For three quarters Monday night in Houston (a 30-17 Texans’ victory), they were absolutely unbearable to watch. They couldn’t run the ball (their staple over the years), their defense couldn’t stop Sage Rosenfels and rookie Steve Slaton, and David Garrard couldn’t even drop back to pass without having his center step on his feet and falling down.

The Jags are a perfect example of what happens when a good team (or any team for that matter) doesn’t have an offensive line. Their line has been riddled with injuries this season and everything has fallen apart. Last year the o-line was opening up MAC-truck-sized holes for Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor. This year you couldn’t fit mail between those slots.

Another piece of the puzzle missing this year is Mike Smith – the Jags’ former defensive coordinator who is now the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Many people noted that Smith essentially just ran Jack Del Rio’s defense over the years, but maybe “Smitty” had a bigger impact than people think because Jacksonville’s defense just isn’t the same nasty unit this year as they were in year’s past.

With all that, it’s still amazing how far they’ve fallen. Again, they were rough to watch last night and that was easily the worst Monday Night Football Game of the year. (Although Slaton was fun to watch and I think the Texans’ found a solid running back in last April’s draft.)

Amazing what a team can do when its defense plays well. Things got hairy in the fourth quarter, but the Bengals defense played its best game of the season by continuously coming up with huge plays all afternoon, including stopping the Jags on a 2-point conversation that could have forced overtime.

What happened to Jacksonville? This was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender and they can’t even beat a winless Bengals team. Not only that, but they allowed former Bears’ castoff Cedric Benson to rush for 104 yards and a touchdown, Ryan Fitzpatrick to throw for two scores and Chad Johnson (who had been non-existent before today) to snatch two score his first two TDs of the season.

Everything that worked so well for the Jags last year is working against them this year. David Garrard hasn’t been as sharp, the running game hasn’t been as productive and the defense isn’t as dominant. Jack Del Rio has his work cut out for him in getting his team back on track. It might be too little too late, however.

Upset Watch: Bills (4-0) at Cardinals (2-2), 4:15 PM ET CBS
I’m not fooling oddsmakers by calling this a potential upset because they’ve already established the Cardinals as 1-point favorites. But considering how well the Bills have played this year and how Arizona surrendered 56 points in last weeks loss to the Jets, a Cardinal victory would be an upset. The fact of the matter is that the Cards just flat out play better in the desert than they do on the road. They’re a completely different team and while dynamic wide out Anquan Boldin is not expected to play after suffering a nasal injury last Sunday, the Cards have more than enough offensive weapons to pull out a win. The key will be Kurt Warner not turning the ball over and for the team to play all four quarters. Buffalo has trailed in the second half of three of their four victories this year, which means that they’ve been outstanding in the clutch. Arizona will have to play a complete game to earn a win, but an upset could be in the making.

Intriguing Matchup: Steelers (3-1) at Jaguars (2-2), 8:15 PM ET NBC
The Steelers may be 3-1, but they can’t feel too good about the way things are unraveling as injuries continue to mount. Not only will Pittsburgh go into this game without their top two backs in Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall, but Ben Roethlisberger is also dealing with shoulder and hand injuries and OT Kendall Simmons is now lost for the year. The Steelers had offensive line issues coming into the season with Simmons in their lineup. Now they have to play without him, which isn’t good news for Big Ben and the rest of the offense. The Jaguars started the year 0-2 but are now gaining confidence after beating the Colts and Texans in dramatic fashion over the past two weeks. The running game has opened up the passing attack for David Garrard, who is starting to play like the quarterback who led the Jags deep into the playoffs last season. We’re going to see what Pittsburgh is made of, because Jacksonville is starting to show signs of the Super Bowl contender that everyone that they’d be in preseason.

Other Notable Games:
Titans (4-0) at Ravens (2-1), 1:00 PM ET
Tennessee is one of only two teams still undefeated and perhaps is playing the best defense in the AFC. Rookie Joe Flacco looked like he was starting to come into his home against the Steelers, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares against a tough Titans’ defense.

