NFL
How important is it for an NFL team have a fast start to the regular season and avoid digging a early hole? Although the league has allowed more room and time recover of late by expanding the playoff field from 12 to 14 teams in 2020 and going from 16 to 17 games in 2021, it’s still a lot easier to qualify when opening with two wins vs. starting with two losses.
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Since 2020, 38 of the 49 NFL teams (77.6 percent) that went 2-0 have ended up advancing to the playoffs. Over the same six-season span, 45 of the 50 NFL teams (90 percent) that went 0-2 missed the playoffs. There were no such anomalies in 2020 and 2021.
The Bengals were the only 0-2 team to make the playoffs in 2022. The Texans stood alone with the status. A rare three teams —the Ravens, Rams and Broncos — rebounded from 0-2 to play in the postseason. The Bears and Texans were the only playoff exceptions from a group of 10 teams that were 0-2 in 2025.
Looking at this year’s 2-0 and 0-2 teams — combined total of X teams — Sporting News conducts the annual exercise of breaking down «contenders and pretenders» in the NFL and how good or bad they all are:
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2-0 teams: Contenders or pretenders?
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Buffalo Bills
The Bills already were on the short list of Super Bowl contenders before the season and their offense seems to have become better despite Joe Brady taking on head-coaching responsibilities. The defense is well positioned to play complementary aggressive football.
Josh Allen is flying out of the game with his arm and legs hungry for that second league MVP along with much bigger things in the playoffs, aka that elusive first Super Bowl trip.
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Cincinnati Bengals
Speaking of Super Bowl, the Bengals were tabbed as a sneaky team to watch in the AFC as long as Joe Burrow stays healthy to lead the offense, given some tweaks to improve the defense. That’s all come to fruition with solid complete wins over the Buccaneers and Texans ahead of facing the struggling Steelers.
Cincinnati is starting hot again, 2-0 for the second successive season under Zac Taylor, this time determined to return to the playoffs. The Bengals are the early AFC North favorites and real contenders.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs started 0-2 last season and missed the playoffs for the first time with Patrick Mahomes as the starting quarterback. They went 6-11 and Mahomes missed the final three games after requiring season-ending knee surgery. Mahomes has come back healthy and strong with needed help from Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III and a revved-up running game. They also got a jump in the AFC West race by beating the Broncos in Week 1 before surviving the Colts at home again in Week 2.
They go to Miami in Week 3 before also facing the Raiders and Chargers early. The Chiefs’ biggest early test comes at Seattle in Week 7. Their offensive resurgence makes them easy contenders.
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Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders might seem fluky and there’s some merit to that given wins over the struggling Dolphins and overrated Chargers. They haven’t played the cleanest offense with Kirk Cousins, but they get a break for dealing with injuries to Brock Bowers and now Ashton Jeanty. Cousins is digging deep for playmakers in Klint Kubiak’s offense and not blowing his chance to keep No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza on the bench.
Las Vegas’ defense, however, has been the true surprise with rookies and free-agent additions giving Maxx Crosby much-needed help. The Raiders have the Saints next, the Jets in not too long. But between those games they play the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Rams. After the Jets in Week 8, they play the 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos all in a row. There’s little margin for error. This still feels more like a team that will make a significant improvement from 3-14 to around 7-10 or 8-9, making them pretenders.
Minnesota Vikings
Carson Wentz has played some scrappy quarterbacking while Kyler Murray is on the shelf early, but Brian Flores’ defense has gotten the job done more to start with two huge divsion wins, at home vs. the Packers and on the road at the Bears. The NFC North’s first-place team has an early one-game lead over those teams and the Lions.
With Tampa Bay, Miami, New Orleans and Indianapolis in the next four games, there’s chance for great Minnesota momentum going into the first game against Detroit. All three of their division rivals have their fair share of flaws. Based on that, the Vikings are set up as contenders.
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Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles just held off the Commanders at home in Week 1 and needed a late-game winning drive to avoid being upset by the Titans on the road in Week 2. Despite those results with some defensive letdown in key moments, Philadelphia is right where everyone expected going into the big Week 3 game at Chicago. Jalen Hurts is operating with a remixed wide receiver corps in a new offense behind DeVonta Smith. Saquon Barkley (neck) and Dallas Goedert (knee) got hurt early and missed most of the game in Tennessee.
Yet, Hurts has responded well early in the Sean Mannion system that is more calculated about relying on his running and setting up well for more success in downfield passing. The defense is bound to start finishing games better soon and gets a huge break with Caleb Williams out next week. Then the Eagles have three home games (vs. Rams, Panthers, Cowboys) and one neutral site game (Jaguars in London) to keep up the favorable winning play. They are Super Bowl contenders again.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have outscored the Rams and Dolphins 62-20 in their first two games. Brock Purdy has been sharp for the offense with Christian McCaffrey picking up where he left off. George Kittle, Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are all back healthy making big impact. This is the one team in the NFL that can handle all those wide receiver injuries, at least for a while, with what McCaffrey and Kittle can do in the passing game. Through all the offseason drama, when talking on-field, the 49ers are still contenders.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks’ defense has remained in Super Bowl 60 form for Mike Macdonald, allowing only 20 total points in two wins over the Patriots and Cardinals. Jaxon Smith-Njigba has gone into overdrive to make up for the short-term loss of Sam Darnold. The running game is chugging along even without Kenneth Walker III, despite Jadarian Price joining Zach Charbonnet with an injury concern. The Seahawks aren’t hungover but rather staying sharp as contenders looking good on a quest to repeat.
