NFL Week 2: All hope isn't lost

An 0-2 record isn't necessarily a death sentence in today's NFL.

I don’t think you can make many definitive statements after the first two weeks of an NFL season. That’s especially true after what we watched on Sunday, when 10 of the 13 games were decided by one score. 

After the wreckage, seven teams joined the Eagles atop the standings at 2-0, while seven more joined the Vikings in the cellar at 0-2.

Since 1990, just over 11 percent of NFL teams to begin a season at 0-2 have gone on to the playoffs. However, the recently added 17th game, plus the expansion of the postseason, has made the chances of rebounding from a bad start slightly easier. 

Last season, there were five squads that stumbled to an 0-2 record. The Bengals made the playoffs. The Panthers, Falcons, and Titans all came up just short in their division race, though still finished with a losing record. The Raiders were competitive in most games but blew enough second-half leads to end up with a 6-11 record. 

In summary, the news for this year’s 0-2 teams is not good, but it’s not tragic, either. While their fans might be feeling understandably blue after this weekend, all hope isn’t lost — even if the playoffs are a long shot for most of them. 

So, I came up with one reason why each of Sunday’s 0-2 teams can feel optimistic about the rest of the season. 

Note #1 before we begin: I left the Vikings off this list because I like to use Monday’s newsletter to focus only on the action from Sunday. A quick version of their section would be: don’t turn the ball over and you can still win the division. 

Note #2: With two Monday night games on tap, we could have as many as two more 2-0 and two more 0-2 teams once Week 2 is in the books.

Arizona Cardinals

Reason for hope: They’ve got some fight in them

The Cardinals are at a talent deficit compared to the rest of the league, but they’ve lost their first two games by a total of just seven points. Both times, they jumped out to an early lead and then couldn’t hold on in the fourth quarter. 

I’m sure that’s disheartening for the players, especially after they let the Giants stage a historic comeback, but it’s not surprising given the lack of depth that Arizona has. It’s, to borrow a line from Christian, the right kind of tanking: the Cardinals are watchable (good for the fans), they play hard (good for the locker room), and they still lose (good for the front office).

Before the season started, a video of new coach Jonathan Gannon made the rounds. During a team meeting, Gannon was trying to hype up the players, who looked completely unmoved by his words, and the consensus from NFL fans was that Gannon simply didn’t have the juice to coach up Arizona. I don’t know if that’s true. For one, I think we should be careful about judging coaches prematurely based on soundbites. I remember when Nick Sirianni and Dan Campbell were similarly dunked on before their first season as head coach. For two, to the Cards’ credit, they’re playing like they have fire in their gut, just like Gannon requested in his awkward speech.

The Cardinals won’t win many games, but they have pride and aren’t an automatic win for their opponents. That’s about all you can ask for at the start of a rebuild.

Chicago Bears

Reason for hope: Uh … there’s still time to switch up the game plan again

I’ve got to be honest here. It’s difficult to find any morsel of optimism about the Bears right now. All offseason we heard about how they were finally on the right path. The passing offense was supposed to have improved. The defense would be, well not good, but at least better than it was last year. 

Through two games, nothing has appeared to change. The defense still can’t get a stop on third down. The offensive line is still shaky. And Justin Fields still throws late-game interceptions when the Bears have a chance. All of that happened against the Bucs on Sunday. Tampa was 8 of 15 on third down, Fields was sacked six times, and he threw two picks in the final two minutes.

If anything, both sides of the ball might be regressing. BUT, I don’t think this is the worst these Bears have looked in the past year. Think back, unless you’ve blocked it out, to their hideous 12-7 Thursday night loss to Carson Wentz and the Commanders last October. That served as a bit of a wakeup call for OC Luke Getsy. From that point on, the Bears started calling more designed runs for Fields, who racked up more than 1,110 rushing yards and countless highlights the rest of the season, even as the team continued to lose. 

I understand why the coaching staff is reluctant for Fields to run that much this year. They don’t want him suffering another injury, and they have to develop him as a passer. But there has to be a happy medium where they take advantage of his playmaking abilities, which then can (theoretically) open up the passing game. As a result, the offense could actually sustain drives and the young defense could get a breather every once in a while.

Hopefully we see another pivot this season — and soon. 

Cincinnati Bengals

Reason for hope: They’ve been here before 

Last year, the Bengals took a little time to find their footing after Joe Burrow missed the preseason. They dropped their first two games of the season and didn’t really hit their stride until midseason, when they reeled off eight straight wins — against fairly stout competition — to close out the regular season. 

The circumstances this season aren’t exactly the same. Burrow’s calf injury, which kept him out of this preseason, continues to bother him. Cincinnati’s defense, which lost several notable veterans in the offseason, isn’t as strong as it was in 2022. And both of the Bengals’ first two losses came against AFC North rivals, which immediately puts them at a disadvantage in the division race.

But the core of this team remains intact, and those players and coaches know what it takes to win. In fact, Cincinnati’s offense finally found a rhythm halfway through the third quarter against the Ravens. In the last 20 minutes of game time, Joe Burrow connected with Tee Higgins twice in the end zone and three times for key first downs. He hit Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd four times each, including a fourth-down conversion. Although Burrow didn’t air it out — probably due to his calf strain — he showed off his toughness and competitive spirit. If Cincinnati’s defense had been able to stop Lamar Jackson on the final drive, then Burrow probably would have gone back on the field with a chance to win the game. 

