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Factoid

Carolina Panthers

Panthers enter postseason as rare 15-1 team

The Carolina Panthers have entered rarified air. They’re 15-1. In NFL history, there have been only seven other 15-1 teams. Slightly fewer than half of those teams went on to win Super Bowls.

This includes two teams prior to the 16-game schedule. The 13-1 Baltimore Colts ran their record to 15-1 before becoming the first NFL team to lose in a Super Bowl, against the upstart Jets. And it includes the 13-1 Oakland Raiders of 1976, who beat the Patriots and Steelers before claiming their first Super Bowl in Pasadena, against Minnesota.

Since the shift to the 16-game schedule, the 49ers and Bears in the mid-‘80s both went 15-1. They both went on to comfortable wins in the Super Bowl.

The three 15-1 teams in the last 20 years have all stumbled at the conference championship level. The 1998 Vikings let Atlanta come back and win after Gary Anderson missed a field goal that was far more painful than Blair Walsh’s on Sunday (Anderson was perfect in the regular season, and he was kicking indoors). The 2004 Steelers lost at Heinz Field against the Patriots, and the 2011 Packers went flat in a division round loss against the Giants.

15-1 TEAMS
YearTeamResult
1968Coltslost in Super Bowl
1976Raiderswon Super Bowl
198449erswon Super Bowl
1985Bearswon Super Bowl
1998Vikingslost in NFC Championship
2004Steelerslost in AFC Championship
2011Packerslost in divisional round

—Ian Allan

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