After Week 3’s NFL action, five teams are sitting at 0-3. The season isn’t quite over for these teams, but the analytics suggest it practically is. In NFL history, only seven teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-3. The teams include the 2025 Texans, the 2018 Texans, the 1998 Bills, the 1995 Lions, the 1992 Chargers, the 1982 Buccaneers, and the 1981 Jets.
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Only one team has made the postseason after a 0-4 start: the 1992 Chargers.
That means for the Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Week 4 is a must-win if the team wants a viable playoff run. Now, anything can happen in the NFL, so even if one of these teams goes 0-4, they can still make the postseason; it’ll just be a tough hill to climb.
Houston is in familiar territory
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HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 04: Head coach Demeco Ryans of the Houston Texans watches play during the NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts on January 4, 2026, at NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire NFL: JAN 04 Colts at Texans EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon250104143
For the Texans, this is something they have seen before. Just last season, the Texans made the postseason after a 0-3 start, winning nine straight games to close out the regular season. Houston finished 12-5 and placed second in the AFC South.
It begs the question: can the Texans do the same thing again in 2026?
The schedule is on their side. Playing Tennessee twice, the Chargers, Washington, and Green Bay definitely helps. But to get everything going, the Houston offense has to get itself figured out.
It was the main offseason worry in Houston. Can the offense be good enough to make a real Super Bowl run? The defense has gotten off to a slow start, but has allowed a success rate of 36.3 percent, ranking fourth in the NFL, per SumerSports. Playmakers like Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr. will keep Houston in games, but as we’ve seen through three weeks, the offense has to get over the hump.
The Texans need to get their rushing attack into a more stable position. Having a rushing success rate of 38 percent and a stuffed run percentage of 25.4 percent (first in the NFL) only puts more pressure on CJ Stroud to be a hero. It’s hard to be a hero when your starting wide receivers are Jared Wayne, Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte.
There’s a reason Houston added to the offensive line in the offseason and acquired running back David Montgomery. It knew it needed a more consistent rushing attack. So far, that hasn’t been the case. This Sunday, Houston has a good shot to get on track in the rushing game against Dallas. Dallas has allowed 179 rushing yards per game, which ranks second-worst in the NFL.
How far can the Chargers fall?
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ATLANTA, GA Ð DECEMBER 01: Los Angeles head coach Jim Harbaugh gives quarterback Justin Herbert 10 a first bump prior to the start of the NFL, American Football Herren, USA game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Atlanta Falcons on December 1st, 2024 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire NFL: DEC 01 Chargers at Falcons EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon241201090
The Chargers aren’t in the same territory as the Texans, schedule-wise. Los Angeles has the eighth-toughest schedule left in the league, facing Baltimore, Kansas City (twice), Seattle, and San Francisco.
Against Buffalo, the Chargers defense did almost everything it could to win. They forced five turnovers and held Buffalo to 350 total yards. Still, after all of it, they couldn’t win the game.
Blame can go everywhere when facing a 0-3 start in an NFL building. Where it typically starts is at the quarterback position, especially when it’s Justin Herbert. Through three games, Herbert has gone 52-of-88 for 627 with three touchdowns and four interceptions.
Not exactly the numbers we expected after hearing Mike McDaniel was hired as the offensive coordinator. What we’ve learned over the past decade is that everything starts with the run game in the NFL nowadays — and the Chargers don’t have one.
Los Angeles ranks 30th in the NFL in EPA/Rush at -0.25, per SumerSports. Reality is, the Chargers don’t have the outside playmakers to make up for it, with Quentin Johnston and Tre Harris being the starting perimeter receivers (Ladd McConkey is the slot).
Unfortunately, Los Angeles has been hit with the injury bug early this season. The team has lost starting center Tyler Biadasz and tight ends David Njoku and Charlie Koler (expected to return). This offense has never been at full strength, but its performance through three weeks is still surprising. Can Los Angeles turn it around? It’ll be a tougher climb than Houston, and the team travels to take on Seattle this weekend. Things can get ugly in Los Angeles sooner rather than later.