An 0-2 start to the NFL season doesn't mean the year is over for any of those winless teams, but their playoff chances are slim.
Ten teams - Buffalo, Miami, New York Jets, Kansas City, New York Giants, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Atlanta, Oakland and New Orleans - are 0-2. (Three of those teams in the bad AFC East.)
And here's the bad news for them: only five teams (out of 59) since 2000 have rebounded from a 0-2 start to make the playoffs. Since the NFL expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978, 26 teams that started 0-2 reached the playoffs.
Here's a look at what has gone wrong for each club:
* Buffalo Bills - Offense. Rookie running back Marshawn Lynch has been solid with 154 yards rushing on 37 carries and a TD, but the passing offense has been not good. QB J.P. Losman only has a dismal 251 total yards through the air in two games, and the Bills leading receiver is Roscoe Parrish with 81 yards. Buffalo has 23 first downs to 47 for its opponents. And the news gets worse: The Bills are at New England this week, and the Pats have clearly been the class of the league thus far. New England is an early 16.5-point favorite on WagerWeb.com.
* Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins are 0-2 for the third time in four years. Five turnovers were the culprit for their Week 2 loss to Dallas, but the rushing attack hasn't gone for more than 66 yards yet, so Miami is losing the time of possession battle. The Dolphins are +3 against the Jets for Week 3 on WagerWeb.com.
* New York Jets - Jets fans will blame Chad Pennington, but he has completed more than 76 percent of his passes with two TDs and no interceptions. The team lacks big-play opportunities when he is in there, however. Backup QB Kellen Clemens, who played well in the second half of a Week 2 loss to the Ravens, appears to be the starter-in-waiting. New York is -3 for this week
* Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs also were winless in the preseason, so they are in dire straits. There's a reason Damon Huard has been a journeyman QB for most of his career, and the K.C. offensive line is porous, with even Larry Johnson struggling. However, the Chiefs are -2 on WagerWeb.com for this week when they host the Vikings.
* New York Giants - What isn't wrong? The G-Men have allowed a league-high 80 points, Eli Manning is ailing and it seems just a matter of time before Coach Tom Coughlin is fired. They travel to 2-0 Washington this week, and there is no line yet posted on WagerWeb.com.
* Philadelphia Eagles - Donovan McNabb just isn't the same. He had decent numbers in Monday night's loss to Washington, but he has been off. In fact, McNabb has lost six of his last seven starts and is 9-12 since the Eagles lost the Super Bowl to New England in January 2005. McNabb is one-dimensional since his injury, becoming a pocket passer, and he doesn't have any receiving threats that scare other teams. The Eagles host 2-0 Detroit on Sunday; there is no line yet on WagerWeb.com.
* St. Louis Rams - If the Giants' Tom Coughlin isn't the first coach fired, the Rams' Scott Linehan may be. He is only 8-10 in his first go-round as an NFL head coach. Marc Bulger is putting up yardage numbers, but the running game stinks and Bulger is constantly under pressure. The loss of tackle Orlando Pace can't be overstated. St. Louis is +3.5 on WagerWeb.com for this week's game at Tampa Bay.
* Atlanta Falcons - Not sure anyone is surprised at this 0-2 club. Michael Vick's shadow has pretty much ruined this season. And Joey Harrington has been, well, Joey Harrington. A rebuilding job is in order. The Falcons are +4 on WagerWeb.com for Sunday's home game with Carolina.
* Oakland Raiders - The Raiders have actually looked much better this season on offense than last, but the defense hasn't matched its 2006 level yet in allowing 59 points. That should change, and Oakland (with Daunte Culpepper likely starting at QB) is a 3-point favorite on WagerWeb.com for Sunday's game against Cleveland.
* New Orleans Saints - Easily the most surprising 0-2 team in the NFL. The Saints, one of the favorites to win the NFC, have been outscored by a whopping 48 points so far this season and are 0-2 for the first time since 1997. Maybe Monday night's home opener against the Titans will change things, but the defense and offensive are equally responsible. "I'm very surprised," QB Drew Brees said. "We really need to take a deep look at ourselves, identify the problems and figure out how to fix it." New Orleans is -4.5 on WagerWeb.com for Monday's game vs. Tennessee.
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