Buccaneers (3-1) at Broncos (3-1), 4:05 PM ET
This is one of the best matchups on the Week 5 schedule as it pits Monte Kiffin’s defense against the Broncos’ offense, which has been one of the best units in the league so far. Can Denver bounce back from its embarrassing loss to the Chiefs last week? Can the Bucs further convince people that they’re a contender with Brain Griese under center?

Bengals (0-4) at Cowboys (3-1), 4:15 PM ET CBS
Ocho Cinco vs. Grab Your Popcorn. Should be a good one.

For the second week in a row, Jacksonville had to rally late to claim victory. After Houston took the lead 24-20 on Matt Schaub’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Walter midway through the fourth quarter, David Garrard led the Jags down to the Texan 8-yard line before facing a 4th and 8. Garrard then scrambled up the middle for a first down and after the two-minute warning, ran for a 5-yard touchdown to give Jacksonville a 27-24 lead.

Schaub then hit Andre Johnson for a 32-yard pass on the ensuing possession, which set up a Kevin Brown 47-yard field goal to tie it. But Houston’s defense couldn’t stop Garrard from finding Matt Jones on a big passing play in overtime, which set up Scobee’s game-winner.

Not many people figured that Jacksonville would be 2-2 right now and barely beating teams like the winless Texans, but the main thing is that the Jags appear to be getting back on track. The defense didn’t play as well today as it had in previous weeks, but the running game (139 yards today) has looked good the past two games and Garrard has been clutch. Don’t write off the Jags just yet.

It was over when…
In a fourth quarter that saw three lead changes in the final 2:36, Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee kicked a 51-yard field goal to put Jacksonville on top with four seconds remaining in the game.

Game ball
Maurice Jones-Drew got the glory with a 6-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but Fred Taylor did much of the dirty work all day, pacing the Jaguars with 121 yards on 26 carries. On one punishing 34-yard run in the third quarter the 32-year-old running back lowered his head and broke at least four tackles to set up Jones-Drew’s go-ahead touchdown.

Key stat
After recording just 97 total yards in Jacksonville’s first two games, Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 228 yards on 45 carries against the Colts, who were playing without safety Bob Sanders. Jacksonville’s success running the ball allowed the Jaguars to dominate the time of possession (41:35-18:25), including a 26:01 to 3:59 advantage in the second half.

Noteworthy
Jones Drew finished with 161 yards from scrimmage and has now scored at least one touchdown in five career games vs. Indianapolis. … The Colts defense has allowed a 100-yard rusher in every game this season, including two Sunday in Taylor and Jones-Drew.

Well, something had to give. Jacksonville hasn’t been able to run the ball the last two weeks because of a banged up offensive line, and Indianapolis hasn’t been able to stop the run. The Jaguars rushed for 236 yards and looked like a completely different team than they had the previous two weeks. Fred Taylor (26 carries, 121 yards) was outstanding and his 34-yard run was amazing. David Garrard looked better today too, completing 16 of 22 passes for 167 yards, although he did throw a pick. With Houston and a banged up Pittsburgh coming up the next two weeks, the Jags have a chance to get back on track after this win.

The Colts got away with having a poor run defense the year they won the Super Bowl, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case this year. At some point you’d think that Peyton Manning (15 of 29, 216 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs) will get it together and start producing 300-plus yard games with no interceptions. But as of now he looks shaky will he continues to recover from an offseason knee procedure. It’s crazy to think that the Colts are 1-2 right now, but it’s even crazier to think that they’re 0-2 at home. Should have stayed in the RCA Dome.

2. Can Aaron Rodgers continue his hot play?
Rodgers has been absolutely phenomenal so far this season, throwing for 506 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. But he’s also played two suspect defensive backfields in Minnesota and Detroit, so this Sunday’s matchup with Dallas will be a true test of his development at quarterback. The Packers’ offensive line has been excellent in giving Rodgers time to throw, giving up just one sack so far on the season. They’ll need to be equally as good Sunday night, because the Cowboys like to disguise their blitz packages so that LB DeMarcus Ware cannot be double-teamed while rushing the quarterback. Rodgers could use a solid performance out of RB Ryan Grant to help ease the pressure, although Grant didn’t look that good last week against a suspect Detroit front seven. The Eagles proved Monday night that the Cowboy defense is susceptible to giving up the big play, so it’ll be interesting to see whether or not Rodgers can take advantage and keep his team undefeated on the season.

