Super Bowl odds: Each NFL team’s chances of winning it all
By Samuel Teets
Atlanta Falcons Super Bowl chances: 1%
Matt Ryan is due for a bounce-back season, but that won’t be enough to save Dan Quinn’s job. The head coach clung to his position last season when Atlanta closed out the season with six wins in the final eight weeks. Since then, the Falcons signed Todd Gurley and Dante Fowler. Both additions should give Atlanta a boost, but the Falcons aren’t a ten-win team.
Carolina Panthers Super Bowl chances: No Chance
The Panthers spent all of their draft picks on defense and gave new Head Coach Matt Rhule a seven-year contract. This team isn’t going to win the NFC South anytime soon. Christian McCaffrey could drag Carolina to four or five wins by himself, but I can’t see the Panthers doing much better, especially in a stacked division.
New Orleans Saints Super Bowl chances: 10%
The Saints have three consecutive NFC South division titles. However, all three of those seasons ended in heartbreaking playoff defeats. Three years ago, it was the Minneapolis Miracle. Then, Nickell Robey-Coleman got away with an obvious pass interference call against the Los Angeles Rams. New Orleans’ playoff run last season ended in an overtime defeat against the Vikings.
Drew Brees and Sean Payton can’t shake their playoff losing streak. However, the Saints should demolish teams during the regular season. New Orleans is arguably the most talented team in the NFC. Their only competitors are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even then, few teams boast as many superstars as New Orleans.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl chances: 9%
People never bet against Tom Brady when he played in New England, but now everyone wants to say he’s washed up and overrated. The Buccaneers are almost on par with the Saints in terms of raw talent, and Tampa Bay could easily win 12 games in 2020. Adding Leonard Fournette only gave Bruce Arians’ offense another weapon to experiment with.
Analysts often overlook Tampa Bay’s dominant defensive front. Tampa Bay made a living out of shutting down running backs like McCaffrey last season. The Buccaneers allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL by far. Between that defensive front and the loaded offense, Tampa Bay is an ideal title contender.