Five teams are staring down an 0-4 record through Week 4, a grim milestone that’s only happened seven times in NFL history, and not since 2019. It’s a race to the bottom that’s got some head-scratchers mixed in with the expected struggles. This isn’t just a few bad teams; it’s a historic level of futility this early in the season.
The Expected Pain and the Unseen Money Pit
Let’s be real, some of these 0-4 teams aren’t shocking anyone. Miami, for instance, is in full rebuild mode, carrying a mind-boggling $184 million in dead money charges on their salary cap. That’s a record, by the way. You don’t pull that kind of stunt and expect to be lighting up the scoreboard. Then there’s Tennessee, who’s stumbled to 0-4 after two straight three-win seasons. They’ve been stuck in neutral for a bit, so their slow start, while disappointing, isn’t exactly a bolt from the blue. These teams, for better or worse, are kind of where we thought they’d be.
Playoff Hopefuls Crashing Hard
Now, here’s where it gets wild. Houston and the Los Angeles Chargers, both playoff teams just last season, are sitting at 0-4. This is only the third time in NFL history that two teams who made the playoffs the year before started 0-4. It happened in ’99 with Atlanta and Denver, both conference champions, and back in ’92 with the Los Angeles Raiders and New York Jets. Talk about a brutal fall from grace! Tampa Bay is also winless, and they came into the season as the favorite to win the NFC South. What in the world is happening there?
The Bucs have been agonizingly close, losing four one-score games. Their minus-20 point differential is actually the fifth-best ever for an 0-4 team, and the best since Minnesota was only outscored by 19 points through four games in 2011. They’re competitive, just can’t close it out. The Chargers? Not so much. They’ve been outscored by 39 points, which is the second-worst point differential in the entire league. That’s not just losing, that’s getting flattened. And Houston, oh man, their start is pure frustration. They’ve led in the final two minutes in three of their four losses! That includes a Sunday loss to Dallas where the Cowboys scored the winning touchdown with just 40 seconds left. They’re only the second team since 1991 to lose three times in the first four games after leading in the final two minutes, with the Chargers doing it in 2016. C.J. Stroud, their QB, is even making history, becoming the first quarterback since 1950 to lose his first four starts without throwing a single interception. He’s playing clean, but the wins just aren’t there.
Flipping the Script: The 4-0 Comebacks
It’s not all doom and gloom across the league, though. Three teams are sitting pretty at 4-0. The most interesting part? Kansas City and Minnesota are two of those teams, and both missed the playoffs in 2025. You gotta love that kind of turnaround! The last time two teams started 4-0 after missing the playoffs was in 2013, when the Chiefs and New Orleans pulled it off. It just goes to show, even if your team is struggling right now, things can turn around fast. But for those 0-4 squads, the road back is looking long and steep.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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