Playoffs?!? Patriots' postseason hopes not looking great after 0-2 start to the season

FOXBORO -- Patriots owner Robert Kraft has made it abundantly clear that he not only wants his team to return to the postseason come January, but he wants a playoff win. Both are looking rather bleak with New England starting the season 0-2.

The Patriots dropped another close one Sunday night, falling to the Miami Dolphins 24-17 as another comeback bid fell short. It's the team's first 0-2 start since the 2001 season.

Now, that 2001 team did end up making the playoffs. You may recall that they did quite well in the postseason, going on to win the franchise's first of six Super Bowls thanks to some young fella named Tom Brady. So making the playoffs after dropping the first two games of the season is possible.

The Cincinnati Bengals just did it last season, advancing all the way to the AFC Championship game. But it usually doesn't happen that way.

Last year's Bengals were the first 0-2 team to make the playoffs since 2018. They were (and still are) also loaded with talent on the offensive end, so after yet another 0-2 start to the 2023 season, you won't find many people fretting about the Bengals at the moment.

The Patriots, on the other hand, may be in trouble. Both of their losses this season came on their home turf, which has only happened two other times in franchise history: 1973 and 1975. The Pats finished 3-11 in 1975, and 5-9 in 1973.

While the 2001 Patriots made the playoffs after an 0-2 start, that squad was one of just 31 teams (out of 270 teams) to do so since 1990. That's just 11.5 percent, which doesn't feel all that promising.

What it really says is that teams that start 0-2 usually aren't very good. The Patriots aren't awful right now, but they also aren't all that good. The Pats have yet to hold a lead this season, and have trailed for more than 100 of the 120 minutes they've been on the field. They are one of just four teams that haven't held a lead yet this season.

It's possible the Patriots turn their season around and make a push for the playoffs. But the odds will only get worse if they don't start stacking up wins.