On a weekend in which Highlanders maintained their fine start to the campaign with a fifth win in seven and Ngezi reclaimed top spot with a late victory over Mutare City, Dynamos were enduring yet more misery in the Zimbabwe Premier Soccer League.
Sunday's 1-0 defeat to CAPS United in the Harare derby represented the fourth loss in a disastrous seven-match winless run for the stricken giants of Zimbabwe football, who remain second bottom in the standings.
Traditionally, Dynamos take time to get into prime condition, but this has been a start like no other.
Can the league's most successful team summon the character, the class and the consistency needed to dig themselves out of trouble?
Given the pervasive gloom, it has been tempting for many to conclude that such a feat is beyond this Dynamos team.
From an executive bereft of vision to a squad deprived of quality and a coach looking increasingly out of depth, the scales seem heavily tipped against a Dynamos revival anytime soon.
Throw in the occasional violent backlash from a volatile supporter base and the mix comes close to a perfect recipe for unmitigated disaster.
Yet the history of Dynamos is a tale of resilience and defiance, with the team often conjuring the improbable when forced to operate with their backs against the wall.
Just this past season, Dynamos somewhat miraculously extricated themselves from a disastrous pre-season and a slow start to embark on an improbable title charge which lasted until the final matchday.
They eventually finished runners up, two points behind champions FC Platinum.
Of cause, they were indebted back then to the goals from prolific Cameroon marksman Christian Ntouba and the creativity of one Denver Mukamba.
Both are not available this time around, with the controversial Mukamba having orchestrated DeMbare's downfall on Sunday in the green of CAPS, while Ntouba remains on the sidelines, himself a victim of the unbridled chaos which often engulfs the club's administration.
The task of reviving the campaign looks a lot more daunting this time around, and any talk of a repeat of last season's 'Houdini Act' seems far-fetched.
Yet the fact that Dynamos have nothing to lose anymore could actually provide the springboard for revival as they begin to play with less pressure.
Besides, the composition of the Dynamos squad is not as hopeless as the results suggest, and the return of some key players from injury should give coach Lloyd Mutasa the opportunity to mould a genuinely competitive unit.
Mutasa was unlucky to begin the campaign without his best signing in midfielder Marvellous Mukumba, who was injured in the final friendly match of the preseason and is only just returning to full fitness.
Forward Emmanuel Mandiranga and the versatile Peace Makaha are also off the treatment table, while Mutasa will have derived enough encouraged from the performances of Blessing Moyo and Kudzanai Dhemere in the defeat to CAPS.
In fact, Dynamos may have lost the season's first edition of the Harare derby, but there were moments during which they produced some quality attacking football, a development which bodes well for the future especially now that the fixtures are getting a little kinder.
Sunday's clash was the fourth big test in seven matches for the 21-time champions, who have already played Highlanders, Chicken Inn and Ngezi in what can prove a punishing sequence for any team.
The next four fixtures therefore provide Dynamos with an ideal opportunity to recover their poise.
They host Bulawayo City on Sunday before travelling to Chapungu the following weekend. Another derby against Harare City (home) follows, with Bulawayo City (away) up next.
It is only then that they will face another huge test in a home clash against FC Platinum.
A lot will depend on how Mutasa goes about the business of deploying his troops now that he is close to having a full complement of players available. Mukumba is expected to help stabilise the midfield alongside teenage star Dhemere.
One big headache for Mutasa however has been the inconsistency of playmaker Raphael Manuvire, who looked sharp in the 3-3 draw against Shabanie on matchday two, but has since struggled to dictate play in subsequent fixtures.
A pool consisting of Mukumba, Manuvire, Dhemere, Mandiranga, Valentine Kadonzvo, and Cleopas Kapupurika should give Mutasa enough options in the attacking midfield positions, and help compensate for the absence of a sure-footed central striker.
There are, however, some issues in a defence which has conceded eight goals in seven matches, with Mutasa still struggling to figure out his best centre-half partnership. Ocean Mushure has also looked lost at left-back while new signing James Marufu is not exactly a reliable anchorman.
But all that now is Mutasa puzzle to as he looks to save not just his team but also his job.