The biggest concern going forward is Burrow’s health. The offense will be fine if he’s fine. If Burrow has to miss any games, or if he’s limited like he was on Sunday, then it’ll be time to seriously worry about the Bengals’ playoff hopes.

Denver Broncos

Reason for hope: Sean Payton isn’t afraid to make changes, if necessary

Like the Bears, this year’s Broncos are playing a lot like last year’s Broncos (not a compliment). Russell Wilson is making baffling decisions, and they’re losing by close margins. Both losses this year have been by a combined three points. 

Each time, if just one play near the end goes differently, then Denver would have had a shot to win. Last week it was Kareem Jackson’s penalty. This week it was an uncalled PI after a wild Hail Mary sequence.

Unlike the Bears, the Broncos have a new coach this year, and Sean Payton is no Nathaniel Hackett (somehow both a compliment and not). He’s not afraid to call out Wilson for his turnovers or the defense for failing to get stops in the second half, both of which played a part in Denver blowing a 21-3 lead. 

Payton’s been around for years and knows when it’s time to shake things up. If he thinks benching Wilson for Jarrett Stidham will help his team win, then he’ll do it. I don’t think we’re at that point yet, but I do think Payton will take stock of where the Broncos are and figure out which changes he needs to make now and which he might need to make in the future. 

Houston Texans 

Reason for hope: The offense is coming along 

C.J. Stroud was questionable heading into Sunday with a shoulder injury. He ended up playing, but the same couldn’t be said for four of his five starting offensive linemen, including left tackle Laremy Tunsil. As such, it was no surprise that Stroud faced pressure early and often from the Indianapolis defense (six sacks, 9 QB hits) and that the Houston running game couldn’t get any traction (2 yards per carry). 

The Texans trailed 28-10 at the half, and any hope of a comeback win rested on the sore arm of a rookie quarterback behind a USFL-like line. Stroud was up for the challenge, though. He threw the ball 47 times for 384 yards (both league highs for Week 2 so far) and tossed two touchdowns. Although Houston still lost, Stroud and the offense (particularly after halftime adjustments) made strides and showed some feistiness. His numbers when he wasn’t under pressure are encouraging, when/if his line is healthier. 

Also encouraging is the play of the receiving corps. While Stroud completed 63.8 percent of his passes, he didn’t look quite as sharp as usual throwing the ball, likely because of his strained shoulder and how quickly he had to get the ball out. Thankfully, his receivers were there to help him out. Nico Collins, who grabbed a career-high seven catches for 146 yards, went up high to get Stroud’s first touchdown pass. Veteran Robert Woods proved to be a nice safety blanket for Stroud, hauling in six catches for 74 yards, including a fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter. Tank Dell shook off a defender after catching a pass from Stroud and ran it in for his first NFL touchdown.  

This offense is far from a finished product, but we’re starting to see signs of what it can be. 

Los Angeles Chargers

Reason for hope: Their losses have been unprecedented

I know, what a shocker that the Chargers would invent new ways to lose. But yes, they have been putting up the kind of numbers that no 0-2 team ever has. Probably because they should be 2-0 but again, these are the Chargers. 

On the plus side, LA has the talent to survive two gut-wrenching early losses. Justin Herbert continues to be accurate, even in impossible situations, and has done a good job of spreading the ball around, especially this week when running back Austin Ekeler was out with an injury. Joey Bosa recorded two sacks against the Titans despite dealing with a hamstring issue. Cameron Dicker is perfect so far on his kicks, including a field goal on Sunday that sent the game to overtime.

The Chargers are, “pissed off,” as Khalil Mack put it after another close loss, their fourth straight dating back to last season — including the infamous collapse against the Jaguars in the postseason. Speaking of, Brandon Staley bristled at the mention of the Jags in his postgame presser, but until his team starts to finish one-score games again, then that loss will continue to haunt LA. 

There’s still time for the Chargers to turn their fortunes around, though. Mostly, they just need to cut down on the mistakes and let their star players keep doing their thing.

New England Patriots 

Reason for hope: They are inches away from (possibly) being 2-0

In Week 1, the Patriots fell into a 16-0 hole against the Eagles until a late charge put them in position to win. Their chance at completing the comeback ended by a foot. On Sunday night against the Dolphins, it was even closer and much stranger, pun intended: by mere inches, courtesy of an athletic (but futile) effort from offensive lineman Cole Strange.

The Pats are getting contributions from all sides of the ball, though their offense remains a work in progress. Mac Jones is averaging just 5.7 yards per attempt and was sacked four times by the Dolphins. The running game is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry. And Jones has several No. 3 receivers but not a true No. 1 receiver. 

New England can improve some of that, as Jones gets more accustomed to Bill O’Brien’s offense, and as the younger players gain more experience and learn to hold on to the ball. The defense and special teams are also capable of making game-changing plays to give the Patriots life when the offense struggles to get going and/or commits turnovers. 

The last time Bill Belichick’s team was 0-2 was in 2001, when they went on to win the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl. These Patriots don’t share a ton in common with those Patriots, but one thing is the same, other than the hoodie in charge: They don’t quit. And that kind of mentality is what they need to bounce back from this slow start.