9 NFL groups are nonetheless searching for their first win of the 2024 season after recording two consecutive losses to open their schedules.
Traditionally, beginning 0-2 has meant the percentages are stacked in opposition to you. The Athletic’s Austin Mock’s playoff odds replicate that. None of the present 0-2 groups have higher than a 44 p.c likelihood to make the playoffs or a 26 p.c likelihood to win their division. Seven of the 9 groups have already got a lower than 20 p.c likelihood.
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However going from 0-2 to the playoffs isn’t not possible.
9 groups over the previous 10 seasons have reached the postseason after an 0-2 begin, and two franchises have achieved the feat a number of occasions.
Right here’s a have a look at which groups overcame a troublesome begin to advance to the playoffs and the way they did it.
How they completed: 10-7, AFC South champions
Postseason end result: Misplaced in divisional spherical
Houston began 2023 with losses to the Ravens and the Colts, however the Texans had a younger roster that hadn’t hit its stride fairly but.
As soon as rookie QB C.J. Stroud settled in and the Texans solidified the offensive line that might shield him, they obtained the season again on monitor.
In Weeks 1 and a pair of, the Texans allowed Stroud to be sacked 11 occasions and pressured 44 occasions, each league highs, in line with TruMedia. Houston would enable the ninth-fewest pressures (188) for the remainder of the season.
One of many keys to the Texans’ improved cross safety was merely getting their finest offensive linemen wholesome. Of the six linemen who made essentially the most begins in Weeks 3-18, together with Professional Bowler Laremy Tunsil, solely Shaq Mason and George Fant began each of the primary two video games.
Houston, like a number of groups on this checklist, benefited from a weaker division. No different group within the AFC South gained greater than 9 video games.
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2022 Cincinnati Bengals
How they completed: 12-4
Postseason end result: Misplaced in convention championship
Coming off a Tremendous Bowl look in 2021, the Bengals started 2022 with losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers (in additional time) and Dallas Cowboys earlier than profitable 4 of their subsequent six and shutting out the common season with an eight-game win streak. (Their Week 17 matchup in opposition to the Buffalo Payments was canceled after Payments security Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the sector.)
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had his two worst video games of the season throughout the 0-2 begin, throwing a career-high 4 interceptions in Week 1 and passing for a season-low 199 yards in Week 2. As Burrow improved, so did the Bengals. In weeks 3-18, Burrow led the NFL in passer ranking (105.5) and completion share (69.1). He additionally ranked second in passing touchdowns (32) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4) throughout that span.
2018 Houston Texans
How they completed: 11-5
Postseason end result: Misplaced in wild-card spherical
Houston opened the 2018 season 0-3 with losses to the New England Patriots, Titans and Giants, however a pair of additional time victories in Weeks 4 and 5 turned the tide after the dismal begin.
Together with these OT wins over the Colts and Cowboys, the Texans pieced collectively a nine-game win streak buoyed by their ball-hawking. From Weeks 4-13, the Texans compelled 19 turnovers, the second-most within the NFL throughout that span, and scored 74 factors off of them, the third-most within the league. After failing to pressure a turnover in two of these first three losses, Houston compelled at the very least one turnover in each recreation the remainder of the season.
How they completed: 10-6
Postseason end result: Misplaced in wild-card spherical
The Seahawks struggled to get an efficient dashing assault going early within the 2018 season, however after consecutive shut losses to the Broncos and Chicago Bears, Seattle sorted out its floor recreation.
In these two matchups, the Seahawks rushed for 64 and 74 yards and turned the ball over 5 occasions. Week 3 noticed Seattle lastly eclipse 100 yards on the bottom in a victory over the Cowboys, after which it was off to the races.
Seattle rushed for greater than 100 yards in all however one recreation the remainder of the season and from Weeks 3-17 led the NFL with 173 dashing yards per recreation. The Seahawks additionally misplaced solely six turnovers the remainder of the season.
