In 2013, the Seattle Seahawks became the 19th member of the Super Bowl club, a fraternity that this century has also added the Ravens, Rams, Buccaneers and Saints. And there’s a decent chance that in 2015, the membership could expand to 20.
That’s because with six weeks remaining in the regular season, four of the top seven teams in the NFL standings have never won a Super Bowl.
Amazingly, the 10-0 Carolina Panthers, 8-2 Arizona Cardinals, 8-2 Cincinnati Bengals and 7-3 Minnesota Vikings have been to a combined eight Super Bowls. But they’re 0-8 in those games. The four franchises have been in existence for a combined 165 years during the Super Bowl era and have fallen short on all 165 occasions.
But that could change this year. He’s how we rank them in terms of their chances:
1. Cardinals: They have the best quarterback among the four, which in 2015 is extremely important. Arizona has a nice mix of youth and experience and doesn’t appear to have a weak spot. If Carson Palmer and Co. can stay healthy, they could easily wind up in the Super Bowl.
2. Panthers: In fact, Arizona and Carolina could very well meet in the NFC championship game, especially if the Packers and Vikings continue to beat each other up. Cam Newton is a special player and it’s also hard to find weak spots on either side of the ball for the Panthers. Plus, they’ve won 14 straight. It’s close to being a toss-up between them and Arizona.
3. Bengals: I worry about Andy Dalton in big games, especially after the Bengals dropped two prime-time matchups in a row following an 8-0 start. And with New England, Denver and Pittsburgh to contend with, they might also have a tougher path.
4. Vikings: I know Adrian Peterson is a legend, but I can’t see Teddy Bridgewater leading a team to a Super Bowl just yet. Throw in that Minnesota isn’t even leading its division and will have to climb Mt. Packer and it’s safe to view the Vikes as a long shot right now.
