How many NFL teams have made the playoffs after an 0-3 start?

We didn't think we would be here. We definitely didn't want to be here, but alas, here we are. Following losses to the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders, the Cincinnati Bengals are 0-3 to start the 2024 NFL season. They aren't alone either. Two other teams -- the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars -- also went winless over the first three weeks of the season.

A 0-3 start wouldn't be a big deal in the NBA or MLB, as those league play tons of games. But with only 17 regular season games on the schedule, it is a big deal in the NFL. At 0-3, the odds are already firmly stacked against the Bengals bouncing back and qualifying for postseason play. But it has been done before. How many times? We're glad you asked.

Six teams have made the NFL playoffs after an 0-3 start

The brief answer is yes. Teams have started 0-3 and still managed to bounce back and make the playoffs, but it doesn't happen often. It's happened six times total, only four times since 1990 and only once since 2000, per Sporting News. Here's a look at the six teams that were able to make the playoffs after an 0-3 start to the season and their final record:

• 1981 New York Jets: 10-5-1
• 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-4 (Strike-shortened season)
• 1992 San Diego Chargers: 11-5
• 1995 Detroit Lions: 10-6
• 1998 Buffalo Bills: 10-6
• 2018 Houston Texans: 11-5

For what it's worth, no team that started a season 0-3 has ever gone on to win the Super Bowl that same year. The Bengals will now try to become the first this season.

Cincinnati is set to face off against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4, and they really, really need to win that game in order to keep any lingering playoff hopes alive. Only one team in NFL history has made the playoffs after an 0-4 start -- the 1992 Chargers.