While some may say that "it's not how you start, it's how you finish," good starts are crucial in an NFL season.
Starting the season on a positive note is something that most elite teams do, finding ways to win games while working off the rust from a long offseason layoff. Some teams, however, stumble out of the gate and set themselves back by facing an uphill climb to salvage their record and, more importantly, qualify for the playoffs.
Specific to the NFL, 0-2 starts are manageable, but a 0-3 hole has been virtually impossible to emerge from and still make the postseason.
How many teams have defied the odds? Here’s a look back at the NFL teams that have bounced back from losing their first three games of the season to reach the playoffs.
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How many 0-3 teams have made NFL playoffs?
Only six teams have made the NFL playoffs after starting 0-3 during the modern era.
0-3 teams to make NFL playoffs
- 1981 New York Jets: 10-5-1 (AFC wild card)
- 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-4 (NFC wild card, strike-shortened season)
- 1992 San Diego Chargers: 11-5 (AFC West champions)
- 1995 Detroit Lions: 10-6 (NFC wild card)
- 1998 Buffalo Bills: 10-6 (AFC wild card)
- 2018 Houston Texans: 11-5 (AFC South champions)
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New York Jets, 1981
After their 0-3 start, the Jets won in Week 4 before tying the Dolphins in Week 5. New York then won nine of its final 11 games to finish with a 10-5-1 record, placing second in the AFC East and qualifying for one of two wild-card spots in the AFC.
The Jets hosted the wild-card round but suffered a 31-27 loss to the Bills.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1982
The Buccaneers lost in Weeks 1 and 2 before a players' strike halted NFL action for two months. Upon the resumption of play, Tampa Bay suffered a Week 3 loss before winning five of its final six games to close the shortened season with a 5-4 record.
Because of the shortened season, the NFL used a 16-team playoff and the Buccaneers qualified as the NFC's seventh seed. Tampa Bay lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 30-17, in the first round of the playoffs.
San Diego Chargers, 1992
The Chargers actually dropped their first four games of the 1992 season before earning a massive Week 5 win, then had a Week 6 bye. They came out of the bye to win 10 of their final 11 games, with the lone loss coming in Week 10.
Entering the postseason on a seven-game winning streak, the Chargers defeated the Chiefs 17-0 in the AFC wild-card round. San Diego then suffered a 31-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the divisional round.
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Detroit Lions, 1995
Detroit lost its first three games and split its next six to enter Week 11 with a 3-5 record. The Lions closed the season on a seven-game win streak to earn a wild-card spot in the NFC playoffs.
The playoffs weren't as forgiving as the Lions entered halftime down 38-7 and suffered a 58-37 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Buffalo Bills, 1998
Buffalo's 0-3 start to the 1998 season was followed by a five-game win streak to move to 5-3 entering Week 10. The Bills finished the season at 10-6 but traveled to Miami for the wild-card round of the playoffs, losing to the Dolphins, 24-17.
Houston Texans, 2018
After starting 0-3, the Texans ran off nine straight wins to move to 9-3 entering Week 14. Houston finished the 2018 season with an 11-5 record and an AFC South crown.
Houston faced a familiar foe in the wild-card round but could not overcome a ripping start by the Colts, who parlayed a 21-0 halftime lead into a 21-7 victory, eliminating the Texans and ending their impressive run.
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Odds to make NFL playoffs after starting 0-3
Since 1990, four of the 165 teams (2.4 percent) that started 0-3 have qualified for the NFL playoffs. The feat has been attained just twice in the past 30 seasons and once since 2000.
In 2024, the Bengals, Jaguars, and Titans all missed the postseason after 0-3 starts.