Analysis of 0-2 Teams: Who Still Has Playoff Chances?
Historical perspective and current outlook for ten winless teams A 0-2 start historically represents a near-fatal blow to NFL teams' playoff ambitions. Only 10% of 451 teams with such starts since 1966 have managed to reach the playoffs. In the modern era with 14 playoff teams, the statistic is only marginally better - just 12.2% of teams (5 of 41) since 2020. Historical Context and Reality Teams that overcome initial struggles rarely achieve significant success. The last team with playoff success after a 0-2 start was the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022, who reached the conference championship. Only three teams in history have managed to win the Super Bowl after a 0-2 start: the 1993 Dallas Cowboys, 2001 New England Patriots, and 2007 New York Giants. This year's ten teams face similar challenges with playoff chances below 40% according to prediction models. The Houston Texans (13.5% chance to win AFC South) and Kansas City Chiefs (12.9% chance to win AFC West) hold relative...