Comparing the NFL’s first seven weeks in both 2015 and 2016 shows how much parity exists in the league this year.
As pointed out by Chase Stuart of FiveThirtyEight, the Minnesota Vikings’ loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday robbed the NFL of its last undefeated team. In 2015, five teams made it to Week 8 with unblemished records.
In fact, the NFL had more undefeated teams after seven weeks last season (five) than it has teams with one loss (four) in 2016.
The league was certainly more top heavy in 2015. Five teams finished with 12 or more wins, including the 15-win Carolina Panthers (who are 1-5 to start 2016). On the other end, 11 teams ended the year with at least 10 losses.
The Panthers, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals all started 6-0 in 2015. This year, the only teams with fewer than two losses are the Vikings (5-1), Patriots (5-1), Dallas Cowboys (5-1) and Seattle Seahawks (4-1-1).
Stuart believes the Patriots could have been the league’s lone dominant team with Tom Brady available for the first four games.
“Perhaps if Tom Brady had never been suspended, the 2016 season would be thought of as a year highlighted (again) by a dominant Patriots team,” Chase wrote. “But through seven weeks, there are no longer any undefeated teams, and no teams that looked great on both sides of the ball. Parity may be a selling point for the league, but that doesn’t make it pretty.”
Many have wondered why the NFL has suffered a decline in ratings this season. There are many legitimate reasons, but the lack of dominant teams could be one factor.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
