An 0-3 NFL start leaves little room for error
Eight teams entered Week 3 winless. Yahoo Sports says only seven teams have reached the playoffs after starting 0-3.
Eight NFL teams entered Week 3 with two losses. The Falcons avoided an 0-3 start, leaving the others facing the prospect of a third straight defeat.
Yahoo Sports reports that only seven teams in league history have made the playoffs after starting 0-3. Its list includes the 2025 and 2018 Texans, the 1998 Bills, the 1995 Lions, the 1992 Chargers, the 1982 Buccaneers and the 1981 Jets.
The 1992 Chargers are the only team cited to have reached the postseason after starting 0-4. A 17-game regular season and seven playoff places per conference offer more scope for recovery, but teams starting 0-3 would have little margin for error across the remaining 14 games.
The Texans and Colts were scheduled to meet in Week 3 while both stood at 0-2. The other winless teams named by Yahoo Sports were the Dolphins, Titans, Chargers, Commanders and Buccaneers.
