Time could be running out for a handful of expected contenders, whose early-season woes have spilled over into the second quarter of the schedule and now leave these teams in holes that will soon be impossible to escape from.

After showing a burst of life, winning two games and rebounding from a 1-4 start, the Cincinnati Bengals were eliminated at home by the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Now 3-5, they’re hoping a date with the hapless Las Vegas Raiders allows them to take a step back in the right direction. Joe Burrow just can’t seem to get the support of a healthy arsenal or a stout defense when he needs it most. Fortunately for the Bengals, who trail the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, the Raiders are in even worse shape.

Meanwhile, division rival Cleveland is also in do-or-die mode. At 2-6, a season turnaround and a playoff push seems like a gamble. Jameis Winston, however, has taken over as quarterback and provided the spark in Baltimore’s upset last week. He’ll look to do so again on Sunday when the Browns host the Los Angeles Chargers as they go for their first two-game win streak of the season.

In the AFC East, 6-2 Buffalo hosts Miami and looks to take another step toward clinching the division before the regular season even reaches its final month. However, the Dolphins have their man Tua Tagovailoa back at quarterback and they’re hoping he can build on last week’s promising performance in a heartbreaking 28-27 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Pointing to the 2021 season, when the Dolphins rebounded from 1-7 to finish 9-8, Tagovailoa and his teammates refuse to give up hope. They believe that with a strong second half of the season they can position themselves for a return to the play-offs. But without upsetting the host Bills on Sunday, such a quest will prove nearly impossible.

And then there’s Dallas. At 3-4, the Cowboys are certainly not out of the woods mathematically speaking. But their warts abound, and solutions to their subpar offense don’t seem readily available. Their defense could get some reinforcements soon, but Micah Parsons doesn’t appear healthy enough to return this week. So this week’s road trip to Atlanta, where the 5-3 Falcons look to extend their lead in the NFC South, could prove to be Dallas’ biggest challenge. Another loss could put Mike McCarthy’s team too far behind Washington and Philadelphia in the NFC East.