Desperate teams can make dramatic moves in the NFL, especially when they believe that change can jump-start a path to the postseason. We saw a prime example of this during the week when the New York Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh and demoted offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

“We are not where we should be given our expectations, and I believe now is the best time for us to move in a different direction,” franchise owner Woody Johnson said in a statement.

The timing of the move was a bit odd, considering New York is 2-3 and can take over first place in the AFC East with a win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. The motive was clear, however. The Jets believed that a bold move was needed to salvage their 2024 season.

It’s highly unlikely that Saleh’s firing will be the last bold decision we see from a struggling team this season. Here, we’ll examine the league’s seven one-win teams, their biggest issues through five weeks and one hypothetical move that each should consider before its season spirals out of control.

The Carolina Panthers have already made one bold move this season, benching 2023 first overall pick Bryce Young in favor of journeyman quarterback Andy Dalton. The switch to Dalton immediately helped Carolina record its first win, and the Panthers offense has at least been functional with him under center.

Now, it seems that Carolina’s biggest issue is a sieve of a defense that ranks dead-last in points allowed.

The Panthers’ defensive struggles aren’t totally surprising. The team traded starting cornerback Donte Jackson in the offseason, and it has lost star defensive tackle Derrick Brown to a season-ending knee injury. Other key defenders have missed time as well.

Still, Carolina has taken a huge step back after ranking fourth in yards allowed last season. Its defensive production was a big reason why new head coach Dave Canales retained defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.

Evero refuses to blame the defensive regression on the team’s personnel (or lack thereof).

“We’ve lost a couple along the way,” Evero said, per Darin Gantt and Kassidy Hill of the team’s official website. “But there really is no excuse, and there isn’t because we are more than capable of playing well. We’ve just got to continue to coach better and strive to play better.”

There’s certainly no guarantee that replacing Evero will result in better coaching—or better play—but what the Panthers are doing now isn’t working. Carolina should follow the Jets’ lead and consider demoting one of its coordinators in an effort to improve a lagging unit.

As for internal replacement candidates, the Panthers have a couple. Defensive line coach Todd Wash and senior defensive assistant Dom Capers have both been defensive coordinators at the NFL level.

The Cincinnati Bengals may not consider moving on from defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo—though linebackers coach James Bettcher has coordinator experience and could be a potential replacement if they do.

Still, something needs to change.

The Bengals rank 30th in rushing yards allowed, 18th in passing yards allowed, 26th in total yards allowed and 31st in points allowed. Their bad defense has offset a top-10 offense and has contributed heavily to a 1-4 start.

“We have to hold up our end of the bargain,” cornerback Mike Hilton said, per ESPN’s Ben Baby. “[Our] offense is rolling, but we have to do our part.”

The reality, though, is that Cincinnati simply might not have the defensive talent needed to rally. The Bengals have a few standout players, but their defensive line is suspect and they lack a high-end complement to pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson.

Adding a defensive playmaker or two could aid the Bengals significantly. Specifically, adding a pass-rusher like Haason Reddick—who has still not reported to the Jets and has requested a trade—could make a massive difference.

To get a deal (or deals) done, Cincinnati should consider the bold move of trading wideout Tee Higgins.

As we noted in the latest B/R Trade Block Big Board, the Bengals are unlikely to actively shop Higgins until/unless they’ve fallen further out of playoff contention. In a vacuum, though, moving him would make sense. He’s playing on the franchise tag and may not be back in Cincinnati next year anyway.

The Bengals must still work out an extension with Ja’Marr Chase, and they may not have the financial flexibility to pay Chase, Higgins and quarterback Joe Burrow long-term.

And while Higgins is a big part of the offensive game plan, Cincinnati has the talent to manage without him. Burrow is again playing at an elite level, and he can make do with the likes of Chase, Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin and rookie Jermaine Burton.

Look, quarterback Deshaun Watson isn’t the only issue with the Cleveland Browns’ 32nd-ranked offense. The offensive line has navigated numerous injuries, pre-snap penalties have been a problem, and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey can’t seem to find any semblance of an offensive identity.

However, it’s hard to envision anything turning around offensively in Cleveland with Watson playing the way he is. It’s not just the horrific numbers—Watson is completing 60.2 percent of his passes with a 74.8 quarterback rating—but it’s also the lack of poise, pocket presence and drive.

Watson, if we’re being blunt, seems to be going through the motions while collecting his fully guaranteed $230 million contract. That contract makes it virtually impossible for Cleveland to part with Watson, but it doesn’t mean the Browns have to play him.

The question is whether head coach Kevin Stefanski has the power to bench Watson or whether franchise owner Jimmy Haslam has dictated that his ill-fated acquisition stays under center.

Stefanski hasn’t flat-out blamed Watson’s status on Haslam or general manager Andrew Berry. However, he has noted that he doesn’t make decisions alone.

“I, obviously, talk to Andrew about everything we do. I talk to ownership about everything we do. That’s just how we operate,” Stefanksi told reporters (h/t Myles Simmons of ProFootballTalk).

Would the Browns fare any better with Jameis Winston or Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center? Maybe not, but it’s worth trying to make a change. Cleveland has too talented of a roster to be playing this poorly, and it’s not as if the team didn’t watch the offense take off with Joe Flacco under center not that long ago.

The offense isn’t going to take off with this version of Watson, and it sure seems as if the Pro Bowl version will never make a return. At this point, the Browns owe it to themselves to make a change and at least find out how much of the problem Watson has been.

This offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars gave quarterback Trevor Lawrence a new five-year, $275 million extension. While Lawrence is being paid like an elite quarterback, though, he’s only occasionally performed like one.

