Traditionally, when an NFL team starts 0-2, it kills their chances of making the playoffs.
But the league's recent changes, namely the move to a 14-team playoff format and the increase to a 17-game schedule, make such starts more survivable. For example, in 2022, Cincinnati Bengals The team started the year with two straight losses but finished the season in the AFC Championship Game. Houston Texans They started 0-2 but bounced back to win their division and the wild-card game.
With 10 teams sitting at 0-2 as Week 3 approaches, can any of them bounce back? Here are the 10 0-2 teams ranked in order of their chances of making the playoffs.
9. Carolina Panthers
Our dear friend, James Deiter SB Nations Resident Carolina Panthers The fan perhaps said it best on Monday, when in a post titled “RIP Carolina Panthers, 1995-2024,” he wrote:
Hope was constantly rising in the area. Passion was in the air, people were talking excitedly, discussing needed roster improvements, players they were happy with, and deliberating at length about future changes to help get the Panthers out of trouble.
Now, that has been replaced by apathy. The only emotion we hear is anger directed at David Tepper, who took our treasure and crushed it with his own ego and incompetence. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. It has been years since there seemed to be an end. Charlotte still has an NFL team that plays on Sundays in the fall. And, of course, eventually they might actually win again.
The Panthers we knew? They're gone, and they're never coming back. Every week is a reminder that no amount of attention, love, or care can stop fools in power from ruining what you love. The 2024 season was supposed to be the Carolina Panthers' 30th anniversary, but they didn't live to see their birthday, actually.
That sums things up pretty nicely.
8. New York Giants
Expectations for this New York Giants The team was already scoring low, but now it got to the point where they couldn't even clear the ankle-height bar. Minnesota Vikings What followed was a new blueprint for incompetence as they became the first team in NFL history to score three touchdowns and hold the opposing team to zero touchdowns while still losing. How did that happen? Washington Commanders They signed a street kicker to make seven field goals (including a walk-off win). Meanwhile, the Giants had a Plan B at their disposal. New York ended up without a kicker for essentially the entire game after opting not to promote him from the practice squad to replace the already injured Graham Gano.
Rookie receiver Malik Neighbors has been very exciting so far, but it looks like it's going to be another bleak season for the Giants. The defense is bad and Daniel Jones is Daniel Jones, who has played against the Cowboys, Bengals, and the Giants. Seahawksand the Eagles will likely be out of playoff contention by Thanksgiving, even before their Week 11 bye week.
7. Denver Broncos
Throughout the 2024 NFL Draft and heading into Week 1 of this season, the phrase “Bo Nix was built in a lab as Sean Payton's quarterback” was used early and often.
You may have some questions about the lab.
Knicks struggled through two weeks, and the Broncos struggled with him. It's still early, and Knicks may eventually develop into the quarterback Denver promised him to be. But that could take longer than this season, and that could wipe out any chance of a playoff appearance in 2024.
6. Tennessee Titans
In the first two weeks of the 2024 NFL season, Will Revis has committed two meme-worthy turnovers. First, Chicago Bears The first was a reckless use of running back Tyjay Spears in Week 1, and the second in Week 2 that left coach Brian Callahan wondering what on earth his second-year quarterback was thinking.
To make matters worse, scheduling is an issue. Packers, DolphinWith the Colts, Bills and Lions all set to play each other before Halloween, the road ahead is full of peril.
And probably more memes too.
5. Los Angeles Rams
In a “league of coaches and quarterbacks,” the Rams shouldn't be ranked at the bottom of the league. But Los Angeles, with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford at the helm, Detroit Lions During the first week of the expedition Arizona Cardinals Week 2.
The Rams' playoff hopes are still good in the NFC. DT Aaron Donald hides a lot of weaknesses defensively, but the offense is good enough to keep up with opponents when healthy. That last bit is that Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are both injured, but time is on LA's side and worst case scenario, the Rams have a chance to get healthy and advance after the Week 6 bye week.
The schedule doesn't help either. Even the few games that seemed “easy” before the season (Patriots, Saints, Cardinals) look a little, or a lot, harder. Nevertheless, McVay's team has a chance to make the postseason unless Stafford joins the injured list.
4. Indianapolis Colts
One of the most interesting pieces of weekly NFL data is the “team tier” chart compiled by Ben Baldwin. RBSDMlooks at both offensive EPA/play and defensive EPA/play.
If you find Indianapolis Colts Looking at this chart, we can see that they are pretty good buddies.
Colts, Lions, 49ersJets, Ravens, Bengals, Jaguars. Kansas City Chiefs.
If Anthony Richardson can add some consistency to his ability to create explosive plays downfield and round out his game, this offense will be in the mix. One concern defensively is that last Sunday against the Colts, Green Bay rushed for 237 yards in the first half and 261 yards for the entire game.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
Like the Carolina Panthers section, our regular Jaguars fans dug into the offense on Monday.
The analysis did not work.
What's even sadder is that while the offense is playing terrible football, the defense is playing really good! They should be able to win games where they only allow 18 points. The Cowboys allowed 17. Brownsscoring 33 points! Through two games they are 11th in success rate allowed, giving this offense an opportunity to succeed. An offense with three years of experience shouldn't be backed up by a defense with a brand new scheme, but that's the way it is.
The problem for the Jaguars is that their schedule isn't getting any easier. Their next four games are: Buffalo BillsHouston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears. This team has to find a solution offensively, but they won't have time against four good defenses. But they had an offseason to figure it out, and yet the same Jaguars came in. That's the head coach's fault.
Dr. Acosta's analysis carries a lot of weight in the region. If the coaching staff can figure out the offensive side of the football, and with the addition of Trevor Lawrence, they're off to a solid start. The defense is good enough to make the playoffs, but the next four games will tell.
2. Cincinnati Bengals
What's part of the reason we continue to rate the Bengals' chances of winning so highly?
They've been here before.
In 2022, Cincinnati started the season 0-2; Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas CowboysThey struggled to protect Joe Burrow and looked to struggle as they didn't have an answer for two-deep coverages.
And they're going to play in the AFC Championship Game.
Tee Higgins has missed the first two weeks, Burrow himself is returning from a wrist injury he suffered last year, and Ja'Marr Chase is getting back into form after “holding his own” during training camp. Could this get out of hand? Yes, but there's no need to panic.
still.
1. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens top this list because history has shown that this team is far more likely to have bad luck early in the year than it is to suddenly become a bad football team. In the last six seasons, the Ravens have only had one season with single-digit wins and have only made the playoffs five times. The only year they missed the playoffs? They went 8-9 and were still one game away from a winning record.
Baltimore has a great coaching staff, great players, and has been better recently than any team in the NFL except the Chiefs.
The team has seemingly taken a slight step back defensively under first-year defensive coordinator Zach Orr, but there's no doubt the Ravens will get back to playing their normal game and start winning games sooner rather than later.
