Five teams face an 0-4 start — and only one 0-4 team has ever made the playoffs

Published October 2, 2026 09:27 PM Week 4 is here, and five teams are still looking for their first victory of 2026.The Dolphins, Texans, Titans, Chargers, and Buccaneers are all 0-3. Only seven teams (most recently, the 2025 Texans) have made the playoffs after an 0-3 start.None of the five teams play each other this weekend, which means all five could still be winless come Monday. Any that land at 0-4 will be facing a steep climb to the postseason.Only one team in NFL history has qualified for the playoffs after starting 0-4. In 1992, the Chargers under first-year coach Bobby Ross turned it around and secured the AFC West crown. The Chargers won 11 of their 12 final games of the season.The Chargers advanced through the wild-card round with a 17-0 win over the Chiefs, who had swept the Chargers during the regular season. The next week, the Dolphins eliminated the Chargers with a 31-0 blowout.With 17 games and seven playoff spots per conference, it’s easier than ever for a team to turn it around after an 0-4 start. Still, many 0-4 teams start that way for a reason; they’re not very good. The 1992 Chargers were much better than their early-season record indicated, and they made it all the way to the final eight.