NFL Week 9: The Most Disappointing Teams Through the First 8 Weeks of the Season

Week 8 of the NFL Season is officially over and while some teams are sitting pretty at the top of their division, there are other teams that have played poorly who are looking up at the division leaders.

These teams have either been extremely inconsistent with their play on the field, or consistently bad week in and week out.

While some of these underachieving teams are trying to save their season in time to make a playoff push, others are participating in the "Suck for Luck" contest. The team with the worst record in the NFL will presumably take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the first overall pick and it's a tight race at this point. So I guess you can say that all of these teams have something to play for.

Anyway you look at it, there are cities' fanbases that are very disappointed with their team's play at the halfway point of the regular season.

Grab your tomatoes and let the boo-birds fly, because these teams have had their share of rough moments this year. 

Indianapolis Colts, No Peyton Manning, 0-8 Record

Not many people assumed that the Indianapolis Colts were going to do well, especially with their star quarterback Peyton Manning out for the season with a neck injury. But who would have expected that they would be THIS bad?

After losing 27-10 to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, October 30th, the Colts are now 0-8 and are one of two winless teams at this point in the season.

In the eight games, the Colts have been outscored 252-131, which includes a 62-7 shellacking at the hands of the New Orleans Saints.

While many blame owner Jim Irsay for not being prepared for a circumstance like this, this team is truly a 180 from the team that was 10-6 and AFC South Champions last year.

With Andrew Luck available at the top of the draft board, and with the Colts winning the "Suck for Luck" contest at this point, owner Jim Irsay might have a tough decision next year.

St. Louis Rams Sitting at the Bottom of NFC West

After recording a 7-9 record and just missing the playoffs last year with rookie quarterback Sam Bradford leading the team, one would expect that the St. Louis Rams would have no where to go but up.

This has not been the case for the 1-6 Rams who are tied with the Arizona Cardinals for the worst record in the NFC. With the resurgence of the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams will have no chance to make the playoffs this year.

With Sam Bradford missing the last two games and running back Steven Jackson battling injuries, the Rams have had a tough time getting in a groove offensively.

Despite being Bradford-less, the Rams were able to defeat the high-powered New Orleans Saints' offense. This victory might have saved head coach Steve Spagnuolo's job for the time being. If the Rams continue to play uninspired football, he might find himself back in hot water very soon.

Atlanta Falcons Are Third in the NFC South

Last year the Atlanta Falcons were 13-3 and the top seed in the NFC.

This year they haven't been as dominant. After eight weeks they are currently 4-3 and are third in the NFC South.

After getting beaten handily by the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and losing to their division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 3, the Falcons put themselves in a hole early in the season.

After defeating the Lions in Week 7, it seems as if the Falcons might be headed in the right direction.

They are only half a game back of the Saints at the moment, but their offense and secondary needs to be more consistent.

Kevin Kolb and the Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals had to address the hole they had at the quarterback position this offseason.

They believed that they did just that by acquiring Kevin Kolb.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they traded a staple of their secondary, cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, in order to acquire Kolb.

Although Kolb has not been terrible, he has had a tough time adjusting to the Cardinals offensive scheme. Along with some of their struggles on offense, the Cardinals also have the 30th ranked pass defense in the league. Seems like they needed Rodgers-Cromartie more than they thought.

After a heartbreaking loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, the Cardinals are also 1-6.

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have been nothing short of disappointing this year.

After getting manhandled by the Philadelphia Eagles 34-7 in Week 8, there isn't much hope for the Cowboys and their playoff chances.

There have been three games this season where quarterback Tony Romo has not executed in the fourth quarter. Romo has been the butt of jokes that compare him to Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. His inability to come through in vital moments is one of the many reasons why the Cowboys find themselves at 3-4. 

San Diego Chargers Struggling in the AFC West

On Monday Night Football the San Diego Chargers lost to the Jamaal Charles-less and Eric Berry-less Kansas City Chiefs in overtime 23-20.

Although they are favorites to win the division, the Chargers now share the lead with the Oakland Raiders and the revived Kansas City Chiefs. 

After blowing a lead against the New York Jets in Week 7, the Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers blew another opportunity for a win yesterday when he fumbled the snap in the last minute of the game despite being in field goal position.

If the Chargers want to be considered a legitimate playoff contender, they need to lock down wins against divisional foes.

Philadelphia Eagles' Well Documented Troubles

Last, but certainly not least—the Philadelphia Eagles.

After the lockout was lifted, the Eagles were very active in the free agent market. Those key acquisitions made them the "clear-cut" favorites to win the NFC East, if not the Super Bowl.

The Eagles became the NFL's version of the Miami Heat.

Let's just say Philly has not lived up to their expectations as of yet. They started out of the gate going 1-4, which includes three straight blown leads to the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers.

After beating the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys in consecutive weeks, it seems as if the Eagles are back on track. They will need to be if they want to catch the New York Giants, who are leading the NFC East.

As author Junot Diaz says "Success, after all, loves a witness, but failure can't exist without one.” If the Eagles don't make the playoffs, there will be millions of witnesses.