Assessing which 2-0 NFC teams can remain relevant into January

Just as everyone predicted, the NFC's heavyweights - Dallas, Detroit, Green Bay, Philadelphia, and San Francisco - have all suffered early defeats through the first two weeks of the regular season.

Four of the NFL's nine remaining unbeaten teams hail from the NFC: Minnesota, New Orleans, Seattle, and Tampa Bay. Of those four, only the Buccaneers made the playoffs in 2023.

Since the NFL merger in 1970, 63.7% (262 of 411) of teams that started the season 2-0 went on to reach the playoffs. Will history side with the remaining NFC unbeatens?

Let's try to decipher which of the four NFC teams has what it takes to remain relevant into January.

Pretenders

Minnesota Vikings

Quarterback Sam Darnold and defensive coordinator Brian Flores are shining now, but how long will it be until those lights dim?

One AFC assistant suggested to theScore that Flores' early success will eventually simmer and fade as the season progresses, saying that offenses will figure out how to solve Flores' coverages and disguises as more tape becomes available.

In Minnesota's two wins, Flores' exotic scheme has thrown the Giants' Daniel Jones and the 49ers' Brock Purdy into a blender. Flores loves to disguise his schemes by stacking defenders near the line of scrimmage regardless of the play concept. He has the Vikings at the highest blitz rate in the NFL over the last two seasons at 48%, according to Next Gen Stats. Purdy called Flores' defensive scheme "crazy" on Sunday.

A true test awaits Minnesota this weekend when Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud visits U.S. Bank Stadium. Stroud has been extremely productive against the blitz in his young career. He owns the fourth-highest yards per attempt (8.4) and ninth-highest success rate (48.5%) when opposing defenses send five or more pass-rushers, per Next Gen Stats.

Stroud's tight-window throw percentage (11.5%, fifth-lowest in the NFL) suggests the 22-year-old regularly makes high-IQ decisions when under pressure.

If the Vikings escape Week 3 with their perfect record intact, they could make the jump to the true contender tier.

Seattle Seahawks

At first glance, there's a lot to enjoy about Seattle's hot start.

Rookie coach Mike Macdonald has squeezed out two victories by a combined nine points, albeit against inferior opponents in the Broncos and Patriots. Seattle will now host a Dolphins team that recently placed franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve because of his most recent concussion. The Seahawks sit alone atop the NFC West, as the 49ers and Rams deal with multiple injuries to key playmakers.

Could all these factors lead to the Seahawks stealing the division?

It's difficult to trust the Seahawks considering their suspicious offensive line. Seattle is graded as the second-worst pass-blocking unit in the NFL, per PFF. Quarterback Geno Smith's awareness and ability to escape collapsed pockets have allowed him to avoid all but four sacks. Smith also ranks 11th in pressure-to-sack rate (18.5%), according to TruMedia; the league average is 21.3%.

That sack figure is likely to balloon against superior pass-rush units. Aside from third-year left tackle Charles Cross, the entire offensive line has allowed multiple pressures in both games. Seattle's unit has struggled in single matchups and failed to communicate well across the line when defenders deploy stunts and twists.

And while the passing game hummed in Week 2, receivers DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba and tight end Noah Fant have already registered a combined five drops, second-most in the conference behind the Giants' six. The rest of the NFC West only has seven drops combined.

The early butterfingers and sub-par OL performance spell danger for Seattle. The upcoming schedule isn't friendly, either. From Weeks 4-8, the Seahawks will face arguably their toughest stretch of the season with matchups against the Lions, 49ers, Falcons, and Bills.

Contenders

New Orleans Saints

Could Super Bowl LIX feature the home team?

The Saints are marching confidently thanks to their blistering offense, directed by first-year coordinator Klint Kubiak. After beating up on the Panthers and Cowboys in consecutive weeks, New Orleans became just the third team since the merger to score 90 or more points through the first two games, joining the 1971 Cowboys and 2009 Saints. Both of those teams went on to win the Super Bowl.

New Orleans began the year with concerns hovering over the offensive line. But the Saints are currently graded as the fourth-best pass-blocking unit, according to PFF, trailing only the Colts, Eagles, and Packers. The Saints also rank second behind Indianapolis in run blocking, per PFF.

Kubiak's increased implementation of play-action is perhaps the most telling sign about the offense's framework, which has led to an impressive No. 2 ranking in success rate. The Saints' play-action usage sits at a league-high 53.5%, according to TruMedia, up from just 14% in 2023. The Steelers rank second in play-action usage at 39.3%, while the league average is 22.2%.

Kubiak's confidence to dial up play-action has been supported by the revitalization of running back Alvin Kamara, who already has totaled five touchdowns, one fewer than he had in all of 2023. The five-time Pro Bowler is averaging 5.7 yards per attempt, which ranks third in the NFL.

The Saints have collectively recorded the most rushing touchdowns (six) and the third-most rushing yards (370) behind rookie left tackle Taliese Fuaga, left guard Lucas Patrick, center Erik McCoy, right guard Cesar Ruiz, and right tackle Trevor Penning. Through two games, Penning, who recently switched positions from left to right tackle, has allowed just two pressures with zero sacks. That's commendable considering Penning allowed 10 pressures and two sacks over the same span last season.

Meanwhile, Derek Carr boasts an NFL-best quarterback rating (142.4), and his completion percentage (73.9%) is second behind Gardner Minshew III.

There's plenty to like about the remaining schedule. Yes, they'll face the Eagles, Falcons, Chiefs, and Buccaneers over the next four weeks, but following that stretch, the Saints won't see another 2023 playoff team until Week 11 when they host the Browns.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Some might have written the Bucs off after they lost multiple starters, including linebackers Devin White and Shaquil Barrett, top cornerback Carlton Davis, longtime center Ryan Jensen, and guard Aaron Stinnie in the offseason. Yet, Tampa keeps chugging along.

The pirate flag is flying high after the Bucs stormed into Detroit last week and left with a 20-16 victory over the same Lions team that bounced them from the divisional round in late January.

After topping 4,000 passing yards for the first time in his career, quarterback Baker Mayfield (73.5% completion rate, 474 passing yards, 9.7 yards per attempt, five touchdowns, one interception) is off to another hot start. Top veteran receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans have provided him with a reliable safety net downfield.

Mayfield's early connection with Godwin stands out. Mayfield leads the league in passing yards (265) and touchdowns (four) when targeting slot receivers, while Godwin leads the NFL in slot receptions (11), per Next Gen Stats. Godwin has built his reputation as a consistent producer thanks to his great body control, ability to leverage space, and run-after-catch prowess. But his uptick in snaps from the slot has transformed him into an even more dangerous weapon under first-year coordinator Liam Coen; Godwin's slot usage is up nearly 20% from last season, and he's thriving under this new usage.

We'll find out who the true kings of the NFC South are in Week 6 when the Bucs visit the Saints for the first of their two meetings. The second meeting could hold even more significance as it's the regular-season finale on Jan. 5.

Josh Tolentino is theScore's lead NFL writer