Knockouts don’t happen in Week 2 of the NFL season but plenty of teams are already on the ropes. The stakes are massive with a short regular season compared to most sports. Eight teams are 0-2 and history says just a couple of those will turn things around.

But are things changing? Before the NFL shifted to a 17-game regular season in 2021, fewer than 10 percent of teams overcame an 0-2 start to go on and make the playoffs. In the first two years after the shift, only one team annually accomplished the feat (the Texans in 2023 and the Bengals in 2022). 

In 2024, however, there were three teams (the Broncos, Ravens and Rams) that bounced back to qualify for the postseason after getting off on the wrong foot. Last year, 10 teams started the season 0-2 and another three beat the odds: 

1. Chicago Bears
2. Cleveland Browns
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Miami Dolphins
5. New York Giants
6. New York Jets
7. Carolina Panthers
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Houston Texans
10. Tennessee Titans

Is that an aberration driven by a small sample size, or a sign that something meaningful has changed? The next few months will start to answer that question. Here’s a dive into each of the 0-2 teams and the narrow — maybe nonexistent — path forward for each to reach the playoffs. 

Dolphins

I don’t think there were any illusions about what this season would be for the Dolphins. They have more cap dollars dedicated to players not on the roster than players who are. Even the coaching staff couldn’t blow the usual smoke about expectations ahead of the season, as there were some startlingly frank quotes from HC Jeff Hafley about the NFL qualifications (or lack thereof) of certain position groups. 

So far, the Dolphins have lost to the Raiders and 49ers, both by multiple touchdowns. More double-digit losses are almost certainly ahead. The big question is whether Miami can start to narrow those gaps and avoid going winless, and on that front I do have some optimism. 

Titans

The rebuild for the Titans is evidently going to continue for another season. Tennessee was dramatically more competitive in Week 2 than in Week 1 against the Jets, hosting the Eagles on a blistering 95-degree day. It took a game-winning drive and a touchdown pass from QB Jalen Hurts with nine seconds left on the clock, but the end result was another L regardless. 

Titans HC Robert Saleh’s defense took a big step forward in Week 2, intercepting Hurts twice, sacking him three times and holding the Eagles to under three yards per carry. It was a significant improvement over the first week when the Jets essentially overpowered the Titans. But the unit is probably an offseason of sculpting by Saleh away from truly being able to carry the team. The personnel just isn’t quite there in a couple of spots. 

The offense continues to lag behind, with former No. 1 pick Cam Ward still plagued by inconsistency. However, there were some small steps forward in Week 2. Ward scored twice with his legs and was able to hit 65 percent of his passes, including some explosive plays. 

The playoffs look far-fetched this season, but even if the Titans have more losses than wins this year, those losses need to look more like Week 2 against the Eagles than Week 1 against the Jets. That extends to Ward and the offense in particular. If Ward plays well and looks like he’s developing, that will do more for the vibes around the Titans than just winning (though obviously the former makes the latter more likely). 

Falcons

I couldn’t tell you what exactly the Falcons’ plans for the 2026 season were. The brand-new brain trust trio of president Matt Ryan, GM Ian Cunningham and HC Kevin Stefanski didn’t tear down the roster, but they didn’t exactly make big moves to seize a shaky NFC South. What I can tell you is that no one with the Falcons thought they’d be benching Cooper Rush for Jack Strand after less than eight quarters of football. 

It’s a little hard to assess the Falcons because the quarterback play has been so abysmal. They were hanging around in Week 1 against the Steelers before OLB T.J. Watt fished a Rush pass out of the air and rumbled for a touchdown. In Week 2, Rush fumbled, threw a pick and went three-and-out on his first three possessions, letting the Panthers jump out to a two-score lead. Rush got benched for Strand after another bad pick, and the rookie’s first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. He lost a fumble, too, when he pump-faked the ball out of his hands. 

All signs point to former first-round QB Michael Penix Jr. making his return after last year’s torn ACL in Week 3 against the Packers, and veteran QB Tua Tagovailoa should be far enough removed from his oblique injury to take over backup duties from Rush. That’s the good news. The bad news is the Falcons might still have quarterback issues. 

Penix is coming off a major injury and hasn’t been able to bank as much practice time this offseason, which is key for a young and developing player. Tagovailoa had a golden opportunity to seize the starting job but couldn’t play well enough while Penix was laid up to hang onto it. Rush left the bar on the floor but it remains to be seen if the Falcons can pick it up enough to avoid picking in the top five, let alone making the playoffs. 

Commanders

The worst-case scenario for the Commanders was always an injury to QB Jayden Daniels after his snakebitten 2025 season. So hearts sank in D.C. when Daniels went down yet again against the Cowboys, dislocating his left elbow for the second time in less than a year. This injury sidelined Daniels for a month last season, and it seems likely to take at least that long this year, perhaps longer if surgery is needed to correct an issue. 

