Is an 0-2 start in the NFL too difficult to overcome?
That's one of many questions the Minnesota Vikings will be asking themselves following a disappointing, turnover-filled loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football.
But they'll soon be joined by other teams who will suffer the same fate. The Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills are just some additional teams who lost in Week 1, which could put their season at a crossroads early should they lose again during Week 2 action.
So, how do NFL teams who start the regular season 0-2 fare the rest of the way? Here's what the numbers say:
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How many NFL teams make the playoffs after starting 0-2?
Going back to 1990, only 31 of the 270 teams that started 0-2 in the regular season reached the playoffs. That's a slim success rate of 11.5%. Going 1-1, at least, is not the end of the world, but losing both out of the gate makes things dire.
How many NFL teams won the Super Bowl after starting 0-2?
Only three NFL teams overcame the 0-2 hurdle to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Those franchises are:
- 1993: Dallas Cowboys defeats Buffalo Bills 30-13 in Super Bowl XXVIII
- 2001: New England Patriots defeats St. Louis Rams 20-17 in Super Bowl XXXVI
- 2007: New York Giants defeats New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII
Which NFL team most recently made the playoffs after starting 0-2?
NFL
The Cincinnati Bengals in 2022 reached the AFC Championship Game after starting 0-2. They bounced back to finish 12-5 in the new 17-game regular season but fell to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Which NFL teams that made the playoffs last season could fall to 0-2 in 2023?
Not counting the Minnesota Vikings, six other NFL teams that made the postseason last year could drop to 0-2 in Week 2.
From the AFC, those are the Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Chargers. The first three were the top-three seeds from the playoffs.
The Chiefs will head to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars; the Bengals will host the Baltimore Ravens; the Bills will host the Las Vegas Raiders; and the Chargers will face the Titans in Tennessee.
The two NFC teams are the New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks. New York will face the Cardinals in Arizona whereas Seattle has a road date in Detroit with the Lions.
