From the Chargers to the Colts and Falcons, which of the NFL's eight winless teams are already in panic mode
We are only two games into the NFL season and already multiple teams need to be in full-on panic alert.
That's because the season offers only 17 games and losing the first two is, well, a major problem. Forty teams have started a season 0-2 since 2021 when the league went to a 17-game schedule.
Of those 40 teams, only eight rallied to make the playoffs. That means 20% of the teams starting 0-2 since 2021 made the postseason.
And 80% did not.
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If the math holds, that means maybe only one of the eight teams that started the season with a 0-2 record will make it to the postseason.
So, yeah, fanbases are panicking. Pundits invested in their opinions looking good are panicking.
And teams are trying to resist the urge to panic.
But which of the NFL's eight winless teams legitimately should panic? Here are the answers:
Los Angeles Chargers: Definitely time to panic. John Harbaugh has never been 0-2 in his life and there is nothing that suggests he knows how to handle the crisis. He handed the reins of the offense to new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, who is busy ruining quarterback Justin Herbert. McDaniel flipped Herbert's shotgun stance, gave him an offense built to have Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle but lacks both, and isn't known for making adjustments. Oh, yeah, check out the killer schedule for the next seven games.
Houston Texans: Not time to panic yet because this team under coach DeMeco Ryans has been a notoriously slow starter. They started 0-2 in 2023 and again last season, and made the playoffs both seasons. But this year they've lost two home games to open the season, and another loss will have fans and media in Houston losing their minds. The offensive line is a problem, there is no dynamic playmaker at running back, and the defense which finished second in points allowed last season is currently ranked 25th.
Indianapolis Colts: Head coach Shane Steichen and general manager Chris Ballard must win or they'll be fired. Problem is, the Colts have lost nine consecutive games dating back to last season. Cornerback Sauce Gardner, who joined the team last November in a blockbuster trade that sent two first-round picks and a player to the New York Jets, has not won a game with the Colts in the United States. Another loss Sunday, coincidentally against the Texans, will make this a serious panic situation because jobs are at stake.
Miami Dolphins: No panic here. The Dolphins are a borderline Triple-A team and ownership, the personnel department and the coaching staff pretty much knew this before the season because that's how they authored it. It's one reason coach Jeff Hafley actually said, "success is not gonna be measured in wins and losses." The Dolphins are on a March to Arch (Manning) and they're right on course.
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Tennessee Titans: It's not correct to say they're panicking because it's a first-year coaching staff and quarterback Cam Ward is only in his second NFL season. But owner Amy Adams Strunk in recent years has not blinked at getting rid of a couple of highly touted QBs while they were still on their rookie contracts, and a coach who lasted less than two seasons. This is not a stable or patient franchise, so panic is not far off barring a change of direction.
Washington Commanders: This is a desperate team. They have not only lost games but lost starting quarterback Jayden Daniels to a dislocated elbow. He may need surgery, which would end his season and effectively dash the team's postseason hopes. The Commanders badly need good news on the Daniels front because panic is this close to setting in.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles wouldn't have panicked if he'd woken up in a flooded stateroom on the Titanic. But quarterback Baker Mayfield isn't wired like that. He's passionate, sensitive, and often led by raw emotion. So the danger of panic is real for a player pressing after getting a big contract and, so far, not living up to the bigger bucks.
Atlanta Falcons: They're not panicking yet because Michael Penix Jr. will start his first game of the season on Thursday. Any team getting its presumptive starting quarterback back in the lineup for the first time is actually upbeat rather than panicking. But Penix Jr. better perform, and the results must change.