With one game left in Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season, nine teams are sitting at 2-0, but which of them are for real, and who might be imposters? Let’s go behind the box score stats to see which are the best 2-0 teams and who might be set to struggle in the coming weeks.
How Do the 2-0 NFL Teams Rank in 2024?
1) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)
The Kansas City Chiefs will consider themselves lucky to have escaped their latest tussle with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs are 2-0, but it is by the barest of margins, with a toe on the line and a flag on a fourth-down heave being the ultimate difference-makers.
However, the Chiefs have also faced what we expect to be two very good teams, so 2-0 is all they will care about.
The Chiefs’ biggest positive is that they have posted positive Expected Points Added (EPA), both offensively and defensively, through two weeks. On offense, they are inside the top 10 for both their touchdown per drive ratio (eighth) and converting first downs into another first down or touchdown (also eighth). They also lead the league in three-and-out rate at 5.3%.
Defensively, there is still plenty to improve on. They rank second from last in defensive success rate and 23rd in yards per play. However, they will likely look at it through the lens of facing two potent offenses already, so things should improve from here on out. The defending champions remain atop the pile.
2) Buffalo Bills (2-0)
The Buffalo Bills are a tough team to figure out after two weeks.
They made the Arizona Cardinals look really good for a half in Week 1, and then they stormed back before stomping on the Miami Dolphins. Sure, the Dolphins lost Tua Tagovailoa, but that game was already in hand for Buffalo before his injury.
The Bills are second in net EPA through two weeks, with only special teams letting them down. The Cardinals may actually be good, so their struggles at times against them might have been somewhat overblown.
They have risen to third largely because others around them fumbled the ball and dropped winnable games.
3) Houston Texans (2-0)
Another team that watched chaos reign around them on Sunday was the Houston Texans. Then, on Sunday Night Football, the Texans knocked off the Bears in a game that was probably closer than it should have been.
Houston outgained Chicago by over 100 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per play. But third-down struggles (the Texans converted just four of 14 third downs) resulted in the Texans settling for four long field goals, scoring only 19 points.
Houston’s defense, however, did a fantastic job keeping Chicago’s offense in check all night long, limiting the Bears to just 3.1 yards per play and forcing two turnovers.
In fact, Houston’s defensive performance on Sunday night was the 10th best of the young season in terms of defensive EPA (+16.66).
The Texans travel to Minnesota next week in a battle of unbeaten teams.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
OK, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we see you. When you dominate a bad team in Week 1 and then go on the road and upset a final-four team from last year, you demand respect.
In Week 2, we saw the two units even out a little. The offense came back down to earth, while the defense stepped up and answered some of the lingering questions. Now, the biggest question mark might be whether the Lions are actually as good as we think they are.
While the Bucs rank seventh in EPA through two weeks, we still do not know exactly how good they are, and we may not find out next week against the Denver Broncos. They will want to see another strong performance from a defense that ranks 30th in defensive success rate, and they will want their top-10 offense to continue doing what they have through two weeks.
5) New Orleans Saints (2-0)
Everyone largely brushed off the New Orleans Saints for their Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers, but then they went and backed it up with a domination of the Cowboys in Arlington.
Most points in first two games of a season since merger
2009 Saints 93 (Won Super Bowl)
2024 @Saints 91 (👀)
1971 Cowboys 91 (Won Super Bowl) pic.twitter.com/9SFKacn5af— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 15, 2024
Through two weeks, the Saints’ net EPA is 61.75. To put that in context, that is 27 points above the second-placed Bills, which is the same gap between the Bills and the 10th-placed 49ers.
The Saints have impressed all over the field, and if this continues, they will put themselves in the Super Bowl picture. The next questions to answer are whether the Cowboys are just not that good and whether the Saints have beaten two teams that are average or worse.
It is fair to ask, and we should get some clarity when they host the Eagles next week.
6) Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
The Seattle Seahawks have moved up this week because others around them have fallen. When you look at net EPA, they are a top-six team, but their defense is carrying them. Offensively, they are 18th in EPA, 23rd in three-and-out percentage (28.0), and 24th in converting first downs to first downs or touchdowns (63.8%).
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The defense looks wonderful, both in terms of the eye test and statistically. However, we need to put into context that they have faced the two worst offenses in the league through three weeks.
We likely will not find out anything new in Week 3 as they face the Skylar Thompson-led Dolphins. What could have been a come-back-to-earth game now might be another defensive stat padder.
7) Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
The Minnesota Vikings impressed by backing up their Week 1 demolition of the New York Giants with a calm, efficient performance against the 49ers. There is an element of familiarity with the Shanahan system, so that win will be tempered a little by that. Backing it up again with a win over the Texans next week could see this team inside the top 10.
The offense is a concern, especially if Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison miss time. However, it has also been considerably better than it was feared to be when Sam Darnold took over under center for the season.
The defense’s second-best EPA in the league is very impressive after taking on the usually hyper-efficient 49ers offense.
8) Los Angeles Chargers (2-0)
The Los Angeles Chargers get to move up as others around them fall because, at 2-0, they deserve respect.
The Chargers are third in the league in net EPA and have the best defense in the NFL in terms of EPA through two weeks. Their 70.6% defensive success rate is also leading the league, and it is exactly what we expected from a Jim Harbaugh-led team.
The caveat is that the Chargers have beaten the Raiders and Panthers, who are far from the most convincing teams through two weeks. The Raiders’ win in Baltimore helped the Chargers’ résumé somewhat, but we are still looking for that prove-it game. A game in Pittsburgh next week is a potential banana skin.
9) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0)
The Pittsburgh Steelers do not get any credit for their messy win in Denver in Week 2.
Sure, 2-0 is great, and you can only beat who the schedule-makers put in front of you, but a convincing win would have been nice.
The defense ranks third in the league in terms of EPA, but in the same way the Seahawks have looked good defensively, it is easy to do that against two teams that have looked stagnant offensively.
The offense will be the greater concern, and while we saw flashes, Fields still only threw for 117 yards on 20 attempts. The run game was fine, but nothing to write home about. Next week we will likely find out whether it is the Steelers or Chargers who are the least convincing 2-0 team.