It’s a perennial graphic on NFL broadcasts in mid-September. Just 11% of squads that start 0-2 have later qualified for the postseason since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. That spells trouble for the eight teams waiting on their first win.
But the dire stats — including the fact that no 0-2 club has gone on to win a title since the 2007 New York Giants — don’t paint the full picture. Additional context can provide some reason for optimism among fans of the still-winless Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and the Washington Commanders.
The path from an 0-2 start to a postseason run has become easier to find in recent years. Since the playoffs expanded to seven teams per conference in 2021, about 20% of squads that opened with back-to-back losses stumbled into the playoffs. That list included three teams last year: the Chicago Bears, the Carolina Panthers and the Texans.
The Texans, Titans and Colts appear to have the best shot at bucking their losing ways in time for a midseason turnaround this year.
The Texans faced a tough opening slate to open 2026 with games against the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, who boast two of the best offenses in football with stars Josh Allen and Joe Burrow under center. Houston — alongside their rivals in Indianapolis — will also benefit from playing in the AFC South.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans rallied his players from an 0-3 start last year before winning a wild-card matchup.
“Sadly, we’ve been here before, but I think we just have to hold each other accountable,” quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “We have to get better. There are a lot of things that we need to be doing better if we’re going to win. I think we’ll have some conversations this week about that and, you know, get some things fixed.”
Indianapolis faced a similarly tough start against the powerhouse Baltimore Ravens and the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes needed overtime to secure a narrow 33-30 win over the Colts on Sunday night.
The Titans also narrowly missed their first win on Sunday, as the Philadelphia Eagles scored a go-ahead touchdown with nine seconds remaining.
Something will have to give in the AFC South on Sunday. The Texans and Colts face off as both teams look for their first victory of the year.
Houston, Indianapolis and Tennessee will all have a shot to gain ground within the division. Each squad has all six intradivision matchups remaining.
The same can’t be said for the Commanders, who lost a pair of NFC East tilts against the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys to open the year.
Washington’s woeful odds only grew steeper when star quarterback Jayden Daniels left the Week 2 loss at halftime with a dislocated left elbow. The franchise hasn’t ruled him out long-term, but the team will turn to backup Marcus Mariota for the foreseeable future.
“And 0-2 is not where we wanted to be, that’s for sure. But we also are resolute that that’s not where we’re going to be staying,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said Monday. “There’s a lot of resolve with this group of knowing that, ’Hey, man, like, these are the things we have to get done together and we have enough in the room.’”
Washington won’t have much time to adjust. The defending champion Seattle Seahawks visit Northwest Stadium on Sunday, before the Commanders head to London for a matchup with the Colts on Oct. 4.
Coaches across the league urge fans and media not to overreact to the season’s first fortnight, despite the harrowing odds. Every team could technically rattle off 15 wins and coast into the postseason.
The pressure is on, though. If 0-2 is tough to overcome, 0-3 is nearly impossible. Only five teams — including last year’s Texans — have parlayed an opening three-game skid into a postseason berth.
The Week 3 slate, which opens with the winless Falcons taking on the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, presents high stakes.
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