It is rare in the NFL for a team to make the playoffs after starting the season 0-3. In fact, it’s happened only seven times, and if the Indianapolis Colts fail to secure a win on Sunday, their quest will be to become the eighth team.
Coincidentally, the team the Colts face in Week 3 happens to be not just their AFC South division rival, but the team that is the most recent to make the postseason after a 0-3 start, twice over. The Houston Texans lost their first three regular-season games in 2018 and 2025, but still made the Wild Card game or playoffs those same years.
What makes their matchup in Indianapolis this weekend so intriguing is that both teams are 0-2 going in, so whoever loses has the tougher road ahead. For the Texans, it's familiar territory, which could give them the edge. For the Colts, well, safety Cam Bynum knows the realistic chances if his team goes down 0-3, but he's not focused on anything past this Sunday.
Cam Bynum stresses the importance of the Indianapolis Colts not focusing on the playoff picture just yet
Indianapolis hasn't made the playoffs since 2020. By that measure, you could say they're due, but the NFL doesn't always work like that. The New York Jets haven't made the playoffs since 2010 (15 seasons), while the Atlanta Hawks have missed every year since 2017 (eight seasons). Both teams have been due for a while, yet remain playoff-vacant.
The Colts are heading in the direction of the Falcons. Making the postseason this year was a major topic of discussion around the team and its future under general manager Chris Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.
So far, it's not looking good, and if the Texans win on Sunday, it will look much worse. The AFC South, overall, isn't in a good place, which is why the Colts still have room to breathe for now, with just one win among the division's four teams: the Colts, Texans, Tennessee Titans, and Jacksonville Jaguars, who own that single win.
Even with room to breathe, Bynum still sees this week's game as a must-win for his team, as every game is, while stressing that looking ahead doesn't help.
“No, we don’t think that far ahead at all," Bynum responded when asked about a potential 0-3 start. "When you show up on Sunday, you have to focus on that team right now, not focus on the playoff picture …no matter what, every single week is a must win.”
What Bynum said isn't wrong: every week is a must-win, but this week in particular matters for the Colts because of the divisional factor. A loss at home to Houston would move the Texans to 1-2, while the Colts stay at zero. If the Jaguars overcome the New England Patriots, they move to 2-1. The Titans' game is also interesting, given that the New York Giants just lost Jaxson Dart for the season.
Hypothetically, by the end of Week 3, the Colts could be the only team in their division without a win. At that point, their road to the playoffs is as bleak as it can be unless the other teams in their division play inconsistently as the season progresses.
Bynum's mental space is in a good place regarding his team's current position. As one of the team's leaders, making sure his teammates aren't getting ahead of themselves is a solid message that will hopefully catch on in the locker room.
That said, a third loss is bound to get into the Colts' players' heads. It would just be natural.
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