weaknesses.

Manning's absence has revealed how inferior the rest of the roster is. The run defense has been atrocious, and their own running game isn't anything to brag about.

Barring a miraculous turnaround, the rest of the Colts season might as well be a "bye season."

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles could have met preseason expectations if they weren't so busy tripping over their own mistakes.

Offensively, they've been inconsistent, and on defense they can't seem to stop the run. Michael Vick is either getting injured or turning the ball over (he leads the NFL with seven fumbles) and everyone in Philadelphia is calling for Andy Reid's dismissal after a 1-4 start.

They need a break to adjust their chinstraps and return to Eagles football. Much like last year's Cowboys, this squad needs to learn how to use all their talent as one cohesive unit.

It's still early, and there's still time for the Eagles to turn their season around in the always-turbulent NFC East.