Eight NFL Teams Open 0-2 as Only 20% Reached Playoffs Since 2021

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 22

Eight NFL teams are 0-2 after two weeks, and history under the 17-game format offers little relief: only 8 of 40 teams that started 0-2 since 2021 made the playoffs.
That 20% hit rate implies roughly one of this season’s eight winless teams may still reach the postseason, putting immediate pressure on clubs with thin margins and difficult schedules.
Los Angeles, Indianapolis and Washington face the sharpest alarm bells — the Chargers amid offensive upheaval, the Colts on a nine-game skid with jobs at stake, and the Commanders after Jayden Daniels dislocated an elbow.
Houston and Atlanta still have plausible paths out, with the Texans having recovered from 0-2 starts before and the Falcons turning to Michael Penix Jr., while Miami’s rebuild and Tennessee’s instability mute but do not remove the panic.
Tampa Bay sits in the middle: Todd Bowles is steady, but Baker Mayfield’s struggles after a new contract show how quickly an 0-2 hole can become a season-defining test.