Backup QB Marcus Mariota is one of the best No. 2 passers in the league but without Daniels, Washington is hosed, just like last year. Perhaps it might be different if the defense had made real strides but they once again look like a Swiss cheese unit. The Eagles hit multiple big plays in Week 1 and the Cowboys shredded Washington for 37 points in Week 2. Despite upgrading the front seven talent, there’s clearly an adjustment period to new DC Daronte Jones in the secondary, and perhaps future personnel upgrades needed. 

In a relatively best-case scenario where Daniels just has a short-term IR stint, putting him back in November after Washington’s next four games and their bye, the Commanders still have some uphill sledding. They face off against the Seahawks, Colts, Giants and 49ers the next four weeks. Even with Daniels, a 2-2 result through there would have been a success. 

And when Daniels does return, Washington is still going to have the same issues on defense that put them in a hole to start the season. 

Colts

The Colts got close to a big upset over the Chiefs to even their record at 1-1. But it’s football, not horseshoes or hand grenades. Indianapolis failed to turn a big pass play in overtime into a touchdown, instead settling for a tying field goal. While the defense was better than Week 1 when it gave up 41 points to the Ravens, it still got gashed by QB Patrick Mahomes and TE Travis Kelce, who turned the clock back a few years to go over 100 yards receiving. 

That puts Colts HC Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard in a major predicament. With ownership clear that the expectation was to end the team’s playoff drought, the Colts’ slow start to the 2026 season has left them with long odds of reaching that goal. The pressure on Steichen and Ballard was already intense, but it will ratchet up even further the rest of the way — starting with a matchup against a Texans team that is also 0-2. 

Given the loser of this game will drop to 0-3 and last in the AFC South, this is an elimination game for all intents and purposes. And it’s tough not to lean toward the Texans given that their defense should have a clear advantage over Indianapolis’ offense. 

Chargers

Los Angeles has the most perplexing winless start to the season. Most people expected them to cruise through the first two games against the Cardinals and Raiders, teams that were just picking in the top three of the draft and were expected to end up fairly high in the order again in 2027. It was a chance to get off to a hot start for QB Justin Herbert and OC Mike McDaniel, piling up some stats to perhaps figure into the MVP conversation later on in a best-case scenario. 

Instead, the Chargers have been shockingly bad. They haven’t just lost — they’ve gotten smacked by double digits in both games (ironically by a final score of 26-14 in both matchups). Both Arizona and Las Vegas seized control of the game in the second half as the Chargers self-sabotaged any potential shot at a comeback. Los Angeles has a combined five turnovers and 15 penalties over the past two weeks. 

Rather than looking like a sleek, high-performance engine, the Chargers offense has more resembled a 14-year-old learning how to drive a stick shift in the cul-de-sac, moving in fits and starts with grinding gears. Perhaps equally as concerning, the defense has not managed much resistance to veteran QBs Jacoby Brissett and Kirk Cousins — guys who are ostensibly keeping the seat warm for a rookie to take over later in the season.

Put another way, very little is working for the Chargers and very few players and coaches seem to be doing their jobs well. 

Don’t look for solace in the schedule; these were supposed to be the “cupcake” games for the Chargers, or at least as close to cupcake as it gets in the NFL. The upcoming stretch might be one of the toughest slates in the league: 

• At Bills
• At Seahawks
• Vs Broncos
• At Chiefs
• Bye
• At Rams
• Vs Texans
• Vs Ravens

As bad as it feels right now, it could get way, way worse unless the Chargers figure their stuff out in a hurry. 

Buccaneers

There were three games where both teams were coming off losses this week, including the Bucs against the Browns. This was viewed as a get-right game for Tampa Bay given how much noise there was around Browns QB Deshaun Watson and his tenuous hold on the starting job. Everyone was expecting a disaster and a benching before next week’s home opener for Cleveland. 

So naturally, Watson had just six incompletions, threw two touchdowns and led the Browns in rushing in a major upset victory. 

A two-hour lightning delay in the middle of Tampa Bay’s potential game-winning drive didn’t help matters but it didn’t change the fact that the Bucs just didn’t make enough plays to win over the course of the whole game. They settled for field goals all day and gave up two big touchdowns on defensive breakdowns. Freshly extended QB Baker Mayfield was sacked three times and threw a pick in an ineffective outing. 

It’s a new year, but Tampa Bay’s collapse last year still looms large for the team. The Bucs were 2-7 in the second half of 2025, falling out of first place in the NFC South and missing the playoffs despite a hot start where Mayfield was getting MVP buzz. He might have to play like an MVP to get Tampa Bay back in the mix, because next up are the 2-0 Vikings and a ferocious defense. An 0-3 start is a real danger. 

The schedule doesn’t really let up, either. After Minnesota, they take on the Packers, then the Cowboys on a short week. They still have games against the Steelers and Ravens in the AFC North, the dynamite offenses of the Bears and Lions in November (at which point Chicago could have QB Caleb Williams back). To cap it all off, there’s a matchup against the Rams the second-to-last week of the season. 

