6. Carolina Panthers (2)
It’s not easy to knock off the champs. The Panthers did their best, and it was certainly a better outing than Super Bowl 50. However, they couldn’t hold on to a 10-point fourth quarter lead against a 7th round pick, making his first career start at quarterback. Cam Newton was abused in the second half of this game after having his way in the first half. The Panthers should be fine in the long run—especially given the way that Kelvin Benjamin played in his return from an ACL injury. The Panthers need to look ahead and cannot let the back to back losses to the Broncos cloud their minds if they want another chance to win a Super Bowl.
Next: Number 7