DETROIT — The Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions are desperately hoping to have enough success this season to end long playoff droughts.
Detroit hasn't played beyond the regular season since 2016, while Atlanta's most recent postseason appearance was the year after that, with both dry spells ranking among the NFL's longest active streaks without a playoff berth behind the New York Jets' 12-year run of futility.
Now the Lions (1-1) will host the Falcons (2-0) at Ford Field in a potentially pivotal game Sunday.
While it may seem way too early to peek ahead at the playoff picture two weeks into a 17-game regular season, history suggests how teams fare early can indicate their chances of making it to the NFL's tournament.
Each of the six teams that started 2-0 last season made the playoffs, and 64% have since 1990. Eight of the 14 teams in the playoffs last season lost at least one of their first two games, and 42% of 1-1 teams over the last 23 years have earned a spot in the postseason.
Three-fourths of the teams that start 3-0 have advanced to the playoffs since the field was expanded to 12 teams in 1990, while just 25% of teams that were 1-2 rallied for a spot in the postseason.
"Our team's mindset is that every game is a must-win game, especially after last year when we started so slow," Lions center Frank Ragnow said.
Detroit went 9-8 last season, but it entered November 1-6 before finally putting things together.
Earlier this month, the Lions ratcheted up unusually high expectations with a 21-20 road win against the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions, in the NFL season opener and a national telecast for a Thursday night game. Last Sunday, with Ford Field as loud as it has ever been for a game, the Lions lost 37-31 to the Seattle Seahawks in overtime.
"It definitely humbles you," Detroit offensive tackle Penei Sewell said. "I hope the guys come in with the same mindset of what we were a year ago. It's different now. There's too many people riding the wave. There was too many people talking."
Atlanta started 0-2 the past two seasons. In their third year under head coach Arthur Smith, the Falcons put together back-to-back home wins against the Carolina Panthers, 24-10, and the Green Bay Packers, 25-24. The Falcons outscored Carolina and Green Bay 27-0 in the fourth quarter, holding those opponents to a combined 55 yards while they completed just five of 20 passes.
"It just speaks to the conditioning and the way our guys want to operate," Smith said, "and the way we want to finish games."
The Falcons caught some grief for selecting a running back with the No. 8 choice in April's NFL draft, but those critics have been quieted by Bijan Robinson's start. He has become only the second rookie in franchise history to reach 200 yards from scrimmage in his first two games, joining William Andrews in 1979.
Lining up all over the field, Robinson has averaged 6.2 yards per carry and has 10 receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. The 5-foot-11, 220-pounder also ran for 7 yards on fourth-and-1 late in last Sunday's game against the Packers, picking up the pivotal first down that allowed the Falcons to kick the winning field goal.
"They've done a great job, using him with his skill set," Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs said. "He can do pretty much everything. With his size being 220 and to move like that is special."
The Lions could have drafted Robinson with the No. 6 overall pick, but they traded down six slots and selected Gibbs, who is from Georgia. The former Dalton High School star played two college seasons at Georgia Tech before spending last season at Alabama.
Detroit has eased Gibbs into his first two games, giving him 14 carries for 59 yards, and he also has nine catches for 57 yards. Starting running back David Montgomery has a thigh bruise, though, which means Gibbs (5-9, 200) could have more of a chance to show what he can do this Sunday.
"You're always going to be excited when you get to play some more and touch the ball more," Gibbs said. "I'll be pretty amped up."
The Falcons haven't started 3-0 since 2017, when they capped the opening run with a 30-26 victory at Detroit.
In another connection between the teams, Jeff Okudah may be making his Falcons debut against the franchise that drafted him — and traded him. Okudah didn't play in Atlanta's first two games due to a foot injury, but was a full participant in practice Wednesday and was listed as questionable on the final injury report from the Falcons on Friday.
Detroit drafted him No. 3 overall in 2020, but injuries limited Okudah to a total of 10 games over his first two years in the league and he had one interception in 15 starts last season, leading to the Lions dealing him to Atlanta for a fifth-round pick.
"Jeff's in a good spot," Smith said.
Instead of looking at this as a revenge game, Okudah said his time with the Lions was a valuable learning experience.
"The highs. The lows. Playing through adversity," he said. "Those lessons are invaluable and things I could point to for the rest of my career."