Buying or Selling Every 0-2 NFL Team's Playoff Chances Entering Week 3

For nine NFL teams, the 2015 season hasn't exactly gotten off to the best of starts.

Those teams are 0-2, causing great consternation among coaches, players and fans alike.

However, all is hardly lost. Since the NFL expanded to its current playoff format back in 1990, 205 teams have started the season 0-2. Of those teams, 24 went on to make the playoffs, including the Indianapolis Colts a season ago.

Four advanced to the Super Bowl. Three claimed the NFL's ultimate prize, hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

But what about this year's early flounderers? Can they right the ship, or is the season already sunk?

Read on to find out!

Baltimore Ravens

Ben Margot/Associated Press

2014 record: 10-6 (made playoffs)

The Baltimore Ravens were a playoff team last year. In fact, the team defeated the rival Steelers in the Wild Card Round before falling to another old foe in the New England Patriots in the divisional round.

It wasn't a huge surprise that the Ravens lost in Week 1. After all, they traveled to Denver and fell to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, 19-13.

The loss carried a staggering price, however. In that game, outside linebacker Terrell Suggs, the heart and soul of the Baltimore defense, suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. And Suggs' absence was plainly evident in Week 2, when the Ravens lost in stunning fashion at Oakland, 37-33.

Now, a desperate Ravens team prepares to play host to a 2-0 Cincinnati Bengals team that demolished the same Raiders squad in Week 1, 33-13.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh didn't mince words when speaking with ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley about the challenge his team faces in Week 3:

"

I'll tell you, I do believe it is the most talented team in the league. ... We have great respect for them, for their coaches [and] the way they play. Obviously, it starts with A.J. Green, but the whole cast of characters there on offense is very talented and gifted – tight ends, running backs, quarterback. The whole group is very good, and they have a heck of an offensive line. I'd say they're the complete package, talent-wise.

"

It's also a Bengals team that has notched three straight wins over the Ravens, including a 23-16 victory in Baltimore in Week 1 last year.

Frankly, the Ravens have just sprung too many holes. A secondary that was the team's weak spot last year is no better in 2015. The loss of Suggs eviscerated the pass rush. And the team has no secondary option in the passing game to complement an aging Steve Smith.

If the Ravens fall to 0-3, they're essentially done. Only five teams have ever overcome that deficit to reach the postseason.

And given how these AFC North foes are playing at present, that appears to be a likely scenario.

VERDICT: Sell

Chicago Bears

David Banks/Associated Press

2014 record: 5-11

The 2014 season was a disaster in Chicago. After showing signs of life the year before under head coach Marc Trestman, the Bears imploded the following season. The defense was awful. So was quarterback Jay Cutler. And Trestman completely lost control of the locker room.

The Bears made sweeping changes in 2015, including bringing in head coach John Fox to replace Trestman. The man in charge may have changed, but at least one thing hasn't.

The defense is horrible, having just gotten 48 points dropped on it by the Arizona Cardinals.

And in the latest edition of his NFL Power Rankings at Yahoo Sports, Frank Schwab named that defense as a big reason why the Bears slotted at No. 32:

"

How did it get this bad? How is it possible that there isn't one blue-chip player on defense except maybe pass rusher Pernell McPhee? Cornerback Kyle Fuller, the 2014 first-round pick, is getting torched by the media and fans after two weeks, the inside linebackers don't intimidate anyone and you can argue the second- and third-best defensive players are 32-year-old safety Antrel Rolle and 33-year-old pass rusher Jared Allen. That's not good for a team that never was a candidate to compete for a playoff spot.

"

Given that last sentence, I'm thinking you should be able to guess what I'm about to say pretty easily.

Verdict: No chance in Sell

Detroit Lions

Jim Mone/Associated Press

2014 record: 11-5 (made playoffs)

Like more than a few of the teams on this list, the Detroit Lions weren't expected to start the season 0-2. Granted, neither of the team's first two opponents (the San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings) were pushovers, but after an 11-win 2014 campaign, the Lions were expected to again contend for the postseason in 2015.

The team hasn't looked like a contender. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has been battered and bloodied behind a porous offensive line. The loss of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to free agency and DeAndre Levy to a hip injury has left a defense that was among the NFL's best last year a shell of its 2014 self.

And now, as Tim Twentyman and Mike O'Hara of the team's website note, with the Lions already in desperation mode, they are entering an absolutely brutal stretch in the schedule:

"

They did not play consistently well in any phase in their road losses to San Diego and Minnesota, and the next three games might be the toughest stretch of the season. It starts Sunday night with a home game against the Broncos. After that is a road game against Seattle on Monday Night TV, then home against the dangerous Arizona Cardinals.

Is this the critical point in the schedule? And is it too early to have a must win game?

