Three Week 2 games that could enhance Rams’ playoff chances.

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AvengerRam

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After week 1, fans and commentators often repeat the mantra, "it's only one game."

After week 2, though, a pair of losses should elicit a different reaction. Since 1990, 270 teams have started 0-2. Of them, only 31 (11.5%) have made the playoffs.

In the NFC, there are three teams that made the playoffs in 2022 who started 0-1: Seattle, Minnesota and the New York Giants. Two of the three have a strong likelihood of dropping to 0-2, as the Vikings play tonight at Philadelphia, and Seahawks go to Detroit to play the upstart Lions in their home opener (the Giants, by contrast, will be favored at Arizona).

An 0-2 start for the Vikings and Seahawks could not only be a bad harbinger for them, it also could help pave the way for the Rams to get a playoff spot.

On average, half the teams who make the playoffs in a given year fail to return the next year.

The risers and fallers could start to emerge as early as this week.
 
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Teams that start off 0-2 almost always end the season with a losing record. It's not that it's an insurmountable hole, especially in a 17 game season. It's just a reflection that your team isn't very good.

1980 was the only time since the merger that a Rams team started 0-2 and made the playoffs.
 
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Also, the NFC went 4-0 vs the AFC in week 1, so there were ten 1-0 NFC teams.

The Eagles went 2-0; surprise, surprise and Minnesota is 0-2.
The Vikings host the Chargers in week 3. Philly goes to Tampa, who should be 2-0 after beating the Bears this week.

There could be five 0-2 teams after this weekend; Minnesota, Arizona, Seattle, Carolina and Chicago. That would leave just 11 with a better than 11.5% chance at the postseason.

There are two conference games between 1-0 teams; Rams/SF and Green Bay/Atlanta, so 2 more teams join the ranks of the defeated.

After week 3 surely there will be even more 1-0 teams joining those ranks.
Washington (@ Denver, @ Buffalo)
Green Bay (@ Atlanta, v N. Orl)
Atlanta (v Green Bay, @ Detroit)
Tampa (v Chicago, @ Phila)
N. Orleans with 2 road games (@Carolina, @ Green Bay)

Three or more potential undefeated teams after 3 weeks:
(Expected) Philly, Dallas, San Fran
(Unexpected) LA Rams, Green Bay, Detroit

Of those expected/unexpected teams Green Bay and Detroit play in week 4; SF and Dallas play in week 5

You just never know....
 
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There are exceptions obviously. But the main reason so many 0-2 teams don't make the playoffs is because they weren't good teams to begin with. There's usually a reason they start 0-2.
 
There are exceptions obviously. But the main reason so many 0-2 teams don't make the playoffs is because they weren't good teams to begin with. There's usually a reason they start 0-2.
Yeah, like they had a career backup QB who never did anything until year 9 and they rode with him in year 10, like he was really a legit NFL starter.
 
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After week 1, fans and commentators often repeat the mantra, "it's only one game."

After week 2, though, a pair of losses should elicit a different reaction. Since 1990, 270 teams have started 0-2. Of them, only 31 (11.5%) have made the playoffs.

In the NFC, there are three teams that made the playoffs in 2022 who started 0-1: Seattle, Minnesota and the New York Giants. Two of the three have a strong likelihood of dropping to 0-2, as the Vikings play tonight at Philadelphia, and Seahawks go to Detroit to play the upstart Lions in their home opener (the Giants, by contrast, will be favored at Arizona).

An 0-2 start for the Vikings and Seahawks could not only be a bad harbinger for them, it also could help pave the way for the Rams to get a playoff spot.

On average, half the teams who make the playoffs in a given year fail to return the next year.

The risers and fallers could start to emerge as early as this week.

View: https://media3.giphy.com/media/1034EEGrn91SrS/200w.webp?cid=ecf05e47w6u40nh07ov07x47wom28ab9cpxaj8hv3kxtc6k7&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.webp&ct=g
 
Also, the NFC went 4-0 vs the AFC in week 1, so there were ten 1-0 NFC teams.

The Eagles went 2-0; surprise, surprise and Minnesota is 0-2.
The Vikings host the Chargers in week 3. Philly goes to Tampa, who should be 2-0 after beating the Bears this week.

There could be five 0-2 teams after this weekend; Minnesota, Arizona, Seattle, Carolina and Chicago. That would leave just 11 with a better than 11.5% chance at the postseason.

There are two conference games between 1-0 teams; Rams/SF and Green Bay/Atlanta, so 2 more teams join the ranks of the defeated.

After week 3 surely there will be even more 1-0 teams joining those ranks.
Washington (@ Denver, @ Buffalo)
Green Bay (@ Atlanta, v N. Orl)
Atlanta (v Green Bay, @ Detroit)
Tampa (v Chicago, @ Phila)
N. Orleans with 2 road games (@Carolina, @ Green Bay)

Three or more potential undefeated teams after 3 weeks:
(Expected) Philly, Dallas, San Fran
(Unexpected) LA Rams, Green Bay, Detroit

Of those expected/unexpected teams Green Bay and Detroit play in week 4; SF and Dallas play in week 5

You just never know....

View: https://media4.giphy.com/media/u8uTT3ad4fIkC0rIv3/200w.webp?cid=ecf05e47k3lwjsujr79z9jhkmentj4xcg33df8ijv5jh7kv8&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=200w.webp&ct=g
 
Lots of possibilities, many favorable, so I would like to revisit this after today’s games.

Should the Rams go 2-0, they’re making the playoffs barring something catastrophic.

1-1 brings in this whole discussion of odds and which teams do what.