National Football League

Pressure mounting on Matt Nagy amid Andy Dalton vs. Justin Fields decision

Updated Sep. 16, 2021 5:30 p.m. ET

Starting a season 0-2 is a bad omen in the NFL.

As Chris Broussard detailed on "First Things First," making the postseason becomes an extremely daunting task for teams that go winless after two weeks.

"When you start the NFL season 0-2, your chances of making the playoffs are slim," he said. "Since 1990, when they went to the 12-team playoff, less than 12% of the teams that started 0-2 made the postseason."

For the 16 teams that lost in Week 1, getting in the win column in Week 2 represents getting back to neutral ground.

A loss, however, digs the hole much, much, deeper. With that in mind, Broussard surveyed the 0-1 teams around the NFL and came up with four quarterbacks and one coach who are facing the most pressure to avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.

5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

The outlook: The Cowboys lost a 31-29 nail-biter to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to kick off the season on Sept. 9. Prescott performed well, completing 72.4% of his passes for 403 yards, three touchdowns and an interception but couldn't get the best of Tom Brady. It wasn't for lack of trying, though. Prescott threw the ball a whopping 58 times, which led the league. On the flip side, the Cowboys had just 14 combined rushing attempts from their running backs, Ezekiel Elliott (11 attempts) and Tony Pollard (three attempts), for 47 yards.

Broussard's thoughts: "I love Dak, but he's gotta prove that he can beat some winning teams. ... Dak, for his career, [is] 13-20 against teams with winning records. Last 23 games, he's only won six of them against teams with winning records. And he's 2-10 in his last dozen contests against teams over .500. So go out there and prove that you can beat a good team."

4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

The outlook: Allen's Bills got smacked in the mouth by a lively Pittsburgh Steelers defense in a 23-16 loss. His 5.3 yards per attempt were the fewest he's had since a 26-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 6 of last year (4.5 yards per attempt). After a breakout 2020 season in which he posted a passer rating of 107.2, his 79.7 rating against the Steelers and 58.8% completion percentage left quite a bit to be desired from the 25-year-old budding superstar.

Broussard's thoughts: "First of all, you've gotta prove, Josh, that last year was no fluke. He was terrific. He finished second in the MVP vote. But in Game 1, in the loss to Pittsburgh ... he looked more like the quarterback of his first two years than he did in the third year that made him a superstar. ... Josh Allen's gotta deliver it this week."

3. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

The outlook: Rodgers suffered the worst defeat of his career, deficit-wise⁠, in a 38-3 trouncing at the hands of the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. The reigning league MVP completed 53.7% for 133 yards, two picks and a 36.8 passer rating. That outcome — and his reaction — were the source of plenty of early-week fodder for pundits. Said the 37-year-old QB: "This is hopefully an outlier moving forward. We'll find out next week." Indeed, we will.

Broussard's thoughts: "Here's what we want to know: Aaron, are you all-in? Are you all-in? A lot of people are blaming that horrible performance in Week 1 on, 'Is Aaron really with us? ... Is he really here?' You've gotta go prove it, Aaron, that you are all-in. Not only to us watching but I think even to some people in that locker room."

2. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

The outlook: The Giants took a 27-13 loss at home against the Denver Broncos to start Week 1, giving them the ignominious distinction of failing to produce a winning record at any point of the season since 2016, per NFL on CBS. Jones threw for one first-half touchdown but was shut out in the second half, save for a 4-yard rushing TD at the end of the game.

Broussard's thoughts: "Is he Danny Dimes, or is he Danny Drops? The pressure is on. New York is watching him. Is this kid a winner? Can this kid hold on to the football? We gave him weapons. ... Daniel Jones has got to win. ... The pressure is on, or they're going to start looking at Spencer Rattler and other collegiate QBs."

1. Matt Nagy, Chicago Bears

The outlook: The only coach on Broussard's list, Nagy is overseeing one of the most contentious quarterback situations in the NFL presently. Veteran Andy Dalton started in Chicago's 34-14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, going 27-for-38 for 206 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception and one fumble. Rookie QB Justin Fields, meanwhile, played sparingly (five offensive snaps) but completed both of his pass attempts for 10 yards and had a 3-yard rushing touchdown. After an 8-8 finish and a loss in the wild-card round a season ago, expectations for Nagy ⁠— and the temperature of his seat ⁠— are growing in the Windy City.

Broussard's thoughts: "The most pressure is on Matt Nagy. Not a quarterback, although it's related to quarterbacks. You might want to throw Andy Dalton in there as a 1A. But Matt Nagy entered the season as the coach on the hottest seat, and now his refusal to start Justin Fields over pedestrian Andy Dalton is upsetting the fan base and befuddling not only onlookers like us but even maybe players in his locker room."

For Broussard's full take, check out the video below: