Every NFL season reaches this point where the standings stop telling the truth. Teams with the worst records start playing with nothing to lose. Young players settle in. Coaches finally figure out what actually works. And heading into Week 12, there are a few bottom-tier squads showing real signs they’re about to finish stronger than they started.
Right now, the Jets, Commanders, and Raiders all have losing records as well as the worst records, but they might have what it takes to start trending upward at the exact time other struggling teams begin to fall apart.
From Worst Records To Playoffs?
New York Jets (2–8) — From collapse to competitiveness
The Jets’ early season has resulted in them having one of the worst records so far, plus it was rough enough to break most franchises. The offense couldn’t function, the quarterback room looked overwhelmed, and they hit rock bottom with a game that featured negative passing yards. That’s not something you see in modern football.
But despite the chaos, the Jets finally started looking like a team with some fight in them. The win over Cincinnati flipped something internally, not because it was perfect, but because New York played with confidence for the first time all year. They stopped hesitating. They stopped waiting for disasters. They stopped playing scared.
The biggest shift is energy. The Jets are faster, more decisive, and clearly more engaged on both sides of the ball. The defense hasn’t quit even though they’ve been put in impossible positions. Young players are developing in real time. And Aaron Glenn still clearly has the locker room.
Having one of the worst records in the NFL is still brutal, and the postseason isn’t the conversation. But as a team that hit bottom early, they’re finally climbing. They have enough talent and enough fire right now to make their final stretch far more competitive than their September would’ve suggested.
Washington Commanders (3–8) — A bad record that doesn’t match what’s on film
Washington has been one of the most misleading teams of the season. At 3–8, they look like another NFC team limping through November, but when you actually watch their games, the picture is different.
They’ve been in multiple one-score matchups. They’ve hung around against teams they shouldn’t have been close with. They’ve avoided the midseason quit that usually hits teams with records like this. And now that they’re finally getting healthier, the roster is starting to look balanced again.
Their defense is inconsistent but dangerous when it’s locked in. Their offense is beginning to move the ball more efficiently, and the overall rhythm of the team feels far more stable than it did a month ago. Washington is not a walkover — and as the schedule lightens up, they’re positioned to be one of those late-season teams that suddenly starts taking games off playoff hopefuls.
They have one of the worst records in football which means they’re not turning the season around in the standings, but they’re trending toward a strong finish that gives them something to build on. And that’s a very real bounce-back arc for a team that’s played better than its record all year.
Las Vegas Raiders (2–7) — Steadying themselves at the right time
The Raiders roll into Monday Night Football tonight at 2–7, and the start of their season was every bit as rough as the record suggests. The offense couldn’t sustain drives, the quarterback situation kept shifting, and the defense spent too much time cleaning up short fields and sudden-change disasters.
But over the last few weeks, the Raiders stopped looking chaotic and started looking stable. And for a team with their talent level, stability is the key ingredient.
The quarterback situation finally settled. The offense began to move with structure instead of scrambling for solutions. The run game opened up again. And the defense — which has been competitive all year — kept giving the team chances even during rough stretches.
What stands out with Vegas is the body language. Teams with two wins in late November usually look disconnected or defeated. The Raiders don’t. They still play with urgency. They still swarm to the ball. They still buy into what the staff is preaching. And that edge alone puts them ahead of most bottom-tier teams right now.
If the Raiders win tonight, they’re 3–7 with a manageable stretch ahead. If they lose, they still remain one of the more capable rebound candidates simply because the foundation is healthier than it’s been all year. Although they do have one of the worst records this year, they do have strong future talent.
