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Do any 0-2 NFL teams still stand a chance to make the playoffs?

What do the Colts, Redskins, Dolphins, Saints, Bills, Jaguars, Bears and Browns have in common? They are the eight teams that have started the 2016 NFL season with an 0-2 record. Two weeks, two losses. What were once hopes for a big season for these organizations have suddenly turned into panic and desperation. When you look at recent NFL history, these teams barely have hope to reach the postseason.

In the past decade (since 2007) only seven of the 75 teams that started a season 0-2 made the playoffs. Going a bit further, only 12 percent of teams that have started 0-2 have made the postseason since the playoffs expanded to 12 teams in 1990.

One thing you need to remember when looking at a statistic like that is the fact that a lot of the 0-2 teams were just bad to begin with and probably weren't realistic postseason teams. For instance, among the eight teams that are winless this season, the Bears and Browns were predicted to be among the worst in the league. Most of the others were lumped in mediocrity. In fact, only the Redskins finished last season with a winning record, and that was a 9-7 mark in the weak NFC East, where they didn't beat a team with a winning record all season.

That's when the panic sets in. The Bills have already fired their offensive coordinator and head coach Rex Ryan is getting some heat. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is under fire in Washington. The Saints, Bears and Colts were all 0-2 last year as well, and none of them reached the playoffs. In fact, this is the third straight season the Colts and Saints have started 0-2 (Indianapolis did turn it around and make the playoffs in 2014).

While there is certainly time to turn things around, it needs to be done quickly or else these teams' seasons will be over before we get out of September.

It may seem to be all doom and gloom, but all is not lost. Last season saw two teams start off 0-2 and go on to make the playoffs. One was the Seattle Seahawks, who were defending two-time NFC champions and had won a Super Bowl two years prior. The other, the Houston Texans, took advantage of a poor division to sneak in to the playoffs. So it happens. In fact, in 2008 three division winners (Vikings, Dolphins and Chargers) began the year 0-2.

Winning a Super Bowl can happen as well. The 2007 New York Giants started the season 0-2 but reeled off six straight wins to finish with a 10-6 mark and famously upset the previously unbeaten Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Speaking of the Patriots, the 2001 New England Patriots started 0-2 with Drew Bledsoe as the quarterback. Bledsoe was injured in the Week 2 loss to the New York Jets. Tom Brady took over, beat the heavily favored Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI, and the rest is history.

The 1993 Dallas Cowboys also started 0-2 but then went on to win 12 of their remaining 14 games and beat the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII. Of course, those Cowboys were defending Super Bowl champs, and Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith held out those first two games due to contract issues. The odd thing about these three champions is that they made these turnarounds despite playing in very tough divisions those particular years.

There are other teams that started 0-2 that got deep into the playoffs too. The 1996 Patriots lost Super Bowl XXXI to the Packers. The 1998 Jets, 2003 Eagles and 2014 Colts each got to the conference championship game. Those '03 Eagles were the last team to go 0-2 by losing their first two games at home and make the postseason. The current Washington Redskins have lost both their first two games at home.

It can be done. You can make the playoffs, make a deep run and maybe even win a Super Bowl. The key is to get started now and get on a run. According to these stats, one of the eight teams that is currently winless will make the playoffs this year. But which one?

The Indianapolis Colts fit the model. They have a good quarterback, play in a soft division and, as mentioned, have shown they can do this. Last year's team nearly repeated the feat that saw the 2014 squad make the playoffs. Their upcoming schedule includes fellow 0-fers Jacksonville and Chicago as well as San Diego and Tennessee. The key will be beating the Houston Texans, who are currently 2-0 and leading the division.

The Washington Redskins also have a shot at it. They should have beaten the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday and play in an NFC East that features two rookie quarterbacks and two rookie head coaches. They have to travel to the Giants this week in a must-win game but then get the Browns, Ravens, surprising Eagles and Lions after that. They need to at least come out of that with a 4-3 record if they want any shot at repeating as division champions.

The New Orleans Saints also have a puncher's chance. Despite sitting at 0-2, they are only a game back of everyone in the division. The Buccaneers are young, the Falcons are sporadic and the Panthers haven't really gotten off on the best foot (their running back, Jonathan Stewart, is already hurt). New Orleans still has Drew Brees, who has thrown for 686 yards already this year. The issue for the Saints is the schedule. After their Week 5 bye, they get the Panthers, Chiefs and Seahawks in successive weeks. After traveling to San Francisco, they get the Broncos and Panthers in back-to-back games, so it certainly won't be easy. But if the defending NFC champion Panthers falter, the division could be there for the taking.

Finally, the Miami Dolphins could be in the mix as well. I mean, they started this season at Seattle and at New England and lost 12-10 and 31-24, respectively. The AFC East is a muddled mess behind the Patriots, and someone has to come out of the pack. Of the remaining schedule, the only scary teams are the Bengals, Steelers, Cardinals and the season finale against the Patriots. The rest of it is very, very manageable, which could Miami a chance if it can right the ship starting in Week 3.

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