Two weeks isn't a big sample size, but it's plenty of time to take optimistic fan bases and grind their hope into dust.
Not all terrible starts are the same, though. The 0-2 Miami Dolphins don't have much reason to feel surprised or panicked about the direction of their 2026 campaign.
They cleaned house in the offseason, parting with Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, and Minkah Fitzpatrick, among others. That signaled a full-scale rebuild was underway without much expectation Miami would field a competitive team in the immediate aftermath.
But other teams aren't feeling as patient after stumbling out of the gates. So how panicked should these eight franchises be after their rough starts? We're judging on a scale of one (not overly concerned yet) to five (smashing the panic button with both hands).
Record: 0-2
Panic meter: 🚨🚨
The Texans will need to be road warriors after opening their schedule with back-to-back home losses. Against the Bills, the vaunted Houston defense couldn't do much to slow down Josh Allen, who threw a game-winning touchdown pass in the final two minutes. A week later, it was the Texans' offense that couldn't get the job done in a 20-6 loss to the Bengals.
But the good news for Houston is that the entire AFC South lost in Week 2, and the Jaguars were the division's only team to win in Week 1.
The Bills and the Bengals both look like top contenders in the AFC, and it's probably a matter of time before the Texans' defense hits its stride against lesser opponents.
Record: 0-2
Panic meter: 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
Like the Texans, the Chargers blew an opportunity to take advantage of back-to-back home games to start the season. Unlike Houston, the opponents shouldn't have posed a big challenge. It doesn't get much cushier than beginning the year against the Cardinals and Raiders, who picked third and first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft respectively.
The Chargers' offense turned the ball over five times in those two losses, and the secondary got carved up by Jacoby Brissett and Kirk Cousins.
Up next? Road games against the currently undefeated Bills and Seahawks. Yikes.
Record: 0-2
Panic meter: 🚨🚨🚨
The Buccaneers have lost nine of their last 11 dating back to the start of November last season. Tampa Bay already had plenty of reason to fire Todd Bowles after his team blew a sizable lead in the NFC South and failed to reach the playoffs. Losses to the Bengals and Browns have made his seat about as hot as it gets.
It's not too late for the Bucs to get back on track. They've run the ball well while stopping their opponents on the ground, and they're only a game behind the Panthers and Saints. But if they don't bank some wins soon, Bowles could get the pink slip he avoided in January.
Record: 0-2
Panic meter: 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
The Commanders were busy this offseason trying to correct the mistakes that turned a team that made the NFC Championship Game into one of the NFL's worst clubs. But none of those efforts matter if Jayden Daniels can't stay healthy.
After earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, the quarterback missed a total of 10 games in Year 2 due to knee, hamstring, and elbow injuries. Now another season is in limbo after a gruesome dislocation of Daniels' elbow forced the Commanders to turn to Marcus Mariota yet again. Adding insult to that literal injury is the product on the field: Washington has looked just plain bad.
No team has a lower overall grade from Pro Football Focus through the first two weeks, and no team has allowed more passing touchdowns than the Commanders.
Washington's roster looks like it still needs a lot of work, and the team faces a looming decision between committing to an injury-prone passer or starting fresh at the position. The Commanders don't have much reason for optimism.
Record: 0-2
Panic meter: 🚨
Expectations weren't exactly through the roof when the Falcons entered the year with Tua Tagovailoa atop the quarterback depth chart. When an injury days ahead of the opener forced them to turn to Cooper Rush, well, things went exactly as most people would've predicted.
Rush's four interceptions and the Falcons' seven turnovers - both league-leading totals through the first two weeks - tanked their chances of beating the Steelers or Panthers.
Now Atlanta turns to Michael Penix Jr., who was medically cleared to play in the first two weeks but wasn't quite ready to come back from the ACL tear that ended his 2025 campaign. Things could certainly continue to go south for the Falcons; however, they have reason to hope their first two losses were simply the product of a third-string quarterback's struggles.
Record: 0-2
Panic meter: 🚨🚨🚨🚨
Trying to stop the Ravens' and Chiefs' offenses is a tall task for any squad, but giving up more than 500 yards of offense to both is a rough look for the Colts' defense. The offense isn't in great shape either after losing Alec Pierce to a heel injury. With Keenan Allen struggling to make an impact, Indianapolis turned to Laquon Treadwell - a journeyman receiver who hadn't caught a pass in three years - to make plays with the game on the line.
The team's temporary solution is Darius Slayton, who was signed to bolster the receiving corps in Pierce's absence. Regardless, the Colts seriously lack weapons on offense, and their Swiss cheese defense needs to do a complete 180 for Indianapolis to salvage its season.
Record: 1-1
Panic meter: 🚨🚨🚨
The first six teams on this list are 0-2, but the Steelers shouldn't take too much solace from their record. If it hadn't been for T.J. Watt saving the day with a pick-6, the Cooper Rush-led Falcons had a good chance of escaping Pittsburgh with a win.
The Steelers' clear and obvious issue is that their offense can't do much of anything. They're not running the ball well, Aaron Rodgers is getting clobbered, and D.K. Metcalf is dropping everything. Pittsburgh has converted just five of its 25 third-down tries. Perhaps the offensive line will start jelling as the season goes on, but can the team's 42-year-old quarterback turn back the clock and kick the offense into gear? It doesn't appear likely.
Record: 1-1
Panic meter: 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
What a difference a week makes. The Giants were riding high after blowing out the Cowboys in Week 1. Then just about everything that could go wrong did against the Rams. Davante Adams torched New York's secondary and finished with more yards than the entire Giants' offense, but more importantly, both Jaxson Dart and Malik Nabers suffered injuries.
Nabers downplayed the significance of his shoulder issue, but Dart's knee will reportedly require season-ending surgery.
Jameis Winston stepped in at quarterback against the Rams and looked every bit like a guy who spent his summer as a World Cup correspondent. The Giants went 0-2 in Winston's starts during the 2025 season, and he didn't offer much hope that things will be different in his time as a starter this year.
Adam Stites is a contributing writer for theScore.
