How important is it for an NFL team to get off to a hot start in a given regular season? The numbers don’t lie when it comes to making the playoffs.
Dating back to the NFL merger in 1970, 269 of the 419 teams that started the season 2-0 made the playoffs (64.2 percent). In 2024, teams went 7-for-8, with only the Seattle Seahawks missing out.
In 2023, six of eight 2-0 teams advanced to the postseason. Going back to 2022, all five 2-0 teams made the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs were in all three groups, and they became the 33rd and 34th 2-0 teams in 59 tries to win the Super Bowl (57.6 percent).
The stats are more staggering for stumbling 0-2 teams. Since 1970, only 43 of 422 NFL teams who lost their first two games proceeded to make the playoffs (10.1 percent). Last season, the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos all defied the strong odds against them to qualify. But in 2023, the Texans, who won the AFC South, were the anomaly among eight teams. The Bengals, likewise were the lone exception from five teams in 2022.
Looking at this year’s 2-0 and 0-2 teams, Sporting News breaks down “contenders and pretenders” in the NFL and how good or bad they all are:
MORE: Updated NFL Power Rankings after Week 2
2-0 teams: Contenders or pretenders?
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles fought off a division test from the rival Dallas Cowboys at home. Then they controlled much of the game vs. Chiefs in Kansas City and put away the ho-hum Super Bowl rematch. Philadelphia as a whole may not be as flashy as last season yet, but it has been methodical about the bottom line. Of course, the Eagles are contenders to win it all again.
Green Bay Packers
Here’s another easy one. The Packers have had the most dominant defense in the NFL, showing they have a lot more than Micah Parsons to execute vs. pass and run under Jeff Hafley. Matt LaFleur is up to 69-33 in the regular season (.679) looking to coach the team to its sixth playoff trip in seven seasons. They are contenders, headed to playoffs with a good chance to win their first division title since 2021.
MORE: Why Packers’ dominant defense proves how valuable Micah Parsons is
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have dispatched the Ravens with an epic comeback and blew out the Jets with no contest. Buffalo is saving its best for last against top teams and not messing around with lesser teams. This is looking like it might really be the year for the biggest of breakthroughs to the Super Bowl, with Josh Allen and James Cook playing Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas. They may have never been this dangerous as consistent AFC contenders.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals had a bittersweet result against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their offense did get going after they had to win with more grinding defense against the Cleveland Browns. But it happened more with backup QB Jake Browning than Joe Burrow, who suffered a 12-week toe injury in the game. That said, 2-0 is a nice territory for the Zac Taylor tenure instead of the recent slow 0-2 starts.
The schedule is tough with Minnesota, Denver, Detroit and Green Bay in the next four weeks, and three of those games on the road. The reasonable goal should be finishing 2-2 in that stretch, regardless of when Burrow can return. At either 4-2 or 3-3, the Bengals will still be solid contenders, at least for an AFC wild-card berth.
MORE: How long is Burrow out? | Injury history | Replacement options
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts took care of a bad Dolphins team at home with an explosive, balanced offense and the steady arm and legs of new starting QB Daniel Jones. Jones continued to play well with a bigger boost from Jonathan Taylor’s running in Denver and the team hung with the Broncos through the game-winning field goal. Indianapolis gets Tennessee on the road next week.
The Colts have a tough game at the Rams in Week 4, but then the favorable schedule manifests again with the Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals in back-to-back weeks at home. The AFC South is free for the taking and winning the division is the Colts’ best path to staying contenders.
MORE: How rare, controversial penalty helped Colts win Week 2
Los Angeles Rams
The reigning NFC West champions look stronger with their young defense out of the gate and the addition of Davante Adams has revved up Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and the rest of the passing game. When needed they remain effective at running the football for Sean McVay with the reliable Kyren Williams. This is the best Rams team since the team that won Super Bowl 56 in 2022, making them contenders.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are essentially the Bengals in the AFC, as they also dealing with a multiple-week injury to their starting quarterback. Brock Purdy rallied his team past the Seahawks in Week 1. But it was Mac Jones who recovered from mistakes to make the winning plays against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. The 49ers’ have the easiest schedule in the league and it continues at home over the next two weeks against the Cardinals and Jaguars. Those are two games which admittedly don’t seem so easy any more. However, San Francisco showed just how strong its offensive support system is under Kyle Shanahan despite key injuries and Robert Saleh has helped the defense stay on track. The 49ers, like the Rams, are NFC title contenders. The two teams play each other, by the way, in Week 5.
