How often does an 0-2 team make it to the NFL playoffs?
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — As week two of the NFL season wraps up, the Minnesota Vikings are already at a make-or-break point.
Their record stands at 0-2. And although there are 15 games left, it already feels like a tall hill to climb.
You have your ups and your downs, and moments that will make your head spin. Vikings fans know the feeling all too well. That's just Minnesota, they'll say.
"They're heartbreakers," said one fan outside the Vikings Team Store at Mall of America.
"They make so many darn mistakes," added frustrated fan Jerry.
Despite it all, fans appear optimistic at the team's playoff chances.
"It's not impossible. It's too early in the season," said fan Gesen.
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"We still in contention just like everybody else," added fan Relly.
"It would be a very low percentage," said Jerry.
From 1990-2022, 265 teams started 0-2. Thirty of those teams he made the playoffs, or about 11%.
The Cincinnati Bengals pulled it off last season. Jeff Kerr, CBS Sports NFL Writer, has researched this very topic.
"I don't think 0-2 is the end of the world for a lot of teams," Kerr said.
When asked if the Vikings have a chance to get to the postseason, he said, "In the NFC North, yes."
And it all starts with the Vikings winning game three.
"Oh yeah, 0-3, you're basically out. To say week three is a must-win game is, it's not an understatement. You have to win in week three," said Kerr.
The odds for a trip to the playoffs drop significantly if a team starts the season with three straight losses.
Since the NFL expansion in 1979, only six teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-3. The last team to do it was the Houston Texans in 2018.
"They better beat the Chargers [in week 3] or else this whole thing is gonna go south," said Jerry.
Recently, starting the year 1-2 hasn't been so bad. Since 2020, when the NFL playoffs expanded to 14 teams, there have been 10 teams that started 1-2 and made the playoffs. That's nearly 25% of the playoff field during that span.
Three teams made the playoffs last season after a 1-2 start.
"I think that's why [the NFL] expanded the playoffs. It was giving those teams an opportunity," said Kerr.
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What do the Vikings need to fix to make sure they make the playoffs?
"I think the offensive line needs to get a little bit better at protecting Kirk," Relly said.
"You gotta work on that defense, it's terrible," added another fan.
"If the Vikings do end up making the playoffs, it's gonna be a combination of two things: Kirk Cousins playing well, and the NFC just not being as strong as it is," said Kerr. "The two matchups against Green Bay are gonna be huge for Minnesota going forward."
While it feels like the season is going downhill, just know it's not totally in the tank right now. A win streak would certainly make a splash, but the clock is ticking.
"Being from Minnesota, been born and bred here not from anyone else, it's my team. I have to ride with them no matter what," said Relly.
The Vikings play the Los Angeles Chargers in week three, another team that is 0-2. Both are coming off first-round exits in the playoffs last year.
