While it may not seem like much, NFL teams starting 0-2 have dug themselves into quite a hole. Since 1990, only 31 out of 270 teams that started out 0-2 have made the playoffs. That is just over 11 percent. Prior to last season, a team had not made the playoffs after an 0-2 start since 2018, but the 2022 Cincinnati Bengals ended that streak.

Still, all hope is not lost for the NFL's winless teams. An 0-2 team has made the playoffs in seven of the last 10 seasons. The addition of a 17th game increases these team's odds, as it gives them just a little extra time to come from behind. Nine teams are 0-2 in 2023; some of them were expected to be bad, and some of them surprisingly so. Who has the best shot to turn things around and make a playoff push after a disappointing start?

0-2 teams in 2023

Houston Texans: 

The Texans have no desire to lose football games this season because they traded away their 2024 draft pick to acquire Will Anderson on draft night. While the move was praised by some because it allowed the Texans to walk away with two of the best prospects in the class (C.J. Stroud being the other), it was a risky move because the likelihood of a young Texans team being bad in 2023 and having another high draft pick. Houston has also been riddled with injury issues already, which has not helped their case.

Denver Broncos:

Russell Wilson and the Broncos' offense has actually looked better than it did last season, but their highly acclaimed defense has not been getting the job done on the other end. Sean Payton may still have some tricks up his sleeve, but the Broncos' first two games were two of their easiest in the season, meaning it will be even harder to overcome the 0-2 start with a tough schedule coming up. Still, the Broncos lost eight games by just one score in 2022, which was tied for the most ever. After two games this year, they have a point differential of -3, which is tied for the best of any 0-2 team in the Super Bowl era. The team is always in games, they just need to figure out how to close them out.

Cincinnati Bengals: 

The Bengals are easily the most surprising team on this list. The team came into the year as a Super Bowl contender, but after receiving a massive payday, Joe Burrow has not looked like himself. Burrow may still have lingering effects from a calf injury. Or he may be rusty from his missed time in the preseason. No matter what the issue is, Cincinnati is filled with talent, and they are likely to right the ship as long as Burrow returns to form. The Bengals are only 1-7 with Burrow under center in the first two weeks of the NFL season. For whatever reason, the team has struggled early, but they tend to find a way out of the hole that they dug themselves.

Carolina Panthers: 

The Panthers are one of the more expected 0-2 teams. Rookie quarterbacks often struggle, and it is not like the team has surrounded Bryce Young with premier weapons, either. Carolina will likely continue to struggle to add games in the win column, but the reps the rookie quarterback is getting are vital for his development.

Los Angeles Chargers:

 The Chargers have led for over 66 minutes in their first two games, yet they have been unable to walk away with a win. After drafting Quentin Johnston, the Chargers have enough weapons to make a run, but they need to do it sooner rather than later. They face the 0-2 Vikings in Week 3, and the odds of a team making the playoffs plummet after going 0-3.

Minnesota Vikings: 

The Vikings moved on from a number of aging veterans this offseason, including Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Eric Kendricks. Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson have had some impressive performances, but the defense hasn't stepped to the plate to fulfill their half of the bargain. The Vikings' offensive line has also been subpar, a common theme for the Vikings over the last decade plus. The team just signed Dalton Risner, but it will need to be seen if he can fix their pass protection issues.

Chicago Bears: 

The Chicago Bears finished with the worst record in the NFL last season, and they were gifted with the top draft choice because of it. However, they decided that Justin Fields was their franchise quarterback, and they decided to trade down in the draft. Picking first in the draft is a luxury, and Fields' poor play through two weeks suggests the Bears may come to regret their decision. Fields was expected to take a big leap in 2023 and instead has struggled to read defenses and find open receivers.

New England Patriots:

 The Patriots have had the unfortunate draw of facing the Philadelphia Eagles and the Miami Dolphins in their first two games, two of the best teams in the NFL with elite offenses. The Patriots have done a better job of slowing those teams down than the Eagles and Dolphins' other opponents did, so there is still hope in New England.

Arizona Cardinals:

 The Cardinals have moved on from a number of veteran players, sparking theories that the team is tanking for a high draft pick. They haven't put those rumors to sleep by starting off 0-2. The team started off with a 21-0 lead in Week 2 against the New York Giants, but they managed to come away with a loss. There isn't enough talent on this roster to win a lot of football games.

List of teams to make the playoffs after an 0-2 start

  • 1978 Philadelphia Eagles went 9-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1980 Los Angeles Rams went 11-5 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1980 Cleveland Browns went 11-5 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1981 New York Jets went 10-5-1 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 5-4 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1984 Washington Redskins went 11-5 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1987 Indianapolis Colts went 9-6 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1989 Pittsburgh Steelers went 9-7 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1990 Philadelphia Eagles went 10-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1990 Houston Oilers went 9-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1990 New Orleans Saints went 8-8 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1991 Atlanta Falcons went 10-6 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1992 San Diego Chargers went 11-5 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1993 Pittsburgh Steelers with 9-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1993 Dallas Cowboys went 12-4 and won the Super Bowl
  • 1994 New England Patriots went 10-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1995 Detroit Lions went 10-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 1996 New England Patriots went 11-5 and lost in the Super Bowl
  • 1998 New York Jets went 12-4 and lost in the AFC Championship Game
  • 1998 Arizona Cardinals went 9-7 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 1998 Buffalo Bills went 10-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2001 New England Patriots went 11-5 and won the Super Bowl
  • 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers went 10-5-1 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 2002 Atlanta Falcons went 9-6-1 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 2003 Philadelphia Eagles went 12-4 and lost in the NFC Championship Game
  • 2006 Kansas City Chiefs went 9-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2007 New York Giants went 10-6 and won the Super Bowl
  • 2008 San Diego Chargers went 8-8 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 2008 Miami Dolphins went 11-5 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2008 Minnesota Vikings went 10-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2013 Carolina Panthers went 12-4 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 2014 Indianapolis Colts went 11-5 and lost in the AFC Championship Game
  • 2015 Seattle Seahawks went 10-6 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 2015 Houston Texans went 9-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2016 Miami Dolphins went 10-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2017 New Orleans Saints went 11-5 and lost in the Divisional Round
  • 2018 Houston Texans went 11-5 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2018 Seattle Seahawks went 10-6 and lost in the Wild Card Round
  • 2022 Cincinnati Bengals went 12-4 and lost in the AFC Championship Game

Records are courtesy of Pro Football Reference.

Super Bowl chances after 0-2 start

Three teams have made the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start. The 1993 Dallas Cowboys were missing their best player for the first two games of the season after a Super Bowl win in the previous season. Emmitt Smith was held out of action because of a contract dispute, and the Cowboys lost their first two games without him. Smith's return signaled a return to dominance, and the team went on to win Super Bowl XXVIII.

In 2001, Drew Bledsoe was the New England Patriots starting quarterback. He had signed a record 10-year, $103 million dollar contract in the offseason, but he struggled to start the season. Bledsoe was injured in Week 2, and the team fell to 0-2. Bledsoe's replacement was a young sixth-round pick from the year prior named Tom Brady. Brady took over the reins as the starting quarterback and never looked back. He led the Patriots to a Super Bowl win in his first year as the starter, winning Super Bowl XXXVI over the St. Louis Rams.

The most recent team to win a Super Bowl after an 0-2 start was the 2007 New York Giants. All odds were against the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, as they were taking on the then-undefeated Patriots, so it makes sense that the team overcame the odds to even get to the Super Bowl after an 0-2 start.