NFC South "Worst to First" Curse

If the Panthers win this Sunday against the Saints, they will have won the NFC South for just the second time in its 7 seasons as an NFL division. History, however, will be the Panthers main opponent when they take the field. Since its inception into the league, the team that finished last in the NFC South finished first the year following. If this trend continued, this year’s worst to first team would be the Atlanta Falcons. A team defined by controversy in 2007 underwent a face lift in the offseason, and came back in 2008 with a rookie quarterback and a new head coach. The Falcons have looked solid on their way to a 10-5 record. If the Panthers lose to the Saints on Sunday, and the Falcons beat the Rams which is almost a guarantee, the Panthers will take the #5 Wild Card seed in the playoffs. This would give the Falcons the division title, #2 seed, first round bye, and a home playoff game. The Panthers desperately need this home game, as they have struggled on the road this year with a 3-4 record. At home, the Panthers have been a different team cruising to an 8-0 record winning each game by an average of 15 points. This will be a statement game for the Panthers. If they can beat a competitive division opponent on the road, then they show the league that they deserve the #2 seed. If they cannot beat the last place Saints, then they probably don’t deserve the division title. Nothing is ever just handed over in this league. It doesn’t help the Panthers struggling pass defense that Drew Brees is trying to pass Dan Marino in passing yards in a single season this Sunday. We will know Sunday night if the curse was broken, or if one too many Panthers crossed paths with another black cat.