Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season comes with a scoreboard split that already tells a story: eight teams are sitting at 2-0, and eight more are stuck at 0-2.
The unbeaten group includes the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks. On the other end, the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Commanders are all trying to avoid letting an 0-2 start turn into something much harder to escape.
That’s where the number 10 comes in. Since 1990, there have been 298 teams that lost their first two games, and only 38 of them - 12.8% - still found a way into the playoffs.
The larger point is obvious: digging out of that hole is rare. But the recent past has been a little kinder to slow starters.
Ten of those 38 playoff recoveries have happened in the last four seasons alone. In 2022, the Bengals did it.
A year later, the Texans did it too. Then in 2024, the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, and Los Angeles Rams all made the turn.
Last season, the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Texans again all rallied after early trouble.
And yes, there’s even a path from 0-2 all the way to the top. It has happened four times, and three of those teams ended up with the Lombardi Trophy.
The 1993 Dallas Cowboys beat the Bills in Super Bowl XXVII. The 1996 New England Patriots lost to the Green Bay Packers in New Orleans in Super Bowl XXXI.
The 2001 Patriots stunned the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome. And the New York Giants upset the 18-0 Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Christian McCaffrey joined a very exclusive club on Sunday, and he did it in style. The 49ers running back scored twice in San Francisco’s 35-13 win over the Miami Dolphins, pushing him to 100 career touchdowns.
McCaffrey, now in his 10th NFL season, became the 29th player in league history to reach that mark. Jerry Rice still sits on top with 208, followed by Emmitt Smith at 175 and LaDainian Tomlinson at 162.
McCaffrey is one of four active players on the list, alongside Derrick Henry (131), Davante Adams (119), and Mike Evans (110).
Another eye-catching number belongs to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks receiver led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards last season, becoming the first Seattle player to do it since Steve Largent in 1985.
He was also named the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Through two games this season, Smith-Njigba has 17 catches for a league-high 277 yards and four touchdowns.
It’s still early, but the last player to lead the league in receiving yards in back-to-back seasons was Calvin Johnson in 2011 and 2012.
One of Sunday’s most important games is also one of the most familiar. The Colts and Texans meet in Indianapolis, with both teams chasing their first win.
The Colts are trying to stop the league’s longest current losing streak, and the matchup carries a heavy historical edge for Indianapolis overall. Including a playoff game in 2018, the Colts lead the all-time series 33-15-1.
Recent results, though, lean the other way. Houston has won the last five meetings in the AFC South rivalry, and the Texans have also won their last four games at Lucas Oil Stadium since 2022.
In Other News...
Jonathan Owens And Simone Biles Just Gave Colts Fans A Glimpse Off The Field
Simone Biles gave Colts fans a small off-field window into the life she and Jonathan Owens are building together when she opened up on TikTok about a frightening incident at her Chicago home. Biles said three masked men stole her Porsche, but the vehicle was later recovered, and she also explained that the episode was part of why the couple decided to get a Doberman for protection.
For Indianapolis, the bigger takeaway is the one tied to Owens next chapter. Biles confirmed plans to officially move to the Indianapolis area so she can support the Colts safety, adding another layer of visibility around a pairing that already draws plenty of attention well beyond football. It is the kind of personal update that does not affect the depth chart, but it does give fans a better sense of the life surrounding one of the teams more recognizable players. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Could Face An Anthony Richardson Decision Much Sooner Than Expected
An already unsettled quarterback landscape around the league has the Indianapolis Colts back in an uncomfortable spot, this time because another team may be forced to look for help sooner than expected. With Jaxson Dart expected to miss the rest of the season because of injuries, the New York Giants have a glaring hole under center, and that has naturally pushed attention toward possible veterans or young passers who might be available if they decide to swing for a solution.
For the Colts, that kind of outside interest matters because Anthony Richardson remains one of the leagues more intriguing unknowns, and any discussion about his future tends to come with a price tag attached. If the Giants really do explore him as a replacement option, Indianapolis would have to weigh Richardsons long-term upside against whatever trade value could be extracted now, a choice that could arrive much earlier than the Colts expected when the season began. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Harrison Jr. To Indy Suddenly Feels Less Far-Fetched
Marvin Harrison Jr. has only been in the league a short time, but the trade chatter around him has already started to pick up. According to ESPNs Dan Graziano, some NFL executives are at least considering whether the Arizona Cardinals would listen before the Nov. 10 trade deadline, a notable turn for a player whose early production has not matched the anticipation that followed him into the league.
For Indianapolis, the idea lands in a place where the fit is easy to see. The Colts had interest in Harrison Jr. before the 2024 draft, and they have been piecing together help at receiver after injuries thinned the group, recently adding veteran Darius Slayton. Whether Arizona would actually move on from Harrison Jr. is the bigger question, but the fact that the conversation is happening at all makes the possibility feel a little less imaginary than it did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]