The Reason Why Your Squad Will Not Win the Super Bowl

View of the the Lombardi Trophy as New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) holds it up after defeating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium.

This might be more of a "correlation not equating to causation" thing, but just one team has won the Super Bowl after losing it the following year: the 1972 Dolphins. In fact, most teams that lose the Super Bowl end up not even making the playoffs the following year. Of the last 17 Super Bowl losers, eight missed the playoffs the following season. Although that might not be the root cause of these team's struggles, it's certainly not an encouraging precedent for the Falcons.

It might not be as famous as the Curse of the Billygoat or the Babe Ruth Curse, but the Pottsville Curse has been plaguing the Cardinals for nearly a century.

The city of Pottsville put a hex on the team after the NFL ended up crowning the then Chicago Cardinals champions of the 1925 season. The team seems to still be cursed, even in Arizona, since the Cards were one of the heavy favorites in 2016, but limped to the finish line. Unless the NFL returns the 1925 championship to the Pottsville Maroons, the Cardinals will not win the Super Bowl.

Anyways, since the Cardinals have made the playoffs just 10 times since that season (and just six times from 1925-2007), some people attribute this controversy to that season. And in case you’re wondering, the Pottsville Maroons disbanded in 1929.

Since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, Joe Flacco has been only an average quarterback, going 29-29 over the last four seasons, and made the playoffs just once. That's just about the definition of average. Flacco has yet to prove he can play like he did during the 2012 playoffs over an entire season—but that hasn't stopped Flacco from earning like a Super Bowl champion.

Flacco signed a six-year, $120 million deal after the Super Bowl in 2013. This year, he signed a three-year, $66 million deal, giving Flacco a whopping $24.5 million 2017 cap hit. That hit accounts for 16 percent of the Ravens' entire payroll. This might be acceptable for Tom Brady or Cam Newton, but not for a .500 quarterback like Joe Flacco. And having this kind of a financial burden can keep a team from signing better players in the offseason.

If you were born on January 8, 2000—the date of the Bills' last playoff game—you're now heading into your senior year of high school.

There is a whole generation of Bills fans who has never even seen their team make a postseason, let alone win a playoff game. Buffalo's roster still features a pretty solid defense that was fourth-best in the league last year. And although they lost Stephon Gilmore, Ronald Darby, and Sammy Watkins, they did add Micah Hyde, E.J. Gaines, and Jordan Matthews. They also have an offense centered around LeSean McCoy, an elite running back. And in perhaps their best move of the offseason, Rex Ryan isn't their coach anymore.

I know Josh Norman left the team two years ago, but his presence is still going to be deeply missed on the Panthers team. In just one season, Carolina went from allowing the 11th-fewest passing yards per game to fourth-most. They almost won the Super Bowl two years ago with Norman, yet won just six games last season without him. They’re going to miss him for a long time.

The Browns definitely improved their team this offseason, adding three first-round picks in Myles Garrett, Jabrill Peppers, and David Njoku into the mix. But this is still a young team that's at least another year away from contending for a Wild Card spot—never mind a Super Bowl.

But they could easily triple their win total from last year. Maybe even quadruple.

The only coach who has been with one team longer than Marvin Lewis is Bill Belichick. And to be fair, Lewis has taken the Bengals to the playoffs seven times since taking over as coach back in 2003. The only problem is that Cincy has not won a playoff game since Lewis has been there—or since 1990, for that matter.

There are so many reasons the Bears won't win the Super Bowl, but here's one that doesn't immediately come to mind: The defense's lack of takeaways. Chicago had just 11 takeaways last season, the fewest in the NFL.

This a very un-Bears like stat, for anyone who grew up in the 80's with Mike Singletary and Dave Duerson, or even the 00's with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Given that Chicago is probably not going to have that great of an offense, they're going to need a lot of turnovers on defense to make up for that production.

A decade ago, the Cowboys went 13-3 with second-year starting quarterback Tony Romo. They also had an elite, but troubled, receiver in Terrell Owens. And their defense wasn't elite, but it didn't keep "'Dem Boys" from being the best team in the NFC.

If you substitute Tony Romo with Dak Prescott and Terrell Owens with Dez Bryant, this scenario looks eerily similar to the 2017 team. Now wait for the next part: the drama. And boy, is there a lot of it.

Romo was widely criticized ahead of Dallas' playoff matchup against the Giants for taking a vacation with Jason Witten and then-girlfriend Jessica Simpson the week before the Cowboys' lifeless playoff loss to Big Blue. This may not have been the reason the Cowboys lost, but it was definitely an unnecessary story line that surrounded the team that week.

This year, the Cowboys have drama of a different kind in the Ezekiel Elliott situation. Dallas also has several other "character issue" guys, any one of whom could create a distraction at any time. The only thing in the way of the Cowboys and contention this season will be the Cowboys.

