Which 0-2 NFL Teams Have The Best Chance Of Getting To The Playoffs?

Two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, nine teams remain undefeated, 14 have split their first two games, and then there are the nine remaining bottom feeders who have the ignominious distinction of starting 0-2.

Some may be reluctant to shut the door on the playoff aspirations of the nine teams who are still seeking a win, but history tells us that the door to a potential Super Bowl is almost permanently locked for those winless teams this season.

History Is Not Kind To Teams That Start 0-2

There are a plethora of examples that illustrate just how precarious losing the first two games of a season can be, but it can be summed up with this: since 1990, as of this past Sunday morning, 279 teams have started 0-2. Only 32 of those teams advanced to the playoffs, or 11.5%.

Even with the revamped playoff format that was introduced in 2020, with 14 teams now being admitted to the playoffs, starting 0-2 still does not bode well for all but an infinitesimal number of teams. Since 2020, 32 teams have started the season 0-2 ; only two of those teams - the Bengals in 2022 and the Texans in 2023 - advanced to the playoffs.

So Which teams Still Have A Chance? The Rams Sure Don't

For almost all of the nine current winless teams, they can forget about the playoffs. Au revoir, adios, and vale.

Among those teams that are done are the Rams, a team that was the healthiest team last year . Just two games in, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Tyler Higbee, Jonah Jackson, Darious Williams, and several other players are all on IR.

To add insult to injury, the Rams are also dead last in total defense, as is their season.

The Panthers Are The Ultimate Circus

This is not an entertaining circus, either. 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young was benched yesterday afternoon, Panthers head coach Dave Canales announced. Young has a 44.1 passer rating this season, the lowest among all 32 starting quarterbacks this season, and has just 11 touchdown passes in 18 career games.

Andy Dalton, who will replace Bryce Young, has proven to be a very serviceable journeyman backup quarterback after a solid nine years with the Bengals. But the fact of the matter is that the Panthers simply have a roster devoid of talent, and they will certainly contend for the top pick in the 2025 Draft.

The Giants Look Awfully Small

Five spots ahead of Bryce Young on the passer rating rankings this season is Daniel Jones, whose only saving grace at this point is that the average annual value of his contract is $40 million, which is a bargain, given the skyrocketing market for quarterbacks.

Much like Carolina, the Giants have assembled a weak roster and are a far cry from the team that upset the Vikings in the playoffs back in the 2022 season. The Giants enter Week Three averaging the second-fewest points per game, and Malik Nabers is the team's only receiver with over 62 yards.

Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will likely be out of a job by season's end. Since 2016, the Giants have had four different head coaches and three different general managers - and they have drafted just four Pro Bowl players in the same timespan.

The Colts Are A Tantalizing Case, Much Like Their Quarterback

Anthony Richardson is easily capable of some otherworldly throws , but he, along with AFC South counterpart Will Levis, has a passer rating below 70 this season.

Per Pro Football Focus, Richardson has ten attempts of 20 or more yards, which trails only Trevor Lawrence. Richardson's average depth of target - 14.0 - ranks first. Clearly, the exuberant gunslinger has no trepidation about unleashing the deep ball to Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman Jr.

The former fourth-overall pick out of Florida has garnered comparisons to Cam Newton. The Panthers were patient with Newton, who won an MVP and guided them to Super Bowl 50 by his fifth season in 2015. The Colts will not recover from a 0-2 start to this season, but they seem to be at least set at quarterback, unlike most of their well-to-do constituents.

The Titans and Broncos Are Both In Limbo

Unlike Will Levis, Bo Nix has a weak supporting cast. Nix, who is already 24, has yet to throw a touchdown pass this season and has already thrown the ball to the other team four times.

With a schedule that features Tampa Bay, the Jets, the Saints, Ravens, and Chiefs all before Thanksgiving, Denver is just hoping to see how Nix performs the rest of this nascent season. Denver is done.

Levis, on the other hand, has Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and an aging but still effective Deandre Hopkins all at his disposal. The problem is, Levis is averaging 5.3 yards per attempt, and has already ignited the wrath of head coach Brian Callahan.

How long before Levis gets benched in favor of Mason Rudolph remains to be seen. Levis's leash may be very short, given his performance, and the fact that Bryce Young has already been given the clipboard by Carolina.

Don't Give The Bengals And Ravens Their Last Rites Just Yet

The Bengals have become notorious for their sluggish starts during the Joe Burrow era. Who Dey is 0-2 for the fifth time in six seasons . Contrary to the subject matter of this writing, however, recent history does suggest that Cincinnati can rebound.

In 2021, Burrow's second season, Cincinnati was 5-4 through nine games. After that, they won five of their last eight and nearly beat the Rams in the Super Bowl. The following year, Burrow and Co. started 0-2, went 5-4 through nine games again, and then narrowly lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

With largely the same core of players still on the roster, the Bengals should not be written off just yet.

Fellow AFC North rival Baltimore also has a legitimate shot at redemption. Lamar Jackson is a two-time MVP, the team ranks first in total offense, and they have the best run defense in football right now.

This is also unchartered territory for Baltimore. In 29 seasons of existence, the Ravens have started 0-2 just five times , with 2-15 being the most recent season in which that has happened. While none of those previous 0-2 starts ended well, those Ravens teams were not this team, and John Harbaugh and his staff still have a chance to right the ship.

Baltimore and Cincinnati aside, the other seven 0-2 teams will already be circling dates on the calendar to schedule golf outings and fishing trips.

Read More NFL News From Stadium Rant Here: NFL News

MORE FROM STADIUM RANT:

If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here . Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , TikTok a follow for more great content!