"

Um...yes, and yes.

But wait! It gets better!

That battered quarterback I mentioned isn't a sure bet to even play against the Broncos, although Stafford told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press he intends to give it a go Sunday night.

"It's tough to put a number on [how much better I'm feeling] or anything like that," Stafford said. "Just doing everything I can to make progress and feel as good as I can."

The thing is, the Lions, to have any real shot at the playoffs, need to win two of their next three games.

And they've shown nothing to indicate that's going to happen.

Verdict: Sell

Houston Texans

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

2014 record: 9-7

Granted, the Houston Texans weren't exactly viewed as a contender entering 2015, but after a surprising nine-win 2014 under first-year head coach Bill O'Brien, the team at least appeared headed in the right direction.

So much for that momentum. In fact, if anything, the Texans have thrown it in reverse.

It's not entirely their fault. The loss of running back Arian Foster to a torn groin muscle in training camp robbed the team of its best offensive player. That placed more pressure on a quarterback situation that may be the worst in the NFL.

Free-agent acquisition Brian Hoyer didn't make it all the way through Week 1 before getting a quick hook from O'Brien. Ryan Mallett played better in that game but face-planted during a 58-attempt loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.

And in the opinion of Alex Marvez of Fox Sports, those are the crucial issues the Texans have to fix if they're going to right the ship.

Unless J.J. Watt can throw a football, the Texans are toast, folks.

Verdict: Sell

Indianapolis Colts

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

2014 record: 11-5 (made playoffs)

It wasn't supposed to be like this for the Indianapolis Colts in 2015.

After advancing to the AFC Championship Game last year, the Colts made a number of veteran additions on both sides of the ball. Wide receiver Andre Johnson. Running back Frank Gore. Outside linebacker Trent Cole.

The Colts were going to make a Super Bowl run. Santa Clara or bust.

Well, as Bleacher Report NFL National Lead Writer Ty Schalter pointed out recently, so far it's been el mucho busto:

"

Andrew Luck is one of the best quarterbacks in the world, but there aren't words to describe how bad he's been in 2015, especially after Monday night's 20-7 Week 2 loss to the New York Jets at Lucas Oil Stadium.

All summer long, football minds across the globe touted the strength and depth of Luck's revamped supporting cast: A receiving corps that rolls five deep, two great pass-catching tight ends and stud tailback Frank Gore there to coat the 2014 Colts' Achilles' heel in steel. With the arguable exception of the offensive line, Luck would have, by far, the best team around him he'd ever had. ...

... Luck, broadly speaking, is going to be fine. But there's a possibility he doesn't figure it out in time to get the Colts back to the playoffs in 2015—and if not, the men in charge of getting him ready to play should, and probably will, pay the price.

"

Then there's the matter of the rift between head coach Chuck Pagano and general manager Ryan Grigson, which Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star wrote has officially hit distraction status.

Of course, the Colts started last season 0-2 as well—and we all know how that turned out.

Playing in a bad division will likely save the Colts' bacon, but make no mistake—all is far from well in Indianapolis right now.

Verdict: Buy

New Orleans Saints

Bill Haber/Associated Press

2014 record: 7-9

After a disappointing 2014 season, the New Orleans Saints made big changes in the offseason. They traded tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks and wide receiver Kenny Stills to the Dolphins. The Saints were going to establish balance on offense. Play better defense. Win more games.

Well, so far the Saints have um...well...you see, what had happened was...

And as if the Saints didn't have enough problems coming off a loss to Tampa Bay with a matchup looming with the undefeated Carolina Panthers, star quarterback Drew Brees is nursing a bruised rotator cuff after being pummeled by the Buccaneers in Week 2.

In fact, some, including NFL Network analyst Brian Billick, have gone so far as to question whether Brees' issues extend well past a sore shoulder:

"

The big-picture problem -- the issue that goes beyond the current shoulder ailment -- is that Brees has thrown 650-plus passes in seven of his past eight seasons. ... And that's not just hard on your arm -- the more you drop back to pass, the more hits you're going to take. The current issue stems from a shot to Brees' shoulder by Bucs defensive end Jacquies Smith while the quarterback was in the midst of his throwing motion in the second quarter on Sunday.

Brees' biggest problem has been that, without the supporting cast, he feels like he has to do it all on his own. This has caused him to force some passes that he might have been able to get away with in the past, with a stronger arm and better receivers.

"

In Billick's opinion, head coach Sean Payton may be headed to a similar fate as that which befell Billick after coaching the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl win.

"Whatever happens, Payton will need to try and turn this around quickly," Billick wrote. "It's been a long time since the 2009 Super Bowl and, in his 10th year with New Orleans, this is when a coach becomes vulnerable to the charge of having 'stayed too long.' I speak from experience."

