The NFL season has offered a number of surprises. None has been bigger than the Carolina Panthers stumbling to a 1-5 start. They were expected to make another deep playoff run. However, they’re not alone in terms of disappointing their fans out of the gate. What other teams, coming from different circumstances, have also dug themselves a big hole and are struggling to make the playoffs? What are the odds of each team getting in?
Carolina Panthers
The grim reality for the Panthers is that of the four teams listed here, they have the worst record at 1-5. It is true that the Kansas City Chiefs were poor in September and October, but then went on a large winning streak – 10 games – to finish 11-5 and make the playoffs. This is what the Panthers are hoping for, but obviously, 10-game winning streaks don’t happen every day. Even an 8-2 finish, which would put the Panthers at 9-7 and give them a real shot at the playoffs – is unlikely. The Panthers have to go to Seattle to play the Seahawks later on. This Sunday, they face the Arizona Cardinals, who are now playing their best football of the season. The Panthers will have to play other teams with winning records before their season is over, so it looks like it’s going to be an uphill battle.
The other consequence of being 1-5 is that the Panthers must climb over a larger number of teams to get into playoff position. With Detroit being 4-3 and the whole NFC East over .500, the window for the Panthers is extremely small. It’s hard to say yes to the idea that they’ll make the playoffs.
Prediction: No
Baltimore Ravens
This is the team with the best odds of making the playoffs among the four listed. The Ravens have a veteran quarterback in Joe Flacco who has been there and done that. If the Ravens are down four points with 1:30 left and the ball, Flacco can lead them down the field. This is one reason to be optimistic.
What also benefits the Ravens is that they play the lowly Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns over the remainder of the season. Those games should be wins and enable the Ravens to catch their breath a little bit. They’ve been working very hard, and can use any blowout game in which they can pull their starters early and manage their resources for the longer fight.
The other thing working in Baltimore’s favor: The AFC South is horrible. There’s Cleveland…the Steelers are without Ben Roethlisberger…and the Bengals have been struggling this season.
The big problem for the Ravens, though: They lost at home to Oakland and would lose a tiebreaker to the Raiders.
Prediction: No
New York Jets
The Jets just lost Geno Smith with an injury, meaning that Ryan Fitzpatrick is back in at quarterback. Fitzpatrick beat the Ravens, but can he beat Buffalo or New England or any relatively decent team, any team with a winning record? We’ve already seen that Fitzpatrick will fight an uphill battle in this regard. An occasional win here and there is one thing; a steady climb in the standings to a 9-7 record would require the Jets and Fitzpatrick to go 7-2 over their remaining nine games. That’s simply not going to happen. Period.
Prediction: No
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams started 3-1, but everything which is limited about this team has shown up over the past three weeks. The defense is inconsistent, and yet it’s the better unit on the team because Case Keenum is simply not a high-level NFL quarterback. He threw four interceptions this past Sunday against the New York Giants. Much like Carolina, the Rams have to climb past multiple NFC teams to have a realistic shot at the playoffs. A lot of things have to go right for them, and they still have to play Seattle and Atlanta, among other teams. The Rams definitely won’t win their division. To get a wild card, they have to beat out the Packers and the three NFC East teams which do not win that division. Nope.
Prediction: No
