It’s only Week 2, but the urgency to win is still extremely high.
Teams that begin the season 0-2 only make the playoffs 12 percent of the time, meaning your season is just about over. Multiple teams are facing “must win” games this week. Let’s take a look at five teams who must win this week.
1. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals suffered a devastating Week 1 loss against the New England Patriots despite the fact that Tom Brady and Robert Gronkowski didn’t even play. The Cardinals will be at home again this week, this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Carson Palmer and the Cardinals can’t afford to start the season off 0-2, especially at home. Many NFL experts picked the Cardinals to get back to the NFC Championship Game, but that’s going to be an extremely difficult task with a loss on Sunday.
Arizona Cardinals (Credit: Getty Images/Christian Petersen)
2. San Diego Chargers
Each and every week it feels like the Chargers find a new way to disappoint their fans even more. Last week they blew a 21-point lead to Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs. This week the Chargers take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in their home opener, and the schedule is only going to get tougher from there. If the Chargers can’t find a way to beat the Jaguars at home, the odds of overtaking the Denver Broncos or Chiefs in the AFC West will almost be insurmountable. Meanwhile, talented squads like the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers will be fighting for wild card spots in the AFC.
3. Dallas Cowboys
No team in the league needs a win more this week than the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones’ boys failed to close the deal against the New York Giants on opening day. The sun was in their eyes, Terrance Williams didn’t have the presence in mind to run out of bounds, and Dez Bryant dropped a sure touchdown. If the Cowboys lose this game, against the Washington Redskins, their season is pretty much over. At 0-2, the odds may be too much to overcome, especially considering the fact that they would also be 0-2 against NFC East opponents.
SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 25: Quarterback Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys passes against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field during a preseason game on August 25, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
4. Carolina Panthers
There’s no shame in losing on the road to the Broncos in Week 1. The Broncos are the defending Super Bowl champions, and they have the best defense in the league. Now it’s time for Cam Newton and the Panthers to bounce back with a big victory at home over the new Chip Kelly-led San Francisco 49ers. The Panthers will benefit from being far more battle tested from last week, and they won’t be the team that’s traveling nearly 3,000 miles. Time for the defending NFC Champs to get their first win of the season.
DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 8: Quarterback Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers walks off the field after losing to the Broncos 21-20 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on September 8, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
5. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens won their opening game, but this week is still a must win situation. Why is that? Take a look at their opponent. You can’t afford to lose the Cleveland Browns, who will be starting backup quarterback, Josh McCown. The AFC North is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, and a loss this week against the worst team in football would only benefit the Steelers and Bengals.
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