While getting more out of Lawrence and Jacksonville’s 21st-ranked scoring offense won’t fix every problem—the Jags rank 31st in total defense and 30th in points allowed—it would be a big step in the right direction.

Therefore, it’s time Jacksonville considers moving on from offensive coordinator Press Taylor—or at least removing him from the play-caller role.

Taylor, who shared play-calling duties with head coach Doug Peterson in 2022, took over full-time last season. After ranking 10th in both points and yards in 2022, Jacksonville ranked 13th in both categories last season. Jacksonville has tumbled further this year, and offensive efficiency remains a serious problem.

The Jaguars have converted just 25.9 percent of their third-down attempts, the third-worst conversion rate in the NFL. They also have the seventh-worst red-zone touchdown rate (tied) in the NFL this season.

Peterson has been reluctant to place any blame on his OC, instead putting the onus on his players.

“I thought he called a great game,” Pederson said after Jacksonville’s Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans, per ESPN’s Michael DiRocco. “As coaches, we can’t go out there and make the plays.”

Jacksonville did pick up a win in Week 5, and Lawrence (371 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT) played well in that one. If the offense stumbles again this week against the Chicago Bears, however, Jacksonville must at least consider making a change.

If Pederson is unwilling to take back over the play-calling, quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy has extensive experience in that role.

The Los Angeles Rams offense has been plagued by injuries this season, most notably those of standout receivers Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. There’s a chance, at least, that Kupp will return soon.

While Nacua remains on injured reserve with a knee injury, Kupp (ankle) has not landed on IR. Once Kupp is healthy, the Rams should see if they can flip him for players who can boost their 29th-ranked defense.

Kupp and Nacua have obviously been missed. However, head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Matthew Stafford have gotten good production out of receivers like Tutu Atwell and rookie Jordan Whittington. L.A.’s 16th-ranked offense isn’t the biggest issue.

Nacua, meanwhile, is far more likely to be the Rams’ long-term No. 1 receiver than Kupp.

The reality is that Kupp is a 31-year-old receiver who has struggled to stay on the field since his breakout 1,947-yard campaign in 2021. He’s also carrying a hefty cap hit of more than $27 million—and he’ll top that figure in both 2025 and 2026.

There’s a non-zero chance Kupp will be a 2025 trade chip anyway, as moving him would save $12.5 million in cap space. Trading him after June 1 would save $20 million in cap space.

Trading Kupp to a receiver-needy team now could potentially bring the Rams a capable cornerback or linebacker to boost their much-maligned defense. While Kupp hasn’t been the same dominant player he was in 2021, the idea of that receiver still exists and could make him a valuable commodity at the trade deadline.

Considering where Los Angeles’ biggest issues currently lie, Kupp may now be more valuable in a trade than on the field for the Rams.

Realistically, the New England Patriots won’t be pushing for a playoff spot in 2024. Their offense remains one of the most lackluster units in the NFL, and the Patriots are now turning the keys over to rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

“Drake gives us the best chance to win, now and going forward,” head coach Jerod Mayo said, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “He’s been getting better every single week, and as I said before, at the end of training camp he was trending at a very high rate. That has continued through the early part of the season.”

For New England, salvaging the season now means developing their quarterback of the future and getting him valuable experience without getting him hurt or destroying his confidence.

That could be a problem with the Patriots’ current collection of pass-catchers.

New England’s offensive line, which has allowed 19 sacks, is itself a problem. It will be compounded by the fact that Maye will likely struggle to quickly identify open targets. Tight end Hunter Henry currently leads the team with only 16 receptions and 180 receiving yards.

What the Patriots need, and currently lack, is a true No. 1 receiver. They tried to upgrade their receiving corps by trading for Brandon Aiyuk in the offseason, but the San Francisco 49ers’ wideout had “no interest” in their contract offer, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.

With Maye now under center, it’s time for the Patriots to resume their pursuit of a top target. Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams is an obvious target, since he’s already told the Raiders that he’d prefer to be traded.

Of course, Adams may not be thrilled with the idea of leaving one rebuilding team for another.

Browns receiver Amari Cooper would also make a ton of sense for New England. He’s a savvy veteran and a terrific route-runner who could serve as a safety net for a young signal-caller like Maye. He also played under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt over the last two years in Cleveland.

The Tennessee Titans may have reached a point where they wish they were in the Patriots’ shoes. While Maye has everything to prove, he at least gives New England the hope that it has found its quarterback of the future.

Four games into the 2024 season, it certainly doesn’t feel like Will Levis can do the same for Tennessee.

The 2023 second-round pick has shown flashes at the pro level, but bad decision-making and horrendous ball security have made it virtually impossible to win with him under center. Levis has committed nine turnovers through four games and has had multiple turnovers in all three games he started and finished.

Levis didn’t finish Tennessee’s Week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins because of a shoulder injury. With Levis sidelined, the Titans allowed Mason Rudolph to manage the game while leaning on their defense and rushing attack to record win No. 1. Despite the injury, Levis is poised to start again in Week 6.

“He took every rep and made every throw in practice well,” head coach Brian Callahan said, per Turron Davenport. “It hasn’t affected his practice or him throwing.”

If Levis doesn’t show significant improvement against the Indianapolis Colts this week, Callahan will have to consider starting Rudolph for the rest of the season. Tennessee’s top-ranked defense can keep the team in games every single week, but it can’t continually offset turnovers and bad drives.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a similarly bold move late last season when they turned to Rudolph and kept him in the starting role even after Kenny Pickett was healthy enough to play.

Rudolph probably isn’t the long-term answer for Tennessee, and there’s no guarantee that he can guide the Titans to the playoffs, but he could help the Titans find a formula that provides a chance.