CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Carolina Panthers defensive end Brian Burns wasn’t familiar with the historical significance of what starting 2-0 means in terms of making the playoffs.
He has never needed to check, since his first two seasons began with consecutive losses.
But Burns didn’t need historical significance on Sunday when asked whether the Panthers are a playoff team after their 26-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints gave them a 2-0 record for the first time since 2017.
“Yeah,’’ he deadpanned. “Facts.’’
For the record, from 1990 through 2020, teams that started 2-0 had a 62% chance of making the playoffs.