Week 2 of the NFL season saw a pair of 20+ point comebacks, five teams drop to 0–2 and some monster performances by some of the league’s biggest-name quarterbacks. And since it’s never too early to be thinking about the postseason, here’s a look at how Week 2’s biggest story lines could impact the playoff picture with insights from Sports Illustrated Tickets’ postseason reservations.
Dolphins stock is soaring
The Dolphins’ remarkable comeback against the Ravens on Sunday has Miami fans thinking big. Per SI Tickets, Dolphins Super Bowl reservation prices have increased 76%, by far the largest of the week.
After falling behind 28–7 at halftime and 35–14 after three quarters, the Dolphins roared back in a dynamic fourth quarter that showed off why this team has so much potential. Tyreek Hill had three catches of 20 yards or more in the final quarter, including a pair of long touchdowns that helped get Miami back in the game. And it wasn’t just Hill that Tua Tagovailoa got the ball to: Jaylen Waddle had 11 catches for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns as part of a 469-yard day for Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins’ next challenge is a huge test against a Bills team that has looked dominant through two weeks. Unsurprisingly, Dolphins fans are ready to show out in South Florida, with the average ticket price to head to this game at $467 according to SI Tickets.
Niners not done without Lance
For most teams, losing your starting quarterback for the season would be a fatal blow to any playoff aspirations. But for the 49ers, Trey Lance’s season-ending ankle injury doesn’t shut the door on the postseason this season. In fact, per SI Tickets, the 49ers’ divisional round reservation price actually increased 5% after Jimmy Garoppolo took over for Lance for the remainder of the season.
Garoppolo isn’t your average backup, having taken the Niners to the Super Bowl in 2019 and the NFC championship game in 2021. He didn’t look too rusty after taking over for Lance midway through San Francisco’s Week 2 win over the Seahawks, completing more than 60% of his passes without a turnover in the 27–7 victory. His next test comes in a Sunday Night Football showdown with the Broncos this week in Denver, which at over $700 has the highest average ticket price of Week 3 per SI Tickets.
Trouble in the Mile High City
It’s safe to say that the Broncos’ season hasn’t gone according to plan so far. While Denver did get its first win of the season Sunday against the Texans, more sloppiness and offensive struggles didn’t exactly inspire much confidence. As a result, reservation prices for the Broncos in the Super Bowl dropped 37% in a week, according to SI Tickets.
All hope should not be lost for the Broncos just yet. Nathaniel Hackett has coached just two games in his career, Russell Wilson is adjusting to a new team and system and Denver’s defense has played extremely well so far. But the visions of Wilson exploding thanks to an offense-friendly coach in Hackett and tons of skill position talent like Javonte Williams, Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy have yet to materialize so far.
Are the Giants playoff-bound?
Brian Daboll and the Giants are 2–0 after beating the Panthers 19–16 Sunday, a second straight gutsy win that took until the final minutes to close out. But with the team’s first 2–0 start in six years already in tow and a manageable upcoming schedule ahead, Giants fans can dare to dream about a postseason berth. According to SI Tickets, divisional round reservation prices for the Giants went up 27% and are now the second-highest in the NFC East.
With home games the next two weeks against the Cowboys (and backup QB Cooper Rush) and Bears, the Giants have a very real chance of starting 4–0 and putting themselves in an outstanding playoff position. That would be quite the win for Daboll in his first season taking over for Joe Judge. Tickets for Monday night’s matchup with Dallas are listed on average for $456 per SI Tickets.
The numbers behind the NFL’s seven winless teams
Data is limited on just how unlikely getting to the playoffs is after starting 0–2 in the new playoff format, but so far all 18 0–2 starters since postseason expansion in 2020 have missed the playoffs. Conor Orr believes that will change this year, considering some of the talent (including the defending AFC champs) that are currently without a victory.
Should the 0–2 Bengals be in panic mode? Not yet, says Orr, but losing to Cooper Rush and the Cowboys on Sunday after a turnover-filled first week against the Steelers doesn’t inspire much confidence. Divisional round reservation prices are down more than 20% per SI Tickets in the aftermath of this Week 2 loss. Meanwhile, the Raiders’ 0–2 start comes after blowing a huge lead against the Cardinals over the weekend. While not a devastating blow just yet to their postseason hopes, divisional round reservation prices did drop by 13%.