3. Jags’ banged up offensive line vs. the Bob Sanders-less Colts’ run defense
Which will give in first? The Jaguars have had major issues running the ball because of injuries along the offensive line and it has had a trickle down affect on QB David Garrard and the passing game. But Jacksonville will face a weak Colts’ run defense without their best run-defender in safety Bob Sanders, who will miss the next 4-6 weeks because of a high ankle sprain. If the Jags’ running game were every to get back on track, this would be the week to do it, but you can bet Indy will stack the box with eight defenders in hopes that Garrard and the Jacksonville passing game won’t get into a rhythm.

4. Can Gus Frerotte lead the Vikings? Will Adrian Peterson play?
The Vikings dominated the Colts in every phase of the game last Sunday, but walked away with a loss because they settled for field goals instead of being able to punch the ball in for six. This week they face a confident Panthers team, who welcome wide receiver Steve Smith back from a two-game suspension. During the week, Minnesota head coach Brad Childress benched former starter Tarvaris Jackson for 37-year old Gus Frerotte at quarterback. The veteran Frerotte should be an upgrade in the passing game, although if RB Adrian Peterson is limited because of a hamstring injury, Carolina’s defense will be relentless in crashing the pocket. Peterson is expected to play, but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be.

5. Which ’07 playoff team will still be winless after this week?
Jacksonville, Seattle and San Diego are still winless on the year, but the Seahawks and Chargers have favorable matchups this week. Seattle hosts a Rams team that has been absolutely brutal in both of their games this season, while San Diego is at home against the Jets on Monday night. The Jaguars won’t have it easy on the road against the Colts, but Indianapolis hasn’t looked sharp so far this season, either. It’s hard to imagine that all three of these teams will still be winless after this Sunday, but anything is possible in the unpredictable NFL.

But all five of these teams have started the 2008 season 0-2. And all five teams have major issues.

So is it time for these teams to the hit the panic button? Let’s take a closer look.

Cleveland Browns

What’s gone right: Not much. The only real bright spot offensively has been TE Kellen Winslow Jr., who has 12 receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown. And DT Shaun Rogers, the team’s top offseason acquisition, has made an immediate impact with 10 tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss.

What’s gone wrong: Everything. The defense was brutal in Week 1 against Dallas, but bounced back in Week 2 against Pittsburgh (thanks in large part to bad weather conditions and Ben Roethlisberger’s bum shoulder). The offense that averaged over 25 points a game last year has managed just 16 points total in two games this year. Turnovers, penalties, poor quarterback play (Derek Anderson currently has a QB rating of 57.1), and bad coaching have buried this team so far.

Time to hit the panic button? Yes. The Browns’ poor preseason play has carried over into the regular season and the schedule doesn’t get any easier with the Ravens, Giants, Jaguars, Broncos and Bills coming up over the next eight weeks. Outside of Rogers, the offseason acquisitions Cleveland made on defense have not paid off and the offense has been non-existent. Worse yet, the Browns aren’t sneaking up on anyone this year and Romeo Crennel is starting to look overmatched once again.

Jacksonville Jaguars

What’s gone right: Even though they did play the Titans (and their below average passing attack) in Week 1, the Jaguars defense has held opponents to less than 200 yards through the air in their first two games. The run defense hasn’t been that bad either, even though they’ve allowed an average of 106 yards per game.

What’s gone wrong: The two things that made the Jags successful last year, the running game and David Garrard’s (above) mistake-free play, have both gone against the team this year. Shockingly, Jacksonville has averaged just 65.5 yards on the ground in two games and Garrard has already thrown three interceptions, which matches is entire total from last season. The defense has also been bad in the clutch, giving up go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter in each of the Jags’ two losses.