The Lions are good. They have a top-tier quarterback in Matt Stafford, a major breakout star candidate in Ameer Abdullah (might want to jot that one down, fantasy players) and two solid receivers in Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.

But they're still the Lions.

Detroit has won one playoff game since 1958, and none since 1992. This is the only team in NFL history to go 0-16. They had their two greatest players (Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson) retire in the prime of their respective careers because they were so sick of the Lions.

You can take the Lions out of last place, but you can't take the last place out of the Lions. Stafford, by the way, still has fewer playoff wins than Tim Tebow.

The Broncos have the league's toughest schedule in the league's toughest division. In addition to playing the Raiders, Chiefs, and Chargers twice, they'll also have games against the Giants, Cowboys, Patriots, and Dolphins.

They’ll contend, with the NFL’s best defense and a solid receiving corp, but it won’t be easy for the 2015 Super Bowl champions.

I don't care that Ty Montgomery averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season, or that he's the Packers' starter this year. He wears No. 88, and that just doesn't look right for a running back. He could wear No. 21, 32, or 34 like a normal back. This 88 crap has got to stop. You're not a receiver anymore, man.

(Come on, what else did you want me to say for the Packers?)

The Texans made a fantastic move in drafting Deshaun Watson, who will now be the team's quarterback of the future. Watson may get Houston to the Promised Land in a few years, but 2017 is going to be more of a learning experience for the Clemson alum. No rookie quarterback has ever won the Super Bowl. And if Tom Savage is the starter, forget it. The Texans have a good enough defense to win them the AFC South, but they're going to need help at quarterback if they're planning on rivaling the Patriots this season.

Luck has been in limbo all preseason with a shoulder injury, meaning the Colts' QB could realistically miss time this season. If he's forced to miss games, the Colts can kiss their playoff chances goodbye. Indy's supporting cast—it's' weak O-line, aging run game, and subpar defense—will have a tough enough time making the playoffs with Andrew Luck. Without him? Zero shot.

Chiefs receivers completed the entire 2014 season without scoring a touchdown. This season isn't quite as dire for K.C. receivers, but they definitely don't have an elite unit. No Chiefs receiver had more than 593 yards receiving last season, and the team will be without Jeremy Maclin, who was cut in the offseason.

There seems to be a lot of optimism around the dynamic Tyreek Hill in training camp. This for good reason, since Hill is easily one of the most exhilarating players in the league to watch and has game-breaking speed. But if he becomes more of a Devin Hester-type player who doesn't materialize at a skill position, the Chiefs don't have many other options at wideout.

They do, however, have Pro-Bowl tight end Travis Kelce, who will remain their No. 1 target.

In 2014, the Jaguars drafted Blake Bortles third overall. In 2015, it looked like the Jaguars would be vindicated for doing so, since Bortles threw for 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns. In 2016, he regressed. In 2017, his starting (and potentially his roster) spots are reportedly in danger, making way for Chad Henne becoming the starter.

Neither of these options are particularly ideal for Jacksonville, and this could hinder an otherwise very talented roster.

If at first you don't succeed, then you might never get to play in a Super Bowl.

Rivers is 35 now, and has never played on a Super Sunday despite being one of the best quarterbacks of the last decade. And it might be too late for Rivers now; of all of the quarterbacks who started the Super Bowl at age 35 or older, just two were was first-time starters: Johnny Unitas for the Colts in 1970 (Unitas played most of his career in the pre-Super Bowl era) and Rich Gannon for the Raiders back in 2002.

The Rams actually do have potential to be a good team this year. If Jared Goff plays like a No. 1 overall pick, Todd Gurley plays like he did two years ago, and Sammy Watkins stays healthy, this is a team that could definitely contend for the postseason. They also have a defense headlined by Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn, which doesn't hurt.

The odds of all these things happening in unison, however, are not particularly great. Goff was downright awful last season, throwing for 1,089 yards in seven games, with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. He might improve this year, but it's hard to imagine that happening to an extent that the Rams would become Super Bowl contenders. Gurley bouncing back and Watkins staying healthy are also precarious propositions as well.

At least L.A. has the Dodgers.

Through Week 5 last season, it looked like the Vikings' defense could carry the team to the Super Bowl. The team was 5-0, shutting down opponents, and the offense was just good enough to keep them in big games.

Then came the rest of the season.

The Vikings went 2-9 over their last 11 games, thanks in large part to their inept offense. They've addressed this in part by adding Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray to a run offense that was worst in the league last year, but they still have yet to address another key area: downfield passing.

Sam Bradford averaged just 6.76 yards per attempt after Week 6, which would have given him the 23rd-best season number in the league last year. Bradford is simply not a guy with a penchant for throwing downfield, so the Vikings are going to need to rely heavily on an improved run game in the hopes that it will improve their offense.

