3 Teams that could go 0-17 in the 2022 NFL season
The 2022 NFL season is less than three months away as training camps are beginning to open and teams are officially preparing for the upcoming year. Each team has a different level of expectations, but most of them are hoping to make a run at the playoffs and eventually the Super Bowl.
There are also teams on the other end of the spectrum that would need a miracle to have any chance of making the postseason. Even then, they probably wouldn't make it anyway. Some NFL teams are more likely to go winless this season than go to the playoffs, and here are three of those teams.
#1 - Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions went winless until Week 13 of the 2021 NFL season, including losing their first eight consecutive games. They eventually finished with a 3-13-1 overall record, though their final win of the season came against the Green Bay Packers, who were resting many of their starters at the time. The Lions failed to improve much during the offseason, projecting another tough year ahead.
There is a good chance that the 2022 season will be the final one for Jared Goff with the Lions. His salary dead-cap number drops from 41 million to ten million at the conclusion of the year. Look for the Lions to potentially target a quarterback towards the top of the 2023 NFL Draft.
#2 - Houston Texans
The Houston Texans opened their 2021 season with a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, only to lose their next eight consecutive games while dropping 11 of 12 games. They were shut out twice last season and scored less than ten points in seven different games, the most in the NFL.
The Texans didn't add much value to their roster during the offseason and have the fifth-hardest strength of schedule entering 2022, so they will likely be towards the bottom of the league once again. They will be giving Davis Mills a shot at the full-time starting quarterback position, who showed some promise during his rookie campaign but finished with a 2-10 record.
#3 - Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons finished the 2021 season with a respectable 7-10 record, but the 2022 season will likely be a much different story for them. They have entered a complete rebuild of their roster, including moving on from quarterback Matt Ryan, sparking the end of an era in Atlanta.
The Falcons also lost Russell Gage during the free agency period and will be without Calvin Ridley, who is suspended for the entire 2022 NFL season. Their roster lacks legitimate firepower as they continue to rebuild for the future.