Is it too early to get out the shovels and start burying NFL teams?
Of course it is. Or is it?
Think about the stats. Teams that start 0-2 make the playoffs 11% of the time. That means of the nine teams that are now 0-2 after two weeks, the stats say one will make the playoffs.
That’s not good news for the Chargers, Broncos, Panthers, Cardinals, Vikings, Bears, Patriots, Bengals and Texans.
OK, so maybe it’s too early to start throwing dirt on their graves, but the data doesn’t usually lie. So those teams are in big trouble.
Of those nine teams, the biggest surprises are the Bengals and Chargers. They were expected to be either contenders in their own divisions — or maybe more. Yet after two games, the Bengals are in big trouble, especially with two division losses, while the Chargers, with two close losses, are in a big hole in their chase to topple the Chiefs in the AFC West.
I’d say the Bengals have the best chance to bounce back, but only if Joe Burrow is healthy. He seemed to be limping again with his bad calf late in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. The Bengals did start 0-2 last season, only to bounce back to make the playoffs and more. So it’s possible. But only if Burrow is playing.
The San Francisco 49ers remain in the top spot in my Power Rankings this week, but the Dallas Cowboys are right behind them. They move into the second spot based on a defense that has allowed just 10 points this season. The Philadelphia Eagles, who were in the second spot, drop down behind Dallas after two lackluster showings in getting to 2-0.
But the good news for those teams is they aren’t 0-2. As history shows us, that is likely a death blow to a team’s playoff chances.
Get out the shovels. It’s not too early.
| 1 | 49ers | It wasn’t easy against the Rams, but they found a way. The defense has to tighten up a bit going forward, but they are the best team right now. | — | 2-0-0 |
| 2 | Cowboys | The defense has been dominant in two games. The offense hasn’t been asked to do that much, but when you give up 10 points in two games, it doesn’t need to do much. | 3 | 2-0-0 |
| 3 | Eagles | They are 2-0 and really haven’t looked great in getting there. That’s a good sign. Jalen Hurts needs to pick it up. | 1 | 2-0-0 |
| 4 | Chiefs | The offense didn’t do a lot in beating the Jaguars, but the defense came up big, especially in the red zone. We need not worry about Patrick Mahomes and gang. They will be fine. | — | 1-1-0 |
| 5 | Ravens | The offense came alive against the Bengals for the first time under new coordinator Todd Monken after slogging through the opener. Lamar Jackson is going to be fun to watch in that offense. | 1 | 2-0-0 |
| 6 | Dolphins | The offense was patient against the Patriots, which is a good sign. But the best thing about that game was the defense. It rebounded in a big way. | 2 | 2-0-0 |
| 7 | Bills | So much for the idea that Josh Allen can’t play anymore after the Jets debacle. He responded in a big way against the Raiders. | 5 | 1-1-0 |
| 8 | Commanders | They are 2-0 after rallying to beat the Broncos. Sam Howell came up big to bring his team back, which is a good sign. | 6 | 2-0-0 |
| 9 | Saints | Their defense is going to win a lot of games for them. The offense needs to do more, but that defense has a nasty look about it. | 7 | 2-0-0 |
| 10 | Jaguars | The defense played well against the Chiefs, but the offense wasn’t good. The offensive line is a problem right now, which is why the red-zone offense was bad. | 7 | 1-1-0 |
| 11 | Buccaneers | Baker Mayfield has led this team to a 2-0 record as one of the surprising early teams. The defense has made a lot of big plays in two games. | 6 | 2-0-0 |
| 12 | Falcons | At 2-0, they are off to a good start. That was a nice comeback victory for Desmond Ridder and the offense against Green Bay. | 7 | 2-0-0 |
| 13 | Packers | They blew a game against the Falcons after leading in the fourth quarter. The defense let them down late, which was somewhat surprising. | 4 | 1-1-0 |
| 14 | Titans | They actually snapped an eight-game losing streak by beating the Chargers in overtime. Ryan Tannehill bounced back in a big way. | 9 | 1-1-0 |
| 15 | Seahawks | They impressed in winning at Detroit against the Lions in overtime. Geno Smith responded with a good day after a tough opener, which is a good sign. | 6 | 1-1-0 |
| 16 | Steelers | That was an enormous victory Monday night over the Browns. They were staring 0-2 in the face. The defense came up big. | 2 | 1-1-0 |
| 17 | Browns | Deshaun Watson is struggling and therefore the offense is as well right now. Losing Nick Chubb for the year with a knee injury is a tough blow to handle. | 10 | 1-1-0 |
| 18 | Lions | Losing at home to the Seahawks is not a good look for this team. The defense has to be better. | 8 | 1-1-0 |
| 19 | Giants | That was a miraculous comeback against the Cardinals to avoid an 0-2 start. But now they face a tough game Thursday against the 49ers on the road. | 3 | 1-1-0 |
| 20 | Jets | Aaron Rodgers is done, and it looks like the Jets are, too, if they play like they did in getting blown out by the Cowboys. Do they add a quarterback? | 9 | 1-1-0 |
| 21 | Bengals | At 0-2, they have big problems. It doesn’t help that Joe Burrow aggravated his injured calf. Can they respond from 0-2 like they did a year ago? | 8 | 0-2-0 |
| 22 | Chargers | This team is 0-2, and the heat is certainly on as they ready to play the Vikings on the road. The defense has been bad. | 7 | 0-2-0 |
| 23 | Rams | They competed against the 49ers, which they will do against most teams this year. But they are just too undermanned this season. | 3 | 1-1-0 |
| 24 | Colts | Anthony Richardson got off to a great start against the Texans, but then left with a concussion. But he showed he can lead this team on the road, which is a good sign as the Colts won for the first time. | 5 | 1-1-0 |
| 25 | Raiders | They walked into a bad situation at Buffalo after the way the Bills played against the Jets, and it showed. They were bad. | — | 1-1-0 |
| 26 | Vikings | At 0-2, they will be playing a survival game of sorts this week against the Chargers, who are also 0-2. The defense has run-game issues. | 2 | 0-2-0 |
| 27 | Broncos | They are 0-2 and head to Miami this week to play the Dolphins. They seemed to be cruising to a victory over the Commanders, but it all fell apart. Bad look. | 1 | 0-2-0 |
| 28 | Patriots | They are 0-2 for the first time since 2001. They won a Super Bowl that year. They won’t this season. | 1 | 0-2-0 |
| 29 | Panthers | The offense isn’t doing enough as Bryce Young has struggled and the offensive line has been an issue. At 0-2, they are in a hole in the division with three 2-0 teams. | 1 | 0-2-0 |
| 30 | Bears | So much for the idea that this offense would make big strides. That pick-six thrown by Justin Fields against the Bucs was terrible. | — | 0-2-0 |
| 31 | Texans | This is going to be a long year for a team that has a lot of young players. It’s going to take time. | — | 0-2-0 |
| 32 | Cardinals | They have played close in two games, but lost. Isn’t that the best thing for the tanking for Caleb Williams? | — | 0-2-0 |
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Author: Pete Prisco
September 19, 2023 | 9:00 am
