I think that somewhere around the Jets game, the team realized that they weren't really going to compete this year. The 5-2 record aside, they started to fall apart due to fatigue, and the rest of the NFL catching up with film.
The defense was the first thing to go, followed by the oline. When the big men realized they were paper tigers, the seams started coming apart. I think the coaches had low expectations anyway, but had to let it play out.
When the dust settles, I think this is a 6-7 win team, but trending upward due to all of the draft picks coming this year.