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0-2 teams: Pretenders or contenders?
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Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons somehow look worse offensively under Kevin Stefanski, all tied to not having a real quarterback answer between Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr., Cooper Rush and, yes, even fan favorite Jack Strand. Bijan Robinson can’t do much about that as a runner and receiver. The defense has tried to hang the team in there against the Steelers and Panthers, but it is impossible with the QB situation. The Falcons are pretenders in contention for the much-needed No. 1 overall draft pick.
Houston Texans
The Texans’ defense is their calling card, but it’s been disastrous with huge lapses against the pass despite good pressure. The fact they have faced top quarterbacks Josh Allen and Joe Burrow early hasn’t helped, leaving C.J. Stroud in a bad position to keep up with the Bills and Bengals. Nico Collins getting hurt is also a big blow to a receiving corps already decimated by injuries. The running game hasn’t been good outside of the red zone, either.
Houston did recover from 0-2 to go 12-5 last season by winning the final nine games, making the AFC playoffs as a wild-card behind South champion Jacksonville. The biggest help for the Texans is again playing in that division. They went 5-1 against South opponents last season. Three of the next four games are against the Colts, Titans and Jaguars.
The Texans are a tough case with games against the rest of the AFC North, the entire NFC East, the Packers and Chargers. Losing two at home to open leads to filing them under pretenders, just missing the playoffs at 9-8.
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Indianapolis Colts
The Colts started 3-0 and then 7-1 last season, only to see breakthrough QB Daniel Jones going down and dropping out of the playoffs at 8-9. They had a tough early draw this season, with the Ravens at home and Chiefs on the road. They played much better in Week 2, pushing their Sunday night game to late overtime before succumbing in a shootout.
Watchful CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon can’t be pleased with the results from coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard. Although the Colts are among three AFC South teams at 0-2 only one game behind the Jaguars, they have too many defensive weaknesses and too little offensive consistency to be trusted as nothing more than pretenders.
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers should be much better than they are under Jim Harbaugh … or should they be? Sporting News’ preseason NFL predictions had them missing the playoffs with a 8-9 losing record, a three-game drop from 2025. Justin Herbert went into the season with undue hype in Mike McDaniel’s offense. The defensive talent might have been overestimated, too, minus Jesse Minter.
The Chargers needed to start hot as favorites against the Cardinals and Raiders. Why? Check out the upcoming schedule: at Bills (d’oh!), at Seahawks (ouch), vs. Broncos (brutal), at Chiefs (yikes), at Rams (yep), vs. Texans (meh), at Ravens (ruh-roh). Later the Chargers also host the Patriots (ugh) and 49ers (no way, bro!).
The AFC West and NFC West were tough enough without losing to the two «worst» teams in those divisions. All of the AFC East also looms. Lights out. Who’s got it worse than them? Nobody! The Chargers are pretenders.
MORE: Jim Harbaugh’s seat is getting hot with Chargers’ 0-2 start
Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are trying not to be good enough to lose either Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith or the top QB on the board in the 2027 draft. The Falcons have proved to be fierce dysfunctional competition to be the worst team in the league. The Raiders pillaged them and the 49ers 86ed them. The good news is, they’ll go home in Week 3. The bad news is, they play the Chiefs. Then it’s at Vikings, vs. Bengals, at Jets, vs. Patriots, vs. Lions. In the end, they might be the greatest of all pretenders.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa has not been protecting the ball well with Baker Mayfield and their transitional defense is having issues everywhere. Todd Bowles’ hot seat is getting even closer to the fire. Tampa Bay stays at home with former NFC Central foes Minnesota and Green Bay coming to town.
The Bucs are only contenders because they play in the NFC South, where the Panthers and Saints are tied for first at 1-1. It looks like the division can be won with a losing record again.
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Tennessee Titans
The Titans thought they were headed to 1-1 with a big win over the Eagles after losing to the Jets. But Robert Saleh’s game defense had more untimely breakdowns. Tennessee had to be pleased with better results from Cam Ward in Brian Daboll’s offense, but there are real concerns about Ward delivering as the franchise QB in Year 2. The Titans are obvious pretenders.
Washington Commanders
The Commanders have gone from 12-5 to 5-12 in the first two seasons with Jayden Daniels at quarterback and Dan Quinn at head coach. They are in danger of dipping even lower in the third season. Daniels, after an injury-riddled second season, is back on the shelf for at least game with an elbow ailment suffered in Dallas. They are 0-2 in NFC East play after losing to the Eagles and Cowboys on the road.
Their reward for the Week 3 home opener? Seattle, part of facing all of the NFC West. The Giants also look like a better team than the Commanders in the NFC East. Washington also plays Minnesota in conference play and draws Cincinnati, Houston and Jacksonville from the AFC. The Commanders are pretenders and that might prompt big changes (again).
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