Which 2-0 NFL Teams Are for Real? The Packers and Texans Yes; Tampa, Miami and Kansas City, Less So

I’m not sure you need any numbers for me to tell you that the Packers and Texans are the most likely to make the playoffs among the 2-0 teams. If you did to confirm what your eyes tell you, teams that score 60-69 points in getting to 2-0 make the playoffs 79% of the time. Both these teams have shown the ability to put points on the board, and that is a good indicator for the future. The Texans pass defense is the only concern, as they have given up yards to both Manning (433 yards, three TDs) and McNabb (426 yards).

Chicago falls in the middle, but looks to be a team that can be in the mix for the playoffs throughout the year. I’m a Martz supporter, something that isn’t always popular, so it’s not a huge surprise to me that they have passed the ball effectively early on. Cutler (leads NFL in QB Rating, tied for 4th in completion percentage, third in passing yards) will still have his moments, but the Bears are a legitimate wild card contender.

Of the lower scoring teams, Pittsburgh clearly has the best excuse, and they are not going to apologize for going 2-0 without Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh will be fine once he returns, and should outperform the typical low scoring 2-0 team. Tampa Bay beat Cleveland and Carolina, and hasn’t scored a whole lot of points, but they do have a young quarterback who has made some big plays.

I am excited that Kansas City is 2-0, because it’s better than what has happened the last three years, but that is tempered by the knowledge that the Chiefs have relied on special teams and defensive touchdowns to win, and the passing game has been dreadful. These things are not a recipe to continued success. Miami has played two teams that are struggling offensively, to put it mildly, so I think we need to see them against an above average offense before we know how good they will be. [Photos via Getty]