How they completed: 11-5
Postseason end result: Misplaced in divisional spherical
After three straight 7-9 campaigns, the beginning of the Saints 2007 season appeared to foreshadow extra of the identical as New Orleans suffered losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Patriots. However stars would quickly emerge throughout an eight-game win streak that adopted.
Earlier than the season, the Saints drafted each the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the 12 months in Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore, along with gamers like Ryan Ramczyk, Alex Anzalone and Trey Hendrickson, who’ve turn into starters within the NFL. The Saints additionally signed operating again Adrian Peterson.
When New Orleans started to characteristic Kamara extra, finally buying and selling Peterson, their offense, led by quarterback Drew Brees, turned extra explosive. In Weeks 3-17, the Saints led the NFL with 391.9 yards per recreation and ranked third in scoring with 26.8 offensive factors per recreation, in line with TruMedia.
Kamara led the NFL with 6.1 yards per carry and caught 81 passes for 826 yards. He was considered one of seven Saints named to the Professional Bowl that season.
How they completed: 10-6
Postseason end result: Misplaced in wild-card spherical
The Dolphins snagged their first win of the 2016 slate in Week 3 with an additional time victory in opposition to the Cleveland Browns, however the turnaround wasn’t speedy as two extra losses adopted. With a 1-4 report heading into Week 6, Miami was trending down.
Then an important piece of the offense returned.
Jay Ajayi, a fifth-round choose within the 2015 NFL Draft, was inactive in Week 1 and noticed restricted touches in Weeks 2-5. In Week 6, he carried the ball 25 occasions for 204 yards and two touchdowns, main Miami to a 30-15 win in opposition to the Steelers.
He adopted that up with one other 200-yard recreation in opposition to the Payments in Week 7. Ajayi completed the season with 1,272 dashing yards and eight touchdowns as Miami gained 9 out of 11 to shut the season and clinch a wild-card playoff berth.
2015 Houston Texans
How they completed: 9-7
Postseason end result: Misplaced in wild-card spherical
The Texans dropped their first two video games en path to a 1-4 begin to the season. Houston was 3-5 at its Week 9 bye, however closed out the season profitable six of its final eight with three straight division wins to safe an AFC South championship and a playoff berth.
Houston went 5-1 in its division that season, regardless of beginning 4 totally different quarterbacks.
How did the Texans do it? Houston’s protection ranked third within the NFL, permitting 310.2 yards per recreation. The power of that unit stored the Texans in video games regardless of the inconsistency at QB, whether or not as a consequence of poor play or accidents.
Houston appeared to get simply sufficient out of their QBs, together with Brandon Weeden, who was claimed by Houston after being launched by the Cowboys, and T.J. Yates, who signed with the Texans simply earlier than their bye week. Each gamers began and performed in video games for Houston after its bye and helped the group win 5 out of the six video games both performed in.
2015 Seattle Seahawks
How they completed: 10-6
Postseason end result: Misplaced in divisional spherical
The Seahawks opened the season 0-2 however had been 4-4 by their Week 9 bye. Seattle completed the 12 months profitable six of its remaining eight to safe a wild-card playoff berth.
In every of these first 4 losses, the Seahawks held a fourth-quarter lead however had been unable to shut out the sport. As soon as it kicked the behavior of blowing leads, Seattle’s offense and staunch protection, which allowed the second-fewest yards per recreation that season, had been capable of propel the membership again into the playoffs.
2014 Indianapolis Colts
How they completed: 11-5
Postseason end result: Misplaced in convention championship
The Colts had the unlucky luck of opening their 2014 marketing campaign in opposition to two Tremendous Bowl contenders. Regardless of hanging shut in one-score video games with the Broncos, who gained 12 video games and led the NFL in offensive factors per recreation that season, and the Philadelphia Eagles, who completed the season with a top-five offense, Indianapolis nonetheless needed to carry an 0-2 report into Week 3, when it demolished the Jacksonville Jaguars to jump-start its season.
The Colts would solely lose three extra occasions the remainder of the 12 months en path to an look within the AFC Championship Recreation.
(Picture: Dylan Buell / Getty Photos)