Time to hit the panic button? No. Jacksonville is still a playoff contender, but they need to start executing. It doesn’t help that the offensive line is banged up, but Garrard must stop turning the ball over and the running game has to get out of its rut. The defense, which has been left on the field entirely too long, should be fine once the offense starts to pick up. But things don’t get any easier with the Colts and Steelers coming up in the next three weeks.

Minnesota Vikings

What’s gone right: Forget about RB Adrian Peterson having a sophomore slump; the second year back has already rushed for 263 yards and a 5.5 YPC average. What’s more impressive is that he’s been effective despite not having LT Bryant McKinnie (suspension) opening holes for him on the offensive line.

What’s gone wrong: A couple things. One, Tarvaris Jackson hasn’t done enough in the passing game. He hasn’t been bad by any means, but he needs to make more big plays, especially with defenses loading up to stop Peterson and the running game. Secondly, the team gave up a first round pick to acquire DE Jared Allen in the offseason and even though he registered his first sack of the season last week, his presence hasn’t helped the secondary like the Vikes thought it would. Minnesota’s defensive backfield, which ranked dead last in the league in 2007, continues to give up big plays.

Time to hit the panic button? No. The Vikings’ offensive line will get a boost when McKinnie returns in a couple of weeks and with Peterson running like a man possessed, Jackson simply needs to make more plays in the passing game for the offense to start clicking. One would think that Allen would eventually get going, which should only help the secondary. But these things need to start happening now because the schedule doesn’t get any lighter over the next three weeks with the Panthers, Titans and Saints coming up.

San Diego Chargers

What’s gone right: Philip Rivers has been absolutely fantastic in the passing game, completing over 60% of his passes for 594 yards, six touchdowns and a QB rating of 122.5. WR Chris Chambers has also resurrected his career in the early going, hauling in five catches for 127 yards and three touchdowns.

What’s gone wrong: LaDainian Tomlinson (right) has been limited due to a foot injury and the loss of LB Shawne Merriman (knee/ out of the season) has really hampered the Chargers’ defensive pass rush. Speaking of the defense, the unit has been shredded for big plays in the second halves of each of San Diego’s two losses. They gave up 31 first half points to the Broncos on Sunday and 486 total yards. The secondary has been absolutely torched and currently ranks dead last against the pass in the AFC.

Time to hit the panic button? No. Had the defense batted a Jake Delhomme touchdown pass down in the end zone in Week 1 and Jay Cutler’s non-fumble call go there way last week, San Diego would be 2-0. It’s only a matter of time before LT is healthy again and with Rivers playing as well as he is, the offense is going to be dangerous all season. Plus, even if Tomlinson misses time, Darren Sproles has proven he can keep the running game afloat with his game-breaking speed. But for the Chargers to turn things around, the defense has to prove it can generate a push rush without Merriman and the secondary has to stop giving up big plays. Brett Favre and the Jets will be a challenge next week but after that, the Chargers face the Raiders and Dolphins, so they could easily be 3-2 when the Patriots come to down on Sunday night in Week 6.

Seattle Seahawks

What’s gone right: Outside of Julius Jones rushing for over 100 yards against the 49ers last Sunday, not much. The run defense actually hasn’t been that bad either, allowing less than 100 yards per game, but teams are still finding ways to put the ball in the end zone while averaging over 30 points a game.

What’s gone wrong: Anything and everything. Aside from having practice squad players line up at receiver because the team has been ransacked by injuries, the Seahawks’ defense and special teams have been brutal, and Matt Hasselbeck (48.6 QB rating) is off to an atrocious start.

Time to hit the panic button? Yes. The passing game should get a boost when Bobby Engram and Deion Branch return in a few weeks, but with how bad the defense is playing the Seahawks could be starring at 1-5 or 0-6 by the time that happens. Had they held on to a two-touchdown lead at home against the 49ers last Sunday, things probably wouldn’t have seemed that bad. But with division rival Arizona off to a hot start, the Hawks’ reign in the NFC West seems to be coming to an end.