The Panthers were able to win the NFC South last year with a 7-8-1 record, but with both Carolina and the Atlanta Falcons sitting at 2-0, it doesn't look like that's going to cut it this year.

It also doesn't look like the Saints are going to win many more games than that. If they're lucky.

And that could mean the Brees/Payton era in the Big Easy is on its last legs.

Verdict: Sell

New York Giants

Al Bello/Getty Images

2014 record: 6-10

The New York Giants are one of the three NFL teams who have overcome an 0-2 start to win the Super Bowl, having accomplished the feat back in 2007.

The team is also old hat at starting slow. This marks the third straight campaign the Giants have opened by dropping two in a row.

The worst part about New York's sluggish start? The team is a few plays away from being 2-0, having lost late leads against both the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons.

And as Kimberly Jones of NFL.com points out, when I say lost late leads, I'm being kind:

"

The Giants are 0-2, but throughout their locker room there is the belief, rightly so, that they should be 2-0. Instead, they are the only team in NFL history to lose each of its first two games of the season after leading both games by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter.

It's been a scratch-your-head-till-it-bleeds start, especially for the folks running the organization.

The Giants' final two minutes in Dallas in Week 1 included a mystifying -- and well-chronicled -- failure in clock management for which Eli Manning took responsibility. Their ability to defeat the Falcons on Sunday was hampered significantly when Manning fumbled away a chance to bolster a 10-point lead in the third quarter and targeted Odell Beckham Jr. just twice in the second half.

The defense has given up 14 fourth-quarter points in each of the Giants' past two games.

"

The Giants are in desperate need of the NFL equivalent of the Heimlich maneuver.

Even so, the G-Men have hope. The Dallas Cowboys are 2-0 but have been decimated by injuries. The Philadelphia Eagles have just as many problems as the Giants. And the Washington Redskins are playing over their heads.

But it's impossible to have much faith in a team that's in the midst of a historic choke-job suddenly reversing that course and becoming Captain Clutch.

Verdict: Sell

Philadelphia Eagles

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

2014 record: 10-6

There's an old saying about not fixing things that aren't broken. There's another about being careful what you wish for.

Both are presently biting the Philadelphia Eagles right in the Chip Kelly.

After Kelly spent the offseason remaking the roster in his image, his Eagles took the preseason by storm. Unfortunately, preseason games do not count.

And since the games that do started, the Eagles have been a mess. The pass defense is as bad as ever. The supposedly high-powered offense is in shambles. Tailback DeMarco Murray, who led the NFL with over 1,800 rushing yards a year ago, doesn't have 20 yet.

In two games.

And quarterback Sam Bradford, the centerpiece of Kelly's offseason moves, the quarterback he hand-picked to lead the Eagles to the Promised Land?

Well, as Peter King of the MMQB (h/t Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) wrote, Bradford has been terrible:

"

I don't care what the numbers say. I'm sure Chip Kelly doesn't care what the numbers say. But Bradford had zero answers for the complicated Dallas rush and cover schemes Sunday and looked like a Double-A batter facing Clayton Kershaw. The worst thing? Bradford looked unprepared, tentative, almost nervous. And when the final chance died—when a stray snap bounced off his chest and he didn't move heaven and earth to try to recover a ball the Cowboys ended up with, I just thought: The Eagles are in big trouble.

"

Kelly got the team he wanted.

As it turns out, that team just isn't very good.

Verdict: Sell

Seattle Seahawks

Rob Carr/Getty Images

2014 record: 12-4 (made Super Bowl)

Of all the teams on this list, the one least expected to start the 2015 season 0-2 has to be the Seattle Seahawks. After all, the Seahawks were only a few yards away from being the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

But the Seahawks didn't win Super Bowl XLIX, thanks in no small part to a rather dubious play call late. An even weirder call to attempt an trick kickoff to open overtime in St. Louis spelled defeat in Week 1. Ditto for Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field in Week 2.

It was plainly evident over the first two weeks of the season that the team's vaunted Legion of Boom defense just wasn't itself without strong safety Kam Chancellor, who was holding out in the hopes of getting a new deal.

Well, Chancellor didn't get his new deal, but Wednesday, the Pro Bowler ended his holdout, telling reporters he just couldn't bear watching his teammates absorb defeats any longer:

"

I've always been a guy who follows my heart, and just watching my teammates and my team play week to week, first, second game, watching those losses, it hurt me being the leader that I am. It was very hard because, not taking away from anybody else, but I knew I could make a difference.

"

Back in 1993, Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith sat out the first two games of the season over unhappiness about his contract. The Cowboys started 0-2.

Then the team caved, Smith got paid and the Cowboys went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Seahawks can only hope for a similar result, but with a winnable game upcoming at home against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the smart money says the Seahawks get back on track.

Verdict: Buy