08-25-2016, 09:54 PM
(08-25-2016, 09:34 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: 4-6 teams who made the playoffs last year will miss it this year. Last offseason I am sure it was equally unthinkable the Colts would miss the postseason and the Ravens would be 5-11. It happens. Heck, before their QBs got hurt, they were still tanking hard. It happens to teams.
Not to mention all teams will regress from 15-1. Heck, the year after the Patriots went 16-0, they went 11-5. Just not really plausible to repeat 15-16 win seasons.
Even if we somehow ignore the Bucs x2, 49ers, Rams, and Chargers and call those all wins (5-0) and say they split with better Saints and Falcons teams (7-2)...
They also play the @Broncos, Vikings, Cardinals, Chiefs, @Raiders, @Seahawks, @Redskins. Not terribly hard to imagine them losing against 4 of those teams. That would put them at 10-6.
Not many of those teams are as stacked as Carolina though.
Usually teams that regress that hard lose a lot to FA or are devastated as injuries like you said.
And if any team has a legit shot at usurping the Panthers, it's Atlanta, no New Orleanes.