Which 0-2 Team Has Best Chance To Make Playoffs?

Through two completed weeks in the 2025 NFL calendar, 10 teams have begun the campaign at 0-2. From 2020 to 2024, 42 teams started 0-2 and only five made the playoffs. Statistically, that provides an 11.9% chance of qualifying for the postseason. The Kansas City Chiefs are obvious candidates to defy those odds, and the Houston Texans probably possess the second-best chance.

The Texans have endured two difficult defeats to start the season. They lost 14-9 to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, and a last-second Rachaad White touchdown gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 20-19 victory over them during Monday Night Football's Week 2 doubleheader. Against two 2024 postseason opponents to begin the campaign, the reigning AFC South champions have dropped two contests by a combined six points.

That doesn’t indicate the Texans don't have issues to sort through. They do. Questionable roster-building decisions across the offensive line during the offseason have already proved concerning. Franchise quarterback C.J. Stroud has been sacked on six occasions and has been under routine pressure.

Defensive-minded head coach DeMeco Ryans was displeased with the state of his offense last season, so he fired offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. Ryans convinced acclaimed Sean McVay assistant Nick Caley to take the play-calling role. Caley's offense is off to a slow start, scoring a league-low 14 points per game through two weeks. Houston's offense also ranks 28th in passing and 21st in rushing.

Caley's offense sputtered on Monday. Stroud opened Monday’s game with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins, and the Texans picked up a field goal on their second possession. However, they did not score on their next six drives. That failure included a Buccaneers goal-line stop from the 1-yard line. Even after blocking a fourth-quarter punt in Buccaneers territory that swung momentum, the offense didn’t gain a yard before settling for a field goal.

Luckily for the Texans, they compete in an AFC South division that they've won in consecutive seasons. They currently share the basement with the rebuilding Tennessee Titans at 0-2. The Jacksonville Jaguars are 1-1 after a disappointing Week 2 loss, and the Indianapolis Colts are riding a resurgent Daniel Jones to a surprising 2-0 start.

If there's a silver lining, it's that the Texans' consecutive losses were to NFC opponents. That wouldn't factor much into any potential tiebreaker scenarios. The Texans are about to play back-to-back divisional contests against the Jaguars and Titans. There must be a massive emphasis on course correction immediately in Week 3.

A lack of offensive execution has placed the Texans in an uninspiring 0-2 hole. Stroud and Caley must get the offense back to executing, but it's a trickier challenge than it sounds due to offensive line issues. The Texans have been consistent postseason threats in recent years and not all is lost just yet. Defeating their AFC South rival Jaguars in Week 3 would start re-establishing much-needed hope in Houston.