Going 0-2 isn't necessarily a death sentence for an NFL team's season.
Two years ago, the New York Giants opened their schedule that way and wound up winning Super Bowl XLII. The team they beat, New England, not only began that season 2-0, they won all of their next 16 regular-season and playoff games before the stunning loss to the Giants.
Three of the 11 teams that began the 2008 campaign by losing their first two games (Miami, Minnesota, and San Diego) reached the playoffs.
Still, escaping from an 0-2 hole to salvage the rest of the season isn't easy. Of the 160 clubs that have gone 0-2 since 1990 -- when the NFL expanded its playoff format to 12 teams -- only 22 (13.8 percent) advanced to the postseason while a mere 10 (6.3 percent) won their division.
Even teams that have made such comebacks would be the first to acknowledge that is no way to begin a season. And of the 16 clubs that opened 2009 with a loss, there are certain ones that -- based on the nature of their Week 1 performance and other circumstances (including the presumed added pressure their head coach carried into the season, their schedule, and the strength of their division) -- would figure to be in deeper trouble than others after back-to-back defeats.
Here's a list of the top five teams that can least afford to go 0-2:
1. Chicago Bears (vs. 1-0 Pittsburgh Steelers):
After Jay Cutler's four-interception disaster in Green Bay, he and the Bears must figure out how to put the pieces back together in time to face the defending Super Bowl champions. Given the enormous amount of hype that accompanied Cutler from Denver to Chicago, the Bears and their fans had to be discouraged by what they saw against the Packers. Adding to their woes was the loss of defensive catalyst Brian Urlacher to a season-ending wrist injury in the same game. Although the Steelers' defense could easily bring them even more misery, here's a stat that Bears loyalists might find at least a little comforting: Their team has won 11 of 12 games against the Steelers in Chicago.
2. Carolina Panthers (at 1-0 Atlanta Falcons):
Jake Delhomme's second meltdown in as many games that count (the other being last January's playoff loss to Arizona) has the Panthers reeling. He will remain their starting quarterback, but his five turnovers (four interceptions and a fumble) against the Philadelphia Eagles have prompted fans to call for him to be replaced. The Panthers signed A.J. Feeley to replace injured Josh McCown, and perhaps he wouldn't do any worse. However, their problems go beyond quarterback. They often had no answers for the Eagles' aggressive blitzing. And things won't get a whole lot easier against the Falcons, who were able to generate a great deal of pressure on Chad Pennington last week and force the Miami Dolphins' quarterback into uncharacteristic mistakes. For the sake of John Fox's job security and the Panthers' survival in the ultra-tough NFC South, the Panthers need a win.
3. Buffalo Bills (vs. 0-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers):
Their stunningly competitive showing against New England, widely considered a Super Bowl favorite, has had the double-edged effect of raising expectations along with familiar questions about their finishing skills. It marked the third year in a row that the Bills found a way to lose a Monday night game they seemed on the verge of winning. And this was the most painful of all because, after a terrible preseason and so much recent futility against New England, the Bills weren't given a prayer to do much of anything except cause a whole lot of channel-changing throughout the country. The Buccaneers, on the other hand, are considered an opponent the Bills should beat. The Patriot heartbreak certainly did nothing to diminish the sentiment, which Bills owner Ralph Wilson expressed in July, that the Bills will end their nine-year playoff drought. However, an 0-2 start would likely turn up the heat on Dick Jauron, who already changed his offensive coordinator and starting left tackle just before the start of the season.
4. Arizona Cardinals (at 0-1 Jacksonville Jaguars):
They hardly looked like the defending NFC champions in their season-opening home loss to San Francisco. They resembled the team that stumbled to a 9-7 finish last year before catching fire in the postseason. The Cardinals shouldn't count on having any such late surge this season. Not with the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks looking like they'll put up a much better fight for the NFC West crown. After one game, there is plenty for the Cardinals to improve, including what is supposed to be one of the most explosive passing attacks in the league. Besides being shut down and pushed around by the 49ers' physical defense, they also drew 12 penalties, a sign of sloppiness that showed up prominently during an 0-4 preseason. The Cardinals can expect the Jaguars' defense to be equally physical.
5. Miami Dolphins (vs. 1-0 Indianapolis Colts):
If the Dolphins are out to prove their incredible turnaround season of a year ago was no fluke, they're going to have to do a whole lot better than what they showed against Atlanta. Sure, they were beaten by a good Falcons team. And, as mentioned above, they overcame an 0-2 start last year. But the Dolphins have to be particularly concerned about how badly their offense struggled in Week 1. After being discarded by the Jets last summer, Pennington proved to be exactly what the Dolphins needed by performing with considerable efficiency. He showed very little of that against Atlanta, while facing far more pressure than he saw through most of the 2008 season. Miami's offensive line also did a poor job of opening holes for Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. The task won't get any easier against the Colts, who have a dangerous pair of defensive ends in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis.
