If you're a fan of one of the eight 0-2 teams in the NFL, you've likely seen the stats by now that say your team is unlikely to make the postseason. We'll still give you a reminder, though. In the last 10 years, only 12 of the 84 teams that have lost their first two games have gone on to make the postseason that year (14.3%).
Last season, three of the 10 teams that started 0-2 made the postseason. So, yes, we are telling you that there's a chance your 0-2 team can make the playoffs, but it's pretty slim. So, which 0-2 team is the most likely to beat the odds?
We each made our picks, and a common answer emerged. It pains me to say this, because I picked the Chargers to win the Super Bowl, but the Texans are the 0-2 team in the best shape to turn their season around. They’ve all but trademarked this, starting 0-2 in three of the last four years, even going 0-3 last year before turning things around in a big way.
The Texans would do well to start that turnaround Sunday at the Colts, who they swept last year, and they have all three division road games in the first six weeks of the season. Go 2-1 in those, beat the Dallas Cowboys next week, and they’ll be back on track with one of the league’s best defenses as a foundation. If they can get the run game to click (David Montgomery is averaging 2.7 yards per carry), that will make life easier for C.J.
Stroud as well. I must admit: I don’t believe in any of these teams. Back in May, I picked the Chargers to make the playoffs — but after seeing L.A.’s disastrous offense (and the Chiefs' resurgence), I can’t see the Chargers turning things around.
The AFC West is much more competitive than anyone could have imagined. So it’s basically a toss-up between the Buccaneers and the Texans, and I’ll give the edge to Houston — in part because of the history that Greg pointed out and in part because I think the AFC South is worse than the NFC South. It would be one thing if the Bucs could stroll through their division, but I think the Saints and Panthers are going to be tough to beat — at least for Tampa.
The Texans can stroll through their division, with the Titans and Colts looking messy. Maybe C.J. Stroud and the Texans' highly touted coaching staff can figure this thing out. (Maybe.) I’m torn between the 0-2 Texans and the 0-2 Colts, and their game in Indianapolis on Sunday will probably tell the tale.
It’s a tough call because both teams ran into buzzsaws early in the season. The Texans lost to the Bills and Bengals. The Colts lost to the Ravens and Chiefs.
Those are four possible Super Bowl contenders that the two teams play. But I’m going to go with the Colts for this reason: I have way more faith in their offense. Indy quarterback Daniel Jones right now is just better than quarterback C.J.
Stroud. And even without wide receiver Alec Pierce, who just went on injured reserve, they have plenty of weapons. That includes running back Jonathan Taylor, one of the best in the league, who gives them the running game that the Texans just don’t have.
Their defense obviously needs to be a lot better. They’ve given up a ridiculous 1,029 yards through two games — an insane pace that could doom them in the long run. But I think they’ll settle in over the next few weeks against some offensively challenged teams (the Texans, Commanders, Steelers, Titans and Vikings are up next).
Once they settle down, they’re good enough to stay in the playoff race, as long as Jones and Taylor stay healthy all year long. We’ve already seen this movie before. Last year, the Texans got off to a miserable 0-3 start and then lost two games the rest of the way.
I expect a similar turnaround this season. This defense is way too good — the Week 1 performance notwithstanding — and C.J. Stroud is playing solid ball despite what the numbers say.
The next few weeks will tell us whether the run game is as useless as it looked against Cincinnati, but many teams will struggle to run the ball against that front. Even if the running game doesn’t improve, Houston has worked around that issue for the last few years. I don’t see why this season will be any different.
The schedule should also help spark a turnaround. Houston will be favored in nearly every game it plays for the next two months, with a trip to Jacksonville as the only difficult matchup between now and an early-December game against the Ravens. I still think this team is good enough to make an AFC title game run, but even if it isn’t, they should rack up enough low-quality wins to stick around the playoff race all season.
I tried to be different from my colleagues here. I kept coming back to the Texans. When you’ve been in this spot before, it helps (Houston started the 2023 and ‘25 seasons 0-2 and 0-3, respectively, and finished a game away from the AFC Championship Game both years).
But the Texans’ defense, which finished second in points allowed last season, is too good to not return to elite form. Quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has regressed over the last two years, has been encouraging through two games — he’s third in passing yards entering Week 3 (627).
Houston is 0-2, but it faced two of the NFL’s best teams in the early season in the Bills and Bengals. Star receiver Nico Collins didn’t play against Cincinnati, either. And if you look at the next five weeks, there’s a great opportunity for the Texans to get back on track — they face the Colts, who they swept last year, and also have meetings with the lowly Titans and Giants, who just lost Jaxson Dart for the season.
If Houston wins all three of those games and splits matchups with the Cowboys (Week 4) and Jaguars (Week 6), they’ll be at .500 entering their Week 8 bye. And then they have the Chargers, who’ve been imploding, right out of that break. In just a month and a half, Houston’s season could be in great shape.
Now that the Bolts have disappointed national prognosticators who tagged them as the chic, trendy pick to win the Super Bowl (again), get ready for the Chargers to do Chargers things on the road against the best team in the NFL in the Buffalo Bills, right? Nope, when everyone expects them to fall on their face, these are the moments the Chargers rise up and hit teams over their heads. In their first year in Los Angeles under first-year head coach Anthony Lynn, the Chargers started a nightmarish 0-4, with opposing teams regularly taking over their cozy temporary home in Carson.
However, the Bolts rallied and finished the year 9-7. I expect a similar resuscitation effort from Jim Harbaugh here.
