Fate of 10-0 NFL Teams

The 2015 season started with an unusual amount of teams that took undefeated records deep into November, which made it look as if we were about to witness multiple runs at greatness. However, the Packers stumbled and took a mini-slump, the Broncos lost Peyton Manning and a couple of games, and the Bengals fell victim to their prime-time ghosts to also give back two contests. Even as the ranks of perfection have been greatly thinned, we still have two teams standing with a big zero on the loss column, which is impressive as the calendar is about to turn to December.

The Panthers and Patriots have become only the 16^th and 17^th teams in the Super Bowl era to start a season 10-0, which makes the accomplishment a special one by itself. Even as both squads entered the season as contenders, no one could have really expected such a prodigious run. Both of them share the trait of having a star quarterback that can make a thin roster much better by association, which has turned Tom Brady and Cam Newton into the front-runners for the league MVP. They also benefit from having some of the best coaching staffs in the NFL, which is suddenly making the possibility of a perfect season a plausible one.

Also, this is only the second time in NFL history in which a team from each conference has started 10-0, and that case eventually became a Super Bowl matchup when the Saints and Colts clashed after the 2009 season. Even as it may seem like a long shot for either New England or Carolina to remain undefeated (they both have odds below 10% to go 16-0), history suggests that at least one of them has a very good chance of making a deep playoff run.

Going back to the first cases of a 10-0 start, the end results have been overly positive.

Out of the previous 15, 9 made the Super Bowl (with six winners), but 5 of them managed to lose on their first playoff game. Here is probably the risk of starting 10-0, as some teams may peak too early and fall flat as the playoffs arrive, while others have been able to sustain their dominance all the way to the title game. Going by their point differential through their first 10 games, 8 of the top 10 in the list made the Super Bowl, while all teams in the 16-game era managed to win at least 13 in the regular season.

In terms of point differential, the Panthers and Patriots rank in the bottom half of the teams that started 10-0, as Carolina has only managed a +108 margin, while the Patriots are a bit better at +141. Carolina stands even below than 8-2 Arizona's +120, but at this point it is clear that the Panthers are the class of the NFC, while the same status can be applied to New England. Despite their point differential, Carolina has only won 3 games by 6 points or fewer, while the Patriots have only been part of one such contest.

Both squads are bound to face a number of tough contests in the remaining regular season, not to mention what lies ahead in the postseason. The Patriots are probably slated to be favored in every game until Week 17, though it will be interesting to see if Bill Belichick chooses to rest Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, or any other key member of the roster as soon as the AFC's top seed is secured. With New England already losing several contributors to season-ending injuries, and the top spot ready to be obtained by Week 15, only Belichick's desire to avenge 2007 could be reason enough to go for the perfect year.

On the other hand, the Panthers have a much tougher road in their quest for a perfect season. A Thanksgiving road date in Dallas becomes much more difficult now that Tony Romo is back, and that is just one of the four road games in Carolina's schedule. Realistically, it seems as if the Panthers are due to finish 13-3 or 14-2 as a best-case scenario. However, this may be a blessing in disguise for a franchise that is not experienced in these matters and doesn't need extra pressure once the postseason rolls along.

Regardless of how the rest of the regular season unfolds, what the Panthers and Patriots have been to accomplish already puts them among special company in NFL annals. Based on Vegas odds, New England is the prohibitive favorite to win the Super Bowl, while the Panthers are the third favorite at 7-to-1 odds. History backs up their chances to become a serious threat, and this will become a bigger storyline as long as they remain undefeated. The season can go in many different directions, but it is always fun to root for history.