History suggests the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears can all start thinking about the 2017 season.
All four teams have started 2016 with 0-3 records, and only five teams have made the playoffs are starting a season with three straight losses. In fact, no team has come back from 0-3 to qualify for the postseason since 1998, and only three have accomplished the feat since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format in 1990.
In other words, it’s going to take a rare recovery for the Browns, Jaguars, Saints or Bears to make a serious run at playing more than 16 games in 2016.
Many expected the Browns and Bears to struggle, and the Saints entered the season with huge question marks on defense. The young Jaguars had a chance to take a big step forward, but Gus Bradley’s team has stumbled out of the gates.
The four may now use the final 13 games to battle for the draft positioning in 2017.
Injuries have ravaged talent-lacking rosters in Cleveland and Chicago, especially at quarterback. Robert Griffin, Josh McCown and Jay Cutler have all suffered injuries during the first three weeks, and the Bears are still without key pieces on defense such as Pernell McPhee and Kyle Fuller.
The Browns haven’t been without chances. Cleveland squandered a 20-0 lead over the Ravens in Week 2 and missed a game-winning field goal in Miami in Week 3.
The winless Saints are getting another productive season from Drew Brees, but the defense has been terrible. The 96 points allowed by New Orleans ranks 31st in the NFL through three games. Atlanta scored 45 points and sent the Saints to 0-3 in Week 3.
The Jaguars’ game-winning drive in Week 1 failed inside the red zone, while the Ravens kicked a field goal to beat Jacksonville with just over a minute left last Sunday.
Good teams capable of playing playoff football simply don’t start 0-3. While all four winless teams in 2016 have suffered through some combination of bad luck and tough losses, getting to the postseason requires the necessary depth and talent to overcome adversity. It’s still September, but the Browns, Jaguars, Saints and Bears can probably forget about this season.
