Evaluating All 7 NFL Teams with 2-0 Starts to 2014

Starting an NFL season 2-0 is crucial for teams in a highly competitive league. It builds a lot of momentum, confidence and excitement, as 63 percent of 2-0 teams since 1990 have reached the playoffs.

To kick off 2014, seven teams have battled through two weeks as winners and remain undefeated heading into Week 3.

In this slideshow, we will evaluate all seven teams and their 2-0 starts and examine whether they can continue the hot tempo moving forward.

Arizona Cardinals

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Arizona’s offense has mustered only three touchdowns on offense, but defense and special teams have been sound and solid in helping the Cardinals start the season 2-0.

The defense held both the Chargers and Giants to fewer than 20 points. With the lack of touchdowns from the offense, rookie kicker Chandler Catanzaro has connected on all six of his field goals, tying for second in the NFL with three others for most field-goal makes.

In addition, Ted Ginn Jr. showed he’s still got it as a punt returner, scoring his first special teams touchdown since 2011.

Ability to reach the playoffs

It is a long season, but the Cardinals stand in first place alone in the NFC West. If Arizona can top San Francisco next week, it will go into the bye week undefeated. This will give the Cardinals a lot of momentum when they get ready to visit the Broncos coming off the bye, as well as an opportunity to improve the offense. Cardinals fans should feel good, especially with Seattle’s recent loss to San Diego.

Buffalo Bills

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Running backs C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson and Anthony Dixon have been a big part of Buffalo’s 2-0 start. The Bills’ ground attack has produced more than 300 yards and three touchdowns up to this point.

Led by quarterback EJ Manuel, Buffalo’s biggest strength is taking care of the football, committing just one turnover this year.

Alongside limiting opposing offenses to 30 points combined, Buffalo’s defense has forced six takeaways to help the team place fifth in turnover differential at plus-five.

Ability to reach the playoffs

We all know New England will produce a strong run and make Week 1 a long-distant memory. Buffalo will play host to San Diego, visit Houston and Detroit and then play New England at home in the next four weeks. Starting Week 7, Buffalo has a favorable schedule, as it faces teams such as the Vikings, Jets (twice), Chiefs, Browns and Raiders. If Buffalo shows its dominance, it may even win some of its challenging games.

Either way, the Bills look like they can make the playoffs either through a division win or a wild-card spot. Expect a strong push late in the season.

Last time the Bills started 2-0, they had a 5-2 start to the 2011 season, only to complete the rest of the year with a 1-8 finish. They have not finished over .500 since 2004 and have not reached the playoffs since 1999.

Carolina Panthers

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Despite having to start Derek Anderson under center to open up the season, Carolina’s offense has been competitive, as rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin has been the team’s bright spot. He’s caught eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown, averaging more than 17 yards per catch.

While Luke Kuechly remains the best defensive player for the Panthers, a pair of defensive linemen have flourished. Defensive tackle Dwan Edwards has recorded 2.5 sacks and is on pace to pass his career high for most in a season. Defensive end Mario Addison, also with 2.5 sacks, has tied his career high already and looks to do more damage.

Carolina’s defense has allowed 21 points, the best in the NFC. The Panthers also have the best turnover differential in the league with six takeaways and no turnovers.

Ability to reach the playoffs

Cam Newton looks like he will have a couple big targets in the passing game in Benjamin and Greg Olsen. With some players stepping up on defense, Carolina is on its way to getting another high seed in the NFC.

The Panthers got off to a 1-4 start last year, finishing 11-5 with a No. 2 seed. Now, they’re one of the hottest teams to open up the 2014 season.

Cincinnati Bengals

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Andy Dalton’s mega contract is looking pretty good so far. Dalton’s led an offense that has yet to commit a turnover, and he is making everyone around him better. Running backs Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill and wide receivers A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu have all made impacts very early, as all of them have scored a touchdown.

Cincinnati’s defense also deserves a lot of love for how it has played against offenses led by quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan. The defense has not allowed more than 16 points in a game, giving up just 26 in two games so far, as George Iloka, Emmanuel Lamur and Carlos Dunlap have had a big hand on defense.

Ability to reach the playoffs

After the Bengals play the Titans this week, they will get a chance to rest up before facing the Patriots, Panthers and Colts, who are all led by great quarterbacks. But the Bengals defense is no fluke and played well against two good offenses. If Dalton continues to keep the offense in a rhythm, the Bengals have a legitimate shot at earning a very high seed.

Denver Broncos

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You can’t say enough about Peyton Manning, who has had many great seasons with different receivers throughout his career. Emmanuel Sanders, who signed with the team this offseason, is the leader on the Broncos in receiving yards, and Manning and tight end Julius Thomas have connected for four touchdowns.

Second-year running back C.J. Anderson has nine carries, already two more than he did his rookie season. He’s averaged more than six yards per carry in both contests so far and could eventually rise as a big weapon later this year.

Denver’s secondary has stepped up from a year ago, with Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, Bradley Roby and Rahim Moore making big contributions and benefiting from DeMarcus Ware’s presence.

Ability to reach the playoffs

Reaching the playoffs is not a question for Denver. The universal expectation is that this team will return to the Super Bowl. But the Broncos must adjust and eliminate their second-half woes if they want to do so. It appeared Denver was on its way to two blowouts with big leads against Indianapolis and Kansas City at halftime. However, Denver has only scored 10 points total in the second half this season, and its opponents managed to cut the deficit to one touchdown in each game.

Wins are wins. Coach John Fox just needs to get the offense to finish games better before it hurts Denver’s chances of getting a No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Houston Texans

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Houston’s defense might be the most feared in the NFL. Defensive end J.J. Watt continues his dominance on defense, and even blocked an extra-point attempt in Week 1. He also snuck in offense this past week and caught a touchdown pass.

Along with allowing a league-best 20 points, Houston’s offense is experiencing success, too. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been accurate and has quickly developed a strong chemistry on the field with Andre Johnson and DeAndre Hopkins. In his bounce-back year, Arian Foster is second in the league in rushing yards with 241.

Ability to reach the playoffs

The Texans started 2-0 last year and lost the rest of their games. Fitzpatrick had a similar season with Buffalo when the Bills started 5-2 in 2011 only to finish 1-8 in their last nine games. Everyone on this team knows that the high level of play has to continue. The good news for Houston is that its schedule is one of the easiest in the league and favors the team to make the playoffs this season.

Philadelphia Eagles

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The Philadelphia Eagles have been a lot of fun to watch. They trailed against the Jaguars 17-0 and against the Colts 20-6, yet they managed to come back and win both games.

Quarterback Nick Foles leads the team to start the season for the first time and has put up strong numbers, ranking second in the league in passing yards with 653. Scatbacks LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles have been explosive, as both have made plays on the ground and through the air. The two lead the team in receptions.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Maclin has quickly bounced back after missing all of last year, while second-year tight end Zach Ertz has made a big splash on offense.

Ability to reach the playoffs

While they’ve overcome adversity, the Eagles can’t rely on comebacks forever. The good news is that three of their next four games are winnable, as they come against Washington, St. Louis and the New York Giants before the bye week. Coach Chip Kelly and coordinators Pat Shurmur and Billy Davis must get the team to play well for four quarters.

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