0-2 panic meter: Why it's time for Bengals, Broncos to worry

No team in the NFL wants to start 0-2, but for nine teams, that's the position they find themselves. Here's a look at how much concern each team should have, beginning with the team lowest on the panic meter and ending with the teams that are sounding the alarm.

9. Arizona Cardinals: The projected worst team entering the season is where it was expected to be after two weeks, although Arizona has been much more competitive than predicted. The Cardinals are outscoring their opponents 44-24 through the first three quarters. They've stunk in fourth, however, being outscored 27-0. With all eyes set on 2024, the Cardinals have mastered the art of tanking.

8. New England Patriots: New England kept its first two games competitive, which is the most anyone could have reasonably expected out of this team heading into the season. The Patriots played the Eagles and Dolphins during the first two weeks, teams that reached the postseason last year and ones that are good bets to make it back in 2023. New England isn't on those teams' level and shouldn't panic because it fell to better teams.

7. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers handcuffed rookie quarterback Bryce Young when it traded wide receiver D.J. Moore in a package to acquire the No. 1 overall pick. Carolina's lack of playmakers has stood out through two weeks, and with the team also trading its 2024 first-round pick to select Young, it doesn't have a valuable chip that could become an elite playmaker, either. 

6. Houston Texans: The Texans are in a similar boat as Carolina. Houston traded its 2024 first to the Cardinals to select Will Anderson third overall in 2023, and if the team doesn't start winning, it will hand Arizona one of the top picks in the upcoming draft. 

5. Minnesota Vikings: Turnovers have done the Vikings in during the first two weeks of the season. Minnesota leads the league with seven giveaways, including a staggering six fumbles, and has the worst turnover margin (-6). A year after it caught most of the breaks, none are going Minnesota's way. 

4. Los Angeles Chargers: Head coach Brandon Staley is on thin ice. He was hired with a defensive background, but no one would know that watching Los Angeles this season. The Chargers are 0-2 despite the offense ranking fourth in total yards and sixth in points. That's because the defense ranks last in yards allowed and 30th in points allowed.

3. Chicago Bears: 2023 was supposed to be Justin Fields's coming-out party, but he's been one of the league's biggest disappointments instead. He has the second-worst QBR (22.2) in the league through two games, only ahead of Steelers QB Kenny Pickett. The defense remains an issue as well, ranking 29th in yards allowed.

2. Denver Broncos: Despite Russell Wilson playing better under Sean Payton than he did under Nathaniel Hackett, he's still missed enough throws to raise concern about his future with the Broncos. Worst of all for Denver is its defense becoming a liability. Through two weeks, it's 20.6 percent worse than the league average, per defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA), the third-worst mark in the NFL.

1. Cincinnati Bengals: Quarterback Joe Burrow reaggravated his preseason calf injury in the Bengals' Week 2 loss against the Ravens, and his status for Week 3 is a question mark. Cincinnati can't afford to lose Burrow for an extended period, which is entirely possible depending on how long his calf is an issue. It doesn't help that Cincy's first two losses came within its own division, putting it even further behind the eight ball. ESPN's Football Power Index only gives Cincinnati a 6.8 percent chance of winning its division.

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the Bengals are in danger of missing the postseason entirely. FPI gives the Bengals a 37.6 percent chance of reaching the playoffs.