In a way that would make former New York Yankees' legend Yogi Berra proud, the NFL season is both long and short at the same time. The road to Super Bowl LX is still very long as we haven't even finished September yet, but at the same time a lot of teams that have gone winless over the first two weeks of the season can find themselves staring at lost years.
The math on 0-2 teams reaching the playoffs isn't pretty and just three teams who started 0-2 since the merger have won a Super Bowl, meaning there isn't a lot of historical data to suggest anyone who hasn't earned a win in 2025 will magically save their season.
Most of the top teams who started 0-1 last week got in the win column in Week 2, but nine squads failed to earn a victory and are now in the dreaded 0-2 hole. That figure could reach ten by the end of the day as the Houston Texans are trying to avoid their own 0-2 start when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the opening game of the Monday Night Football doubleheader.
Which winless teams can still be contenders and which are cooked? Read on to find out, beginning in the AFC East with two winless squads.
Cooked or contenders?
New York Jets
Any positive signs that Aaron Glenn and the Jets built after Week 1 were washed away with the worst performance of Week 2, when it looked like they didn't even belong on the same field as the Buffalo Bills in a 30-10 loss. Justin Fields delivered the worst start of his career and left the game with a concussion, forcing backup Tyrod Taylor into the game to finish the contest.
While few expected the Jets to be legitimate contenders this season, New York's strong showing in Week 1 against Pittsburgh raised expectations that they could hang around the wild card race. While losing to the Bills, arguably one of the top three teams in the league, isn't the worst thing in the world a challenging upcoming schedule (at Tampa Bay, at Miami, Dallas, at Denver) over the next month means Jets' fans can get ready to go apple picking on Sundays.
Verdict: Cooked
Miami Dolphins
After delivering a complete no-show in Week 1 against Indianapolis, Miami played better against the Patriots but still found a way to lose to Mike Vrabel's rebuilding team. Tua Tagovailoa suffered his first career loss to the Patriots as the Dolphins came undone thanks to a poor defensive showing, inefficiency on third downs, killer penalties and allowing a special teams touchdown.
With a short week trip to Buffalo on Thursday, Miami is staring 0-3 in the face and questions will be raised about Mike McDaniels' job security. Assuming the Dolphins lose that game, there is a realistic chance they could fall to the Jets in Week 4 and McDaniels could be out of a job before October, leading to potential deadline fire sale in Miami.
Verdict: Cooked
Cleveland Browns
While Cleveland's defense harassed Joe Burrow in a tight Week 1 loss, the reality of expectations came crashing down on the Browns in Week 2. Facing the Ravens in a game where the franchise celebrated the 30th anniversary of its move to Baltimore, Cleveland was essentially the homecoming opponent as the Browns were dominated in all facets of the game.
There is only so much work Joe Flacco can do to keep Cleveland in games, and a tough AFC North will make life hard for Kevin Stefanski to dig out of this 0-2 hole. Playing the three NFC North superpowers and the Pittsburgh Steelers over the next month should send the Browns into an 0-6 hole and raise the question of when Cleveland starts looking at either Dillon Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders.
Verdict: Cooked
Tennessee Titans
The NFL did Cam Ward no favors by scheduling two elite defenses to face the Titans in their first two games, so no one should be shocked that Tennessee is 0-2. What Titans' fans can be encouraged by, however, is the fact that Ward has shown flashes of brilliance along the way, including an insane play to record his first touchdown pass against Los Angeles on Sunday.
A reminder of why Cam Ward went No. 1. pic.twitter.com/GY3jVzfpkH
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 14, 2025
Tennessee's strong defense will keep them in games, but this season is entirely about Ward's development. While there is no question the Titans are cooked as far as postseason potential, if Ward looks like the guy by the end of the year that's a huge victory for a franchise that has been in quarterback purgatory for a while.
Verdict: Cooked
Kansas City Chiefs
Its been over a decade since Kansas City started 0-2, which came back in Andy Reid's second year on the job in 2014. Falling to the Chargers and Eagles is nothing to be ashamed of, but the bar is very high for the Chiefs, who view their success in terms of Lombardi Trophies.
There is a good opportunity for Kansas City to get off the schneid in Week 3 when they take on the Giants and they should be getting healthier over the coming weeks. The Chiefs may also be the biggest beneficiary of the Joe Burrow injury outside of the AFC North since a Bengals' slump could make it easier for Kansas City to snag a wild card berth.
Verdict: Contender
New York Giants
The Giants were the team on this list closest to avoiding an 0-2 start after an inspired performance in Dallas that saw Russell Wilson turn back the clock to his peak Seattle form. Wilson himself was one of the biggest winners of the week, but losing that game did significant harm to any hopes New York has of turning their season around.
A tough upcoming schedule (Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers, at New Orleans, Philadelphia) could leave Brian Daboll's team in a 1-5 hole with an 0-3 division record. While it was nice to see a competitive effort from the Giants, their fans should go hang out with the Jets' fans and enjoy the Hudson Valley's fall foliage if they want to get enjoyment out of their autumn Sundays.
Verdict: Cooked
Chicago Bears
No one expected things to be easy for Ben Johnson, but what he has gone through in Chicago over the first two weeks of the season has been nightmarish. The Bears' epic collapse in the second half of Week 1 was followed up by a defensive no show in Week 2 as Detroit hung 52 points on their former coordinator, making a statement that Johnson isn't the only reason why they have been so prolific offensively over the past few years.
Being 0-2 in the most competitive division in football is rough and Caleb Williams' inconsistent play makes matters worse. The bar was definitely set too high in Chicago, which has to hope that Johnson can get Williams on track by the end of the year since the playoffs are a long shot.
Verdict: Cooked
New Orleans Saints
You have to give credit to Kellen Moore's significantly under-manned team for having opportunities to win in the first two weeks of the season. Taking two good NFC West teams to the wire is a sign that Moore is building a good culture for the Saints, but the talent deficit (particularly at quarterback) makes it hard for New Orleans to seal the deal in these games.
There is theoretical hope for the Saints since they haven't played a division game yet, but the odds are still far greater this team is sitting at No. 1 in the draft than competing for an NFC South title. There won't be a postseason push from New Orleans but if Moore's team is fighting all year long its a good sign for the future when the Saints will have more talent in the building.
Verdict: Cooked
Carolina Panthers
It has not been a glowing start to Year 3 of the Bryce Young era after the Panthers looked non-competitive in a loss to Jacksonville before a second-half comeback in Arizona fell short. The good news is that Young was much more effective in Week 2 but his overall inconsistency is a problem for a franchise that bet the farm on him being their savior.
There are five winnable games here for Carolina in the next month or so (Atlanta, at New England, Miami, Dallas, at the Jets) so they have the cleanest path of anyone on this list outside of Kansas City to get back into the playoff hunt. The problem is that we still don't know what version of Young the Panthers will get, so it is entirely possible they only get two wins out of that stretch and are done for by Halloween.
Verdict: Cooked