I could have just said Jay Cutler but that would have been too obvious.

The Dolphins' run defense was the third-worst in the league last season, allowing 2,247 yards. They've got a solid team overall—arguably the best team they've had since Dan Marino retired—but that run defense is going to be a problem. They've bought in Lawrence Timmons and William Hayes, so they might be better, but there is still work to be done.

I'm aware that this is a terrible argument. But hey, I've got to make a case against all 32 teams.

Brady will be 40 this season, and no quarterback over the age of 39 has ever won a Super Bowl. Then again, one of those 39 year olds to win was...Tom Brady last year.

It's not gonna be a good year for Pats haters.

The Giants had the fourth-worst rushing offense last season. This season, second-year running back Paul Perkins will be tasked with being the team's feature back. He played so-so last season, averaging 4.1 yards per carry on 112 attempts. It remains to be seen if Perkins can supplement Eli Manning, his stellar receiving corps and the Giants' now-dominant defense.

Not even going to waste my time on this one. If you think the Jets can win the Super Bowl this season please get help.

The Saints allowed 4,380 passing yards last season, putting them dead last in the league. New Orleans did not address this need in free agency, although they made a fantastic long-term move in drafting Ohio State corner Marshon Lattimore 11th overall.

But improving a league-worst secondary is going to take a lot more than one rookie.

The only thing more certain in life than death and taxes is the Raiders committing a boatload of penalties.

No matter what the era or the state of the team, the Raiders always seem to be at or near the top of the penalty leaderboard. Even though they won 12 games in 2016, last year was no exception: Oakland averaged 9.1 penalties per game, the most in the NFL. No team even had more than 8.1.

The Eagles were 6-2 at Lincoln Financial Field last season. That’s the same home record that the Super-Bowl champion Patriots had at Gillete Stadium. With a .500 road record, Philly would have made the playoffs.

The only problem was that they went 1-7 on the road. Carson Wentz should get better here in his second year of play, but he’s clearly not the same quarterback as he is at home (though few players are). Since the Giants and Cowboys are probably going to dominate the top of their division, the Eagles would probably be playing any home playoff game on the road.

And that’s not good for Philly.

Bell is the best running back in the NFL. No question about it anymore. This offseason though, he's been holding out for a new contract, and has been away from the team.

While this might ultimately prove to be a good move for Bell over the long run, it might not serve him or the Steelers well this year. Since he's been out of training camp and the preseason, he might not be in the best of shape if or when he does come back this season. This sometimes happens to long-term holdouts: Back in 2010, after sitting out the entire preseason, Darrelle Revis had hamstring issues force him out of three games, and he was not nearly as productive as he was in 2009.

The 49ers had the worst defense and second-worst offense last season in terms of yardage. They've improved marginally this year, adding Pierre Garçon, Brian Hoyer, and Kyle Juszczyk into the mix. But it goes without saying that this team is still rebuilding, and is going to need considerably more time before the Niners get their sixth ring.

Seattle might have an elite quarterback and defense, but their offensive line is definitely suspect. Pro Football Focus ranks it as the worst in the NFL, and that could spell problems for Russell Wilson under center—and for a run game that features Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls.

The Bucs will have as good a chance as any to make their first playoff appearance in a decade this season, thanks to a team that includes the blossoming Jameis Winston and a superstar in Mike Evans.

Unfortunately for Tampa, winning their division will be tough. In the NFC South, they've got to face the last two NFC champions in the Falcons and Panthers, and a team with a Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees’ Saints. It's a shame they don't have a Browns/Jets-type punching bag this year, although this division shouldn't keep them from contending.

The Titans nearly made the playoffs last season, and they look like they’ll be even better this year. They shored up an AFC-worst secondary by signing former Pats corner Logan Ryan and by drafting USC’s Adoree’ Jackson. They also signed Eric Decker and drafted receiver Corey Davis fifth overall. They’re stacked.

One thing that will probably keep them from the Super Bowl, however, is that it goes through New England. The Titans have a star-studded roster, but it usually takes someone with playoff experience to win a ring, and Marcus Mariota hasn't been to the postseason yet. In fact, just three quarterbacks won the Super Bowl in their first postseason: Joe Namath, Joe Montana, and Tom Brady.

The Redskins snatched defeat from the jaws of victory last season when they looked lifeless in a Week 17 home loss against the Giants. They would have made the playoffs if they won that game, and Kirk Cousins could have proved himself to be a franchise quarterback.

He didn't. And this year, the Redskins might not get to Week 17 like they did last year. Hey have the toughest schedule in the NFC, and the seventh-toughest schedule overall. This will include games against the Vikings, Saints, Cardinals, Seahawks, and the entire AFC West, in addition to two games against both the Cowboys and Giants.

If Cousins ever does want a long-term deal, he can prove he's worthy of one with a big 2017.