NFL

The 5 NFL Teams That Declined Most in 2016

Brandon Gdula  —  @gdula13 Feb 21st, 2017
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2. Carolina Panthers

2015 nERD: 9.26
2016 nERD: -1.54
Change: -10.80

Well, we're out of the NFC West but still in the NFC. In 2015, the Carolina Panthers toppled the Seahawks and Cardinals in the playoffs before falling to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50. All three took significant steps backward in 2016.

The Panthers, though, had the biggest drop of all (obviously, because they're listed here), but it's really incomparable. They ranked 3rd in nERD in 2015 but 22nd in 2016. Their point differential plummeted from +192 to -33 this season.

The Panthers owned the 29th-most efficient offense in football this season after ranking 7th in 2015. Even with the return of Kelvin Benjamin, the Panthers ranked 29th in Adjusted Passing NEP per play, 20 spots below their 9th-ranked finish in 2015. They also fell to 22nd in rushing efficiency after faring 5th in 2015.

They still maintained a top-10 defense, ranking 9th this season (8th in passing and 13th in rushing).

This team has plenty of questions to answer entering 2017.

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