It was the worst performance of the season. The Portland Timbers fell apart on a sticky Saturday Houston night en route to a thorough 3-1 beatdown at the hands of the Dynamo.

Things were bad early, and got worse late. If it wasn't a 90 minute meltdown, it was the closest the Timbers have come in 2015. This wasn't about the weather. This wasn't about injuries. This was about a bad, bad all-around performance from a Portland team that is so far away from elite that it's hard to remember the last time this team was truly one of MLS' best.

We're just about at the one-third point of the season. The Timbers are mostly healthy—Diego Valeri, in fact, frequently looks like the only player with a pulse. This year isn't going as planned. The Timbers are setting themselves up to be in a battle to the end for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. And if this last game is any hint, that might even be a reach.

When was the last time the Timbers looked really good? This is a team with three wins in 11 games, and two of those wins came against NYCFC and Montreal—the two worst teams in the league. It's not just the results, which the Timbers have had an aversion to getting over the last year and change. It's the performances.

It's the soft goals conceded. In this one, Houston took the lead just nine minutes into the game, when a Brad Davis free kick was placed on the head of Will Bruin. The forward nodded his header past Adam Kwarasey. Bruin was completely unmarked, and even if Jorge Villafaña—the closest man—had been on duty, it's doubtful he would have had much of an impact. Bruin has four inches and 50 pounds on the fullback.

It's been a problem for years. The Timbers can't defend set pieces. Corners, free-kicks, long-throws, you name it, Portland can't defend it.

The Timbers, as is typical, played their way into the game. The first 15 minutes of the second half were particularly solid. It was a stretch that was kicked off with the Timbers getting a goal the way they should—Diego Chara creating a turnover, Valeri slipping in Fanendo Adi, and Adi finishing with poise. But the supremacy wouldn't last long.

Portland fell onto their back foot, and gave up the second goal to Giles Barnes, before Alvas Powell completed the collapse by misplaying a long-ball that let Bruin in. The forward chipped a familiarly lethargic Kwarasey for his brace.

It finished with the Timbers melting into the BBVA Compass Stadium grass, Valeri and Darlington Nagbe on the bench, and Caleb Porter sweating through his suit. Pleasant it was not.

Sure, the Dynamo deserve some credit. DeMarcus Beasley, the only remaining active player from the USA's 2002 World Cup team, was wicked. He made the game-winning goal with a terrific run and cross around Chara, and generally gave Alvas Powell a clinic. The message? You're not there yet, kid.

Luis Garrido and Ricardo Clark were tough in the center of midfield, with Garrido mostly man-marking Valeri and the pair swarming Nagbe—who has just about disappeared since his missed penalty against Vancouver—and Bruin took his second with aplomb. Even David Horst was tough defensively, not that he or anyone else had an excessive amount of pressure to deal with.

But Houston entered the day in ninth place. Nothing can cover up how bad the Timbers really were. It started with the usually reliable defense. Both Powell and Villafaña were poor, and neither Nat Borchers or Jack Jewsbury had their best stuff either.

On offense, Valeri seems to be the only player willing to try anything. Adi, despite his goal, can't figure out how to use the ball effectively in most situations. Rodney Wallace isn't scaring anyone, and while Nagbe would be the world's best keep-away player, he's seems to be getting less and less incisive with each passing game.

Caleb Porter appears to be out of answers. He has no one to turn to on the bench, Dairon Asprilla, Maxi Urruti, and Ishmael Yartey all having proven themselves unworthy of a starting role many times over. It's truly remarkable how far Porter has fallen from the wunderkind status he achieved in 2013. His job is safe, but his reputation is not.

The Timbers appear to have zero killer instinct. They lack for urgency until the very end of games. Houston didn't posses the ball as well as Portland, but they certainly knew a golden opportunity when they saw one. Portland's record against the West right now? One win, three draws, and three losses. Six points from seven games.

There are no clear solutions. Last year, a defensive circus cost the Timbers a playoff spot. This year? Who knows. It's not the forwards—Adi scored again in this game and leads the team with four on the season. There aren't many obvious holes in this Timbers team, and yet, this team obviously isn't good enough.

As if Portland needed to face more adversity right now, next week's game is at Toronto's BMO Field—the House of Horrors at which Will Johnson broke his leg last year and the Timbers blew a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 and watch their season go up in flames.

Bottom line, the season isn't over. This loss to Houston in itself doesn't change anything big picture. It's just the realization that the Timbers look competitive with everyone and better than no one that has the future looking so bleak.

When the Houston Dynamo are teaching you lessons, you're just not very good.