Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers Are Lessons In Hubris

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Sep 8, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) throws a pass under pressure from Denver Broncos linebacker Shaquil Barrett (48) in the second half at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

It seems almost unthinkable now. The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, both 2015 Super Bowl participants, have missed the playoffs.

That marks the first time it has happened since 2003, and this time might be more incredible. Think about where they came from. Denver boasted a defense last year that was #1 across the board. Many were jumping to line it up alongside the 1985 Chicago Bears as it paved a path of destruction led by ring leader Von Miller. The fact they won the championship with one of the worst offensive performances in Super Bowl history says it all.

Carolina though is just as amazing. Here’s a team that had won three-straight NFC South title, the first franchise to accomplish that feat since the division came into being. They boasted the NFL Most Valuable Player in Cam Newton, a suffocating defense and finished 15-1. When this season started it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility that there might be a Super Bowl rematch.

Now here they are, not playing January football for the first time in years.

So what exactly went wrong? Looking things over, it’s clear enough that the two teams suffered from the same problem: overconfidence. From the start of the season each acted like changes to their rosters that seemed significant were just pebbles dropping in the ocean. As it turns out the NFL continues to prove that formula alterations aren’t always a good thing.

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