Why Texans, Dolphins, and Jets Could Be Out of the Playoff Race

Teams with 0-3 Records Face a Daunting Path to the Playoffs

As the first month of the NFL season comes to a close, several teams have already found themselves in a precarious position. While they haven’t been officially eliminated from playoff contention, their chances of making it to the postseason are looking increasingly slim. Starting 0-3 is often considered a major setback, and this year, four teams have already fallen into that category: the Miami Dolphins, Houston Texans, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans.

Since the NFL expanded its regular season to 17 games in 2021, no team has managed to recover from an 0-3 start and still make the playoffs. Over the past four years, 13 teams have started the season with three losses, but only two—2021’s Indianapolis Colts and 2024’s Cincinnati Bengals—finished with winning records (9-8), though neither made the postseason.

The challenge for these teams is immense. They now face a nearly impossible task if they want to reach the playoffs. To have any realistic shot, each would need to go 10-4 over the remaining 14 games of the season. That means even a single loss could derail their chances entirely.

Take the Miami Dolphins, for example. Their schedule includes tough matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Washington Commanders, as well as another game against the Buffalo Bills. If they lose those four games, they would need to go 10-0 in the rest of their schedule to have a chance.

The Houston Texans also face a difficult path. They will play the Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, and Indianapolis Colts in the final weeks of the season. Each of these games presents a significant challenge.

Despite the odds, there have been instances where teams have defied expectations and made the playoffs after starting 0-3. Since the NFL expanded the playoffs to 12 teams in 1990, 165 teams have begun the season with three losses. Only four of them—1992’s San Diego Chargers, 1995’s Detroit Lions, 1998’s Buffalo Bills, and 2018’s Houston Texans—managed to make the postseason. However, no team has done so since the expansion to 14 playoff teams in 2020.

The 2018 Texans are the only team in this century to pull off the feat. That squad lost their first three games by seven points or less, meaning they were just a few plays away from being 3-0. They also played in a relatively weak AFC South division, which helped their chances.

This year’s 0-3 teams don’t all share the same story. The Dolphins and Texans had high expectations going into the season, while the Jets and Titans were not expected to contend. However, all four teams now find themselves in a similar situation.

There’s a possibility that more teams could join the 0-3 group before the end of Week 3. The Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints are both 0-2 and will play on Sunday afternoon. Additionally, the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Giants, who are also 0-2, will face each other on Sunday night. It’s likely that at least one of these teams will fall to 0-3 by the end of the weekend.

For now, the Dolphins, Texans, Jets, and Titans are all fighting to avoid becoming part of NFL history. While the odds are stacked against them, the league has seen miracles before. Whether any of these teams can pull off a similar feat remains to be seen.