Carolina coach Ron Rivera said this week that his team must "evolve" and promised, "Things are going to change after six seasons." It's what you would expect him to say after his team goes from 15-1 and a Super Bowl to season-burying 1-5 start the next year.
Welcome to the "Hello, I must be going" world of the NFL. Success is fragile. At least five playoff teams from 2015 will not be in the postseason this year, including the two Super Bowl teams. The NFC South has epitomized the dramatic drop-offs. The division did not have a repeat winner from 2002 through 2012, until Carolina won three straight titles.
Now the Panthers, who looked secure for years, are again dealing with maturity issues with quarterback Cam Newton and it's the Falcons who now suddenly appear set up for the future. The defense is young. Matt Ryan is an MVP candidate. There are no major contract issues. The front office has stabilized. Players are following coach Dan Quinn. The team's biggest issue may be the head coaching candidacy of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
The Falcons have already clinched their first NFC South title since 2012. Then they went 4-12 the following season. But is this their window to take control of the South?
"When you play really well and you go into the next year, those often are tough ones," Quinn said. "You really get everyone's best shot. Lawyer Milloy told me that about his time in New England after the first Super Bowl. Every year is different, teams are different, the way the teams connect is different.
"I felt (it) in Seattle in 2014. It was a battle. When you're on the way up, you don't feel that."
Quinn said a couple of players can tip locker room chemistry in either direction. He didn't want to say too much about Carolina but said, "You're constantly asking, 'How do you get that connection?' It's one of the things we worked on so hard this year.
"I'm certainly not going to be so naive next year and think, 'Hey, why don't we just pick up where we left off?' "
