The Tennessee Titans are in an unfamiliar position after two weeks of the 2022 NFL season, as the team is off to an 0-2 start for the first time since 2012, a season that saw them go 6-10.
They’ll look to bounce back in Week 3 against a Las Vegas Raiders team that is in the same position at 0-2 and in the cellar of their respective division.
The history of teams making the playoffs after an 0-2 start is an ominous sign for both teams.
Per CBS Sports, 265 teams have started with that record since 1990, but only 30 of them (11.6 percent) have gone on to make the playoffs. And, of those 30 teams, three have gone on to win the Super Bowl (1.1 percent).
As you’d imagine, an 0-3 start lessens Tennessee’s chances even more, as just six teams since 1981 have accomplished the feat, with the 2018 Houston Texans being the last team to do so. They started 0-4 that year.
While history says the deck is definitely stacked against the Titans making the playoffs — 17th game or not — there’s more hope than normal for the Titans than most 0-2 teams of the past.
For starters, 0-2 teams before 2021 didn’t have the benefit of a 17th game or an extra playoff spot, so those are two very notable variables to consider.
Also, the AFC South stinks. The favorite to win the division, the Indianapolis Colts, are winless and have played well below expectations.
The Houston Texans also remain winless after tying the Colts and losing an ugly game to the Denver Broncos. Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars are 1-1 at the top of the division, but we’re waiting for that shoe to drop there.
According to FiveThirtyEight, the Titans still have a 38 percent chance to make the playoffs and a 31 percent chance to win the division — so you’re saying there’s a chance!
Despite what the numbers say, Tennessee’s best path to the playoffs in the crowded AFC has been and will continue to be winning the AFC South. In that regard, their playoff chances are very much alive after an 0-2 start.