So, you are a hopeful Colts fan or Vikings fan still holding out hope for your Super Bowl 56 futures bet to come around and pay off in February, despite their 0-2 start.
History says you can forget about it. No Super Bowl, not even any playoffs. Such is the nature of teams that lose their first two games of the season – just a 10 per cent chance of making it.
Since 2007, 118 teams have gone 0-2. Only 12 have rallied to make the playoffs. That’s 106-12 for all you math fans at home. Eleven teams were 0-2 last year, none made the playoffs. In 2021, seven teams have started 0-2. Those hopeless group includes:
Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New York Giants, Detroit, Atlanta, New York Jets.
With the league expanding the playoffs to 14 teams in 2020, your chances have improved with two additional Wild Card positions up for grabs. Will it make a difference?
Does a 2-0 start get your team to the playoffs?
The trend of 2-0 being a lock to make the playoffs has waned in recent years. Overall, that same 2007 to 2019 timeframe produced 61 teams that made it and 46 that didn’t. In 2019, seven of nine 2-0 teams made it, while the Dallas Cowboys and LA Rams each choked. In 2020, only the Raiders and Cardinals failed to make the playoffs after a 2-0 start, while the other nine teams all played in January.
Is it the usual suspects who start 0-2 or 2-0?
The Giants started 0-2 for the fifth straight season in 2021, so they are the biggest repeat offenders. Their AFC cousins – NY Jets – have now done it three years in a row. On the 2-0 side, Las Vegas, Arizona and the LA Rams all duplicated their fast starts from 2020.
