Analysis: 6 teams saved their season by avoiding an 0-3 start

 

[September 23, 2024]  By ROB MAADDI

Six NFL teams saved their season on Sunday by earning their first win.

That’s no overstatement considering only six teams since 1979 have made the playoffs after starting 0-3, including just one since 2000, and none have won a Super Bowl.

After the Ravens, Rams, Broncos, Colts, Giants and Panthers avoided that dreaded start, only the Titans are 0-3. The Jaguars and Bengals are winless going into Monday night. Jacksonville plays at Buffalo (2-0). Cincinnati hosts Washington (1-1).

Four of the six first-time winners on Sunday played on the road, including Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. They beat Dallas 28-25, holding on after Dak Prescott rallied the Cowboys back from a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

The Ravens had the best record in the NFL last year but that didn’t matter when they blew a double-digit lead in their home opener against the Raiders last week.

Facing a defense that was dominated by New Orleans in Week 2, Jackson, Derrick Henry and the rest of Baltimore’s offense clicked. They scored four touchdowns on the first six possessions and built a comfortable lead.

“To be honest, every game is a big game for us, because we’re trying to get somewhere,” said Jackson, who played like the reigning NFL MVP. “We’ve got to win these games to get to the playoffs, man, and win these playoff games to get to the Super Bowl. But it starts with the game that’s in front of us. So, the 0-2 start, we didn’t want that to happen. Obviously, it’s the (National) Football League; everyone is good. We can’t look at (any) opponent and think (that) we can just go in there and roll them over like this is high school or something or college, and we’re playing walk-on guys. ... They’re going to play their heart out against us, like it’s the Super Bowl, so we’ve just got to go out there and do what we’re supposed to do.”

The injury-depleted Rams, a playoff team last year, seemed headed for a third straight loss when they trailed the reigning NFC champion 49ers 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter. But Matthew Stafford led an improbable comeback, Kyren Williams ran 4 yards to score his third touchdown of the day with 1:51 remaining, and Joshua Karty hit a 37-yard field goal with 2 seconds left to give Los Angeles a 27-24 win.

“I saw a team respond after a really humbling week last week,” Rams coach Sean McVay said. “And three hours will never define you, good or bad, unless you allow it to, and we’ve got to do a good job of being able to build on this.”

The Broncos have plenty of reason for optimism after rookie Bo Nix led them to a stunning 26-7 rout in Tampa Bay against the previously unbeaten Buccaneers.

Nix completed 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards and ran for 47 yards and a score as Denver dominated from start to finish. The Broncos aren’t a playoff contender in the AFC West but Nix and a strong defense will keep them competitive while Sean Payton builds around them.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) walks off the field after the team's NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

“I haven’t seen him flinch,” Payton said of his quarterback. “We all get a little bit more confident with the win but I say that respectfully. He hasn’t flinched. I think that we had a good plan. The players did a good job and certainly (Nix) had more fun than he did in prior weeks.”

The Giants also got a standout performance from a rookie first-round pick to secure their first victory. Malik Nabers had eight catches for 78 yards and two TDs in a 21-15 victory at Cleveland. Daniel Jones was terrific for New York, throwing for 236 yards and the two scores to Nabers.

“I think it always feels good to get a win, however it comes,” Jones said. “First one is important, so we have to look at what we did well and build on it, and clean up the things we didn’t do well.”

A quarterback change helped the Panthers get coach Dave Canales his first win. Andy Dalton replaced Bryce Young, and threw for 319 yards and three TDs to lead Carolina to a 36-22 win in Las Vegas.

Maybe the supporting cast isn’t that terrible. Dalton was sharp, Chuba Hubbard ran for 114 yards and Diontae Johnson had eight catches for 122 yards and one TD.

Canales helped Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield resurrect their careers in previous stops. He was hired to get the best out of Young, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023. But perhaps the 36-year-old Dalton will regain his Pro Bowl form under Canales.

“That’s Panthers football, team football right there. I get to show them that. I get to show them how it all complements and plays off of each other,” Canales said.

The Colts, who barely missed the playoffs last season, beat the Bears 21-16 for their first win. Jonathan Taylor led the way with 110 yards rushing and two TDs on a day Anthony Richardson struggled again. Richardson, who was 10 of 20 for 167 yards and two interceptions, needs to improve for Indianapolis to have a shot at making the playoffs this season.

Getting to 1-2 was a big step for all six teams. Of course, they still have an uphill climb. Only two of the 32 teams that started 0-2 have made the playoffs since the NFL expanded the postseason field to 14 teams in 2020.

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