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I got a chuckle out of the article below, but I can't help but wonder - exactly how good is Carolina?
They're undefeated. That's not easy to do in today's NFL. They're 17th in total offense. 2nd in total defense.
They've beaten the Seahawks and Packers, but they've not exactly had the toughest schedule.
I don't know... If my team was in the playoffs, I can think of a few other teams I'd rather not play.
What do you think? Is this team for real?
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...us-worst-11-0-team-ever-label?ftag=YHR6f8d662
It was only a matter of time until someone decided the Panthers, the last remaining undefeated team in the league, were doing something wrong.
That someone was ESPN's statistical-based site FiveThirtyEight.com, which managed to deliver an impressively clickbaity "The Panthers Are the Worst Team to Ever Start 11-0."
There are a couple ridiculous things about this article.
First, there are just 12 teams ever to start 11-0. Naming someone the "worst 11-0 team ever" is like calling Tim Brown the worst Hall of Fame wide receiver.
Second, 538 acknowledges an inherent built-in preseason bias to its projection system:
Add in the fact that Carolina wasn't expected to be anything special before the season began, and it isn't hard to see why our Elo ratings2 still doubt that the Panthers are even the NFL's best team this season.
The preseason rankings definitely got everything right, what with the Cowboys at No. 6, Eagles at No. 7, Ravens at No. 8 and Saints at No. 10. You should absolutely keep considering your preseason opionions as something relevant, computer.
Third, the 10th-best team on this list (2009 Saints) actually beat the 7th-best team on this list (2009 Colts).
Fourth, the previous "worst 11-0 team" before the Panthers came along? The 1972 Miami Dolphins. Seems logical.
Look, the endeavor to figure out where the Panthers rank among all the other 11-0 teams is worthwhile . There aren't many. And you can argue they really are the least-good team on the list, although every single one of those teams, with the exception of the '72 Dolphins, ultimately ended up losing at some point.
The issue is the entire way it's framed is basically a slap in the face to the best team in the NFL. Which seems silly a week after giving them free ammunition against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, when they were underdogs against a three-win team.
They're undefeated. That's not easy to do in today's NFL. They're 17th in total offense. 2nd in total defense.
They've beaten the Seahawks and Packers, but they've not exactly had the toughest schedule.
I don't know... If my team was in the playoffs, I can think of a few other teams I'd rather not play.
What do you think? Is this team for real?
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on...us-worst-11-0-team-ever-label?ftag=YHR6f8d662
It was only a matter of time until someone decided the Panthers, the last remaining undefeated team in the league, were doing something wrong.
That someone was ESPN's statistical-based site FiveThirtyEight.com, which managed to deliver an impressively clickbaity "The Panthers Are the Worst Team to Ever Start 11-0."
There are a couple ridiculous things about this article.
First, there are just 12 teams ever to start 11-0. Naming someone the "worst 11-0 team ever" is like calling Tim Brown the worst Hall of Fame wide receiver.
Second, 538 acknowledges an inherent built-in preseason bias to its projection system:
Add in the fact that Carolina wasn't expected to be anything special before the season began, and it isn't hard to see why our Elo ratings2 still doubt that the Panthers are even the NFL's best team this season.
The preseason rankings definitely got everything right, what with the Cowboys at No. 6, Eagles at No. 7, Ravens at No. 8 and Saints at No. 10. You should absolutely keep considering your preseason opionions as something relevant, computer.
Third, the 10th-best team on this list (2009 Saints) actually beat the 7th-best team on this list (2009 Colts).
Fourth, the previous "worst 11-0 team" before the Panthers came along? The 1972 Miami Dolphins. Seems logical.
Look, the endeavor to figure out where the Panthers rank among all the other 11-0 teams is worthwhile . There aren't many. And you can argue they really are the least-good team on the list, although every single one of those teams, with the exception of the '72 Dolphins, ultimately ended up losing at some point.
The issue is the entire way it's framed is basically a slap in the face to the best team in the NFL. Which seems silly a week after giving them free ammunition against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, when they were underdogs against a three-win team.