Can an NFL team go from 0-2 to the playoffs? It's unlikely, but these 9 teams have done it

Nine NFL teams are still waiting for their first win of the 2024 season after suffering two consecutive losses to begin their schedules.

In the past, the chances were poor if you started 0-2. The athleteAustin Mock's playoff odds reflect that. None of the teams currently 0-2 have better than a 44 percent chance of making the playoffs or a 26 percent chance of winning their division. Seven of the nine teams already have less than a 20 percent chance.

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But coming from 0-2 into the playoffs is not impossible.

Nine teams have reached the playoffs after an 0-2 start in the past ten seasons, and two franchises have accomplished this feat multiple times.

Here's which teams overcame a difficult start to advance to the playoffs and how they did it.

This is how they performed: 10-7, AFC South champions
Postseason results: Lost in the division round

Houston started 2023 with losses to the Ravens and Colts, but the Texans had a young roster that hadn't quite hit its stride yet.

Once rookie quarterback CJ Stroud settled in and the Texans solidified the offensive line to protect him, they got the season back on track.

In Weeks 1 and 2, the Texans allowed Stroud to be sacked 11 times and pressured 44 times, both league highs, according to TruMedia. Houston allowed the ninth-fewest pressures (188) the rest of the season.

One of the keys to the Texans' improved pass defense was getting their best offensive players fit. Of the six players who started most frequently from Weeks 3 through 18, including Pro Bowler Laremy Tunsil, only Shaq Mason and George Fant started the first two games.

Houston, like several other teams on this list, benefited from a weaker division. No other team in the AFC South won more than nine games.

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2022 Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow and the Bengals overcame a slow start to the 2022 season to win 12 games. (Todd Olszewski / Getty Images)

This is how they performed: 12-4
Postseason results: Lost in the conference championship

Following their 2021 Super Bowl appearance, the Bengals began 2022 with losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers (in overtime) and the Dallas Cowboys before winning four of their next six games and closing the regular season on an eight-game winning streak. (Their Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills was canceled after Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.)

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had his two worst games of the season during the 0-2 start. In Week 1, he threw four interceptions, which is a career high, and in Week 2, he threw passes for a season-low 199 yards. As Burrow improved, so did the Bengals. From Weeks 3 through 18, Burrow led the NFL in passer rating (105.5) and completion percentage (69.1). During that span, he also ranked second in passing touchdowns (32) and touchdown-to-interception ratio (4).

2018 Houston Texans

This is how they performed: 11-5
Postseason results: Lost in the wildcard round

Houston started the 2018 season 0-3, losing to the New England Patriots, Titans and Giants. However, a pair of overtime wins in Weeks 4 and 5 turned the tide after that dismal start.

Including overtime wins against the Colts and Cowboys, the Texans have snapped a nine-game winning streak fueled by their possession-hunting skills. From Weeks 4 through 13, the Texans forced 19 turnovers, second-most in the NFL during that span, and scored 74 points off of them, third-most in the league. After failing to force a turnover in two of those first three losses, Houston forced at least one turnover in every game for the remainder of the season.

This is how they performed: 10-6
Postseason results: Lost in the wildcard round

The Seahawks struggled to establish an effective running attack at the start of the 2018 season, but after two close losses to the Broncos and Chicago Bears, Seattle got its running game under control.

In those two games, the Seahawks rushed for 64 and 74 yards and lost the ball five times. In Week 3, Seattle finally surpassed the 100-yard mark in its win over the Cowboys and then things really took off.

Seattle rushed for over 100 yards in all but one game the rest of the season and led the NFL with 173 rushing yards per game from Weeks 3 through 17. The Seahawks also had just six turnovers the rest of the season.

Alvin Kamara was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and helped New Orleans reach the playoffs. (Harry How / Getty Images)

This is how they performed: 11-5
Postseason results: Lost in the division round

After three straight 7-9 seasons, the Saints' 2007 season looked set to continue the success as New Orleans suffered losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Patriots, but stars would soon emerge during the eight-game winning streak that followed.

Before the season, the Saints drafted both the offensive and defensive rookies of the year in Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore, in addition to players like Ryan Ramczyk, Alex Anzalone and Trey Hendrickson who have gone on to become regulars in the NFL. The Saints also signed running back Adrian Peterson.

As New Orleans began using Kamara more frequently and eventually traded for Peterson, their offense, led by quarterback Drew Brees, became more explosive. From Weeks 3 through 17, the Saints led the NFL with 391.9 yards per game and ranked third in scoring with 26.8 offensive points per game, according to TruMedia.

Kamara led the NFL with 6.1 yards per carry and caught 81 passes for 826 yards. He was one of seven Saints named to the Pro Bowl that season.

This is how they performed: 10-6
Postseason results: Lost in the wildcard round

The Dolphins picked up their first win of the 2016 season in Week 3 with an overtime victory over the Cleveland Browns, but it didn't take long for things to turn around as two more losses followed. With a 1-4 record going into Week 6, Miami was on the decline.

Then a crucial part of the offensive returned.

Jay Ajayi, a fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, was inactive in Week 1 and saw limited action in Weeks 2 through 5. In Week 6, he carried the ball 25 times for 204 yards and two touchdowns, leading Miami to a 30-15 win over the Steelers.

Another 200-yard game followed against the Bills in Week 7. Ajayi finished the season with 1,272 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, and Miami won nine of 11 games to close out the season and secure a wild-card playoff spot.

2015 Houston Texans

This is how they performed: 9-7
Postseason results: Lost in the wildcard round

The Texans lost their first two games and started the season 1-4. Houston had a 3-5 record with no games in Week 9, but finished the season with six wins in their final eight games and three straight divisional victories, securing the AFC South championship and a playoff spot.

Houston went 5-1 in its division this season despite starting four different quarterbacks.

How did the Texans do it? Houston's defense ranked third in the NFL, allowing 310.2 yards per game. The strength of this unit kept the Texans in the game, despite inconsistency at quarterback, whether due to poor play or injuries.

Houston seemed to get just enough out of its quarterbacks, including Brandon Weeden, who was released by the Cowboys, and TJ Yates, who signed with the Texans just before the off week. Both players started and played for Houston after the off week, helping the team win five of the six games they played in.

2015 Seattle Seahawks

With Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson, the Seahawks made it to the playoffs twice from 0-2. (Otto Greule Jr / Getty Images)

This is how they performed: 10-6
Postseason results: Lost in the division round

The Seahawks started the season 0-2, but were 4-4 during the off-season week 9. Seattle finished the year with six wins in its final eight games, securing a spot in the wildcard playoffs.

In each of those first four losses, the Seahawks led in the fourth quarter but were unable to finish the game. After Seattle broke the habit of blowing leads, they managed to get the club back into the playoffs with their offense and a strong defense that allowed the second fewest yards per game this season.

2014 Indianapolis Colts

This is how they performed: 11-5
Postseason results: Lost in the conference championship

The Colts had the misfortune of opening their 2014 season against two Super Bowl contenders. Despite narrowly battling in one-point games against the Broncos, who won 12 games and led the NFL in offensive points per game that season, and the Philadelphia Eagles, who finished the season with a top-five offense, Indianapolis went into Week 3 with an 0-2 record as it crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the season.

On the way to the AFC Championship Game, the Colts lost only three more times during the rest of the year.

(Photo: Dylan Buell/Getty Images)