MORE: How long is Brock Purdy out?
Arizona Cardinals
Believing in the Cardinals is tough, given their first two wins are over the Saints and Panthers, two teams with a combined record of 0-4. It’s much easier to believe if they can beat Jones and the 49ers on the road in Week 3. But then they face the Seahawks, Titans and Colts before the taking on the Packers. The schedule gets tougher down the stretch and with the Rams and 49ers ahead of them and the Seahawks maybe being on a par with them in the NFC West. All this leans toward the Cardinals being the sole 2-0 pretenders.
0-2 teams: Pretenders or contenders?
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are in an unfamiliar spot as their Super Bowl hangover continues, the first 0-2 hole of the Patrick Mahomes era. Kansas City gets a much-needed break after facing the Chargers and Eagles the past two weeks with a Sunday Night Football matchup against the reeling Giants in Week 3. But then the degree of difficult ramps back up as Kansas City faces the Ravens at home in Week 4. There’s no doubt the Chiefs have a front-loaded schedule but that’s not a true set up for a long-term Super Bowl hangover. Mahomes and the entire offense can play better. So can the defense. Here’s to trusting them as contenders but this might be a gap year where they miss out on the Super Bowl like four years ago.
MORE: Revisiting last time the Chiefs started 0-2
Chicago Bears
The Bears got a rough draw with two divisional matchups against the Vikings and Lions in the first two weeks and their defense didn’t help at all in those games. The Cowboys, Raiders and Saints are three nice matchups to help the Bears get back on track, but first they need to fix themselves. It’s safe to accept them as pretenders for a second straight year with Caleb Williams.
New York Jets
The Jets couldn’t be stopped with their balanced offense in Week 1, as Justin Fields looked the most comfortable passing to Garrett Wilson and getting his legs and Breece Hall’s rolling in the running game. However, their defense has been downright bad overall over the past two games. Like Ben Johnson and the Bears, it’s best to pump the brakes on fellow former Lions coordinator Aaron Glenn and the Jets as confirmed pretenders.
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins went from a dynamic AFC offense with an attacking defense early in the Mike McDaniel era in 2022 to an absolute mess on both sides to start this season. Tua Tagovailoa is trying his best to revive the mojo with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle and De’Von Achane but he has limitations and the defense cannot stop anybody. With their harsh fall to pretenders, McDaniel’s seat is up to boiling going into Thursday Night Football against the Bills in Week 3.
New York Giants
The Giants are the Dolphins of the NFC, only with Brian Daboll coaching them instead of McDaniel. Russell Wilson is doing best to keep rookie Jaxson Dart at bay, but they have suffered some tough losses as expected. The Giants are pretenders.
MORE: How Brandon Aubrey spoiled Russell Wilson’s throwback day
Carolina Panthers
Although the Bryce Young-led offense showed a lot more life in Week 2, attempting to complete a big comeback, the results have been inconsistent. Carolina’s defense, however, remains overall a bad unit, confirming them as pretenders.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans pushed the Broncos and hung with the Rams for a while, but their defense has too many holes and their offense isn’t steady or explosive enough with a flashing Cam Ward. Ward is a keeper, but the Titans are not quite ready, pretenders with him for now.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns were expected to be bad outside of Myles Garrett this season and they are bad, already losing to their division rivals from Cincinnati and Baltimore. The only question is whether Kevin Stefanski can save his job as Cleveland remains pretenders.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints need to be careful. They got very competitive vs. the 49ers in Week 2 at home with Kellen Moore leading the way as head coach. They are still pretenders and need to stay that way to have their clear shot at potentially landing the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
