The NFL season doesn’t end after Week 2, but if your favorite team starts 0-2, it can feel like it’s over. Historically speaking, you have a reason to feel this way too.
In the last 10 years, only 12 of the 84 teams that lost their first two games made the postseason that year (14.3%). That percentage was better last year, when three of the 10 teams that started the year 0-2 made the playoffs. However, recent history says it’s likely that only one of the eight teams that are winless going into Sunday’s games will end up in the playoff field.
There are some surprises in that group of eight teams as well. The Los Angeles Chargers were upset for the second straight weekend on Sunday, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders. Teams expected to make the postseason, such as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans, are also off 0-2 starts, complicating their path to the playoffs. And that’s all before the potential inclusion of the Los Angeles Rams, who could join that list if they lose to the New York Giants on Monday night.
So which 0-2 teams should start panicking and start their season on the right track? We put those eight teams on the panic meter.
Justin Herbert threw two interceptions in the Chargers’ loss to the Raiders in Week 2. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
Not just 0-2, but 0-2 with losses to the Arizona Cardinals and Las Vegas Raiders by identical 26-14 scores? These are the two teams that were picked in the top three of this past year’s draft and had minimal expectations entering this season. The Kansas City Chiefs look like they’re back. The Denver Broncos bounced back from a rough start. And the Raiders are surprisingly 2-0, firmly putting the Chargers in last place in the AFC West.
The last time the Chargers opened 0-2 and made the playoffs was 2008. This was a much-hyped team in the offseason after adding Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, but the most significant coordinator change may have been the loss of Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens.
And the Chargers’ schedule isn’t getting any easier anytime soon. Their next two games? At the Bills and at the Seahawks, where they will do very well to avoid going 0-4 when they host the Broncos in Week 5. Next, they play the Chiefs and have games against the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens following Week 7.
PANIC LEVEL: High
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers’ 0-2 start has only added to the hype surrounding Todd Bowles’ hot seat status. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
A close loss to the Cincinnati Bengals to open the year was discouraging, but not nearly as much as the eight-point home loss to the Cleveland Browns was on Sunday. Baker Mayfield missed three tackles in the opener, then had an interception early Sunday, and the offense has struggled to contain top receivers Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin.
Todd Bowles’ MO as head coach has been a great start, then a mid-season slump. But can they snap out of it quickly with games against the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys in a span of 12 days starting Sunday?
Many fans wanted Bowles out after last season, so he started the year on thin ice.
PANIC LEVEL: High
Washington Commanders
The Commanders are 0-2, but what could be worse is that Jayden Daniels will likely miss an extended period of time. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Yes, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys to open the year 0-2 in the NFC East is not good. But what’s worse was seeing Jayden Daniels clearly dislocate his elbow on Sunday, making the road ahead that much more difficult for Washington.
The Commanders went 2-6 with Marcus Mariota starting last year, and there’s more of the same ahead, so it’s a question of whether coach Dan Quinn can survive another year of non-competitive games starring a quarterback injury. If there was a chance for them to go back to their prime in 2024, that seems highly unlikely with Daniels injured and a big hole to dig out if/when he gets back healthy.
PANIC LEVEL: High
Atlanta Falcons
Tua Tagovailoa (left) and Michael Penix Jr. (right) haven’t played yet and it’s unclear when they will, leading to a miserable game at QB for the Falcons. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
That shouldn’t come as a shock, given that the Falcons have been without their two best quarterbacks. But a 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers was especially damaging. Cooper Rush had three turnovers before being benched for undrafted rookie Jack Strand, who went on to throw a pick-six on his first career pass.
Can the Falcons bring back Michael Penix Jr. this week? Maybe, but they’re in Green Bay in prime time Thursday night, so that doesn’t solve all problems. They are also without their top two rushers, so generating pressure is a challenge. They can’t be minus-5 in turnover margin like they were in Sunday’s loss.
PANIC LEVEL: HIGH
Houston Texas
CJ Stroud and the Texans didn’t do much to assuage concerns about their offense on Sunday. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Houston opened 0-3 last year and still somehow went 12-5, so if it’s possible to be good at this kind of unnecessary comeback, the Texans certainly are. Losing to the Buffalo Bills on a touchdown with two minutes left is one thing, but being held to six points by the Bengals defense (score controls) is a little more troubling.
CJ Stroud had 55 passes in Sunday’s loss, and having an elite defense isn’t so good when the offense is struggling to move the ball with any consistency. They face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, and Indy gave up 41 points to Baltimore in Week 1 and 33 points to Kansas City (27 before overtime) in Week 2, so it could be a close game.
PANIC LEVEL: THE MIDDLE
Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones and the Colts nearly upset the Chiefs on Sunday night. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs was very close to being a road win at Arrowhead, and the Colts are in a division where three teams are 0-2. So there is plenty of time to make up for the disappointing first two games.
Injuries to cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Charvarius “Mooney” Ward could be problematic, and facing another 0-2 team in the Texans in Week 3 will raise the panic level for one of those teams. But a win against the Texans could serve as a quick turning point for the Colts. Their next three opponents are the Commanders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Titans.
So it wouldn’t be much of a surprise if we looked at the AFC South standings in a month and saw the Colts sitting at 3-3 or 4-2. Everything is still up for grabs for them, and losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday certainly helps things as well.
PANIC LEVEL: Medium
The Tennessee Titans
Cam Ward rushed for two scores Sunday, but has struggled the first two weeks. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
The Titans came so close to knocking off the Eagles, missing on a touchdown with nine seconds left. So yes, they’re 0-2, but they’re probably closer to 1-1 than most Tennessee fans would expect them to be. The 23-10 loss to the New York Jets isn’t so much when they took the Packers to overtime.
Get rookie receiver Carnell Tate more involved in the passing game, get more upside from the defense, and head coach Robert Saleh’s first season could be a step in the right direction. The next two games are on the road against the Giants and Ravens. But if you’ve got the Eagles down to the wire, there’s nothing to say you don’t have a chance in the next two.
PANIC LEVEL: Medium
Miami Dolphins
The first two weeks have gone about as expected for first-year Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
What did you really expect? If they lost to the Raiders, they couldn’t beat the San Francisco 49ers, jet lag or not. This is a long year for Miami and coach Jeff Hafley, and wins will be hard to come by.
The Chiefs come to town in week three and it shouldn’t look much different than this week. Focus on progress, finding what you can build on, including the high draft pick likely ahead with their record. Can Malik Willis show enough to convince the Dolphins that they should take Jeremiah Smith and not another quarterback?
PANIC LEVEL: Low