It’s tough sledding but if there’s some good news, it’s that history says the competition in the NFC South is unlikely to create a lot of distance from the Bucs. They still have all six divisional games to try and make up ground, too. Those matchups will take on extra importance over the rest of the season. 

Texans

Much to the chagrin of HC DeMeco Ryans, this 0-2 start is familiar ground for the Texans. Last year they started the campaign 0-3 and were 3-5 at the midway mark before a nine-game winning streak to end the season. In Ryans’ first year in 2023, Houston started 0-2 before rallying again in the back half of the season to win the AFC South. 

So I doubt there will be the same anxiety in Houston’s locker room as there is in other places, especially because the two games they’ve lost (against the Bills and Bengals) have been against two of the best teams in the conference. Easier opponents are ahead. 

(Now it is concerning that the Texans were getting a fair amount of Super Bowl buzz ahead of the season, yet they’ve lost two games against teams they’ll likely have to beat to get to the big game — and at home to boot. To make matters worse, the elite defense that was the source of most of that preseason optimism has surrendered 56 points in those two games.)

At 0-2, big dreams of the Super Bowl have to take a back seat to simply qualifying for the tournament. Houston has a clear path there with all six divisional games remaining, including three in the next five weeks before the bye in Week 8. The Texans have to take care of business in Week 3 against the Colts to avoid an 0-3 start, as overcoming that for the second straight year would probably be asking too much. 

But even in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals, the Texans defense still had some remarkable high-level moments. They just got beat more by spectacular individual efforts from Cincinnati’s talented skill players than anything. Most teams won’t be able to match up in the same way. There’s reason to be confident in Houston’s defense helping to power a rebound. 

How far the Texans go will, as always, come down to what QB C.J. Stroud and the offense can muster. In the first two weeks, Stroud has piled up a lot of yards, but the Texans as a whole have come up short in situational football. 

Rams

Los Angeles is still 0-1 with tonight’s upcoming game against the Giants, but a matchup that was pretty easily penciled in as a win less than two weeks ago is all of a sudden looking like a tough fight. New York is riding high off a big Week 1 win to open up the John Harbaugh era, with some promising offensive skill players and strong performances in the trenches on both sides of the ball. 

Meanwhile, the Rams got dominated physically by the 49ers in Australia and probably won’t have two of their three best players tonight. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett is on injured reserve for the next four games, while star WR Puka Nacua has a groin injury that looks like it will sideline him tonight. Aaron Donald’s first game out of retirement might be a spark, but instead of tag-teaming with Garrett like everyone envisioned, the Rams might need Donald to put his superhero cape back on after two years out of football to save their bacon — possible of course, but not necessarily fair or realistic as an expectation. 

So with an 0-2 start very much on the table for this offseason’s “dream team,” it’s worth looking ahead for the Rams. The silver lining is that neither Garrett nor Nacua seem like they’ll be out long-term. Los Angeles hasn’t publicly committed to a timeline for Garrett but there have been multiple reports expressing optimism that four games is all he’ll miss after cleanup knee surgery. That puts him back in Week 6. 

As for Nacua, he dealt with a groin injury in training camp as well that the team has claimed is unrelated to the current issue that popped up in practice this past week. If his issues are just soft tissue in nature, it makes sense for the Rams to be cautious and hold him out for a game or two, as that is the best approach to ensuring he’s as healthy as possible for the remainder of the season. If it’s more serious like a hernia injury, that’s different, but since there’s no reporting on that for now, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it when discussing the Rams. 

The unfortunate thing for the Rams is that the schedule is brutal for the next few weeks. Monday’s game against the Giants is followed by back-to-back road games against the Broncos and Eagles, followed by a home tilt against the red-hot Bills. An 0-5 start is absolutely within the realm of possibility unless the Rams improve dramatically, and not having Garrett for that stretch will be tough. 

The goal for the Rams will be to just hold on as much as possible for the next month, because after that the schedule does relent. From Week 6 to Week 10, the Rams will take on the Cardinals twice, the Raiders, the Chargers and the Commanders. Three of those five are on the road and obviously there are no gimmes in the NFL, but the Rams will probably be favored in all of those games. 

With a bye in Week 11, the Rams have a chance to reset ahead of the stretch run: 

• Week 12: vs Packers (Wednesday night game before Thanksgiving)
• Week 13: vs Chiefs (following Thursday)
• Week 14: at 49ers 
• Week 15: vs Cowboys
• Week 16: at Seahawks
• Week 17: at Buccaneers
• Week 18: vs Seahawks

That’s obviously a span that is going to define the Rams’ season as long as they’re in a position to still be relevant by then, especially those two games against the Seahawks. With that context, it makes sense that the Rams are trying to take a long view with Garrett, Nacua, Donald and others, as it will be incredibly important to be peaking at the right time. 

But with the way the NFL season works, the Rams also have to take care of business in the first 10 weeks. So far they’re off to an inauspicious start.