Dec 20, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) runs with the ball against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. The Panthers defeated the Giants 38-35. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Panthers’ last Super Bowl squad cracks ESPN’s Top 25 teams of last 25 NFL seasons

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 1:00 PM ET

There have been 105 NFL seasons to date, 25 of those this century. Hence, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently ranked the best of the best when it came to NFL seasons by teams dating back to 2000. The 2015 Carolina Panthers finished 19th on the list, despite the fact that Ron Rivera’s team couldn’t close the deal when it came to hoisting a Lombardi Trophy.

“I’ll understand if Broncos fans are mad when they see that the team they beat in the Super Bowl made it onto the Top 25 while their champs did not. The Panthers were simply a better team throughout the season, even if they weren’t during the big game. Carolina won its first 14 games and had a real shot at going 16-0 before it fell to an 8-8 Falcons team, one year before Atlanta went on its own run to the title game…”

“The main star on offense won MVP: Cam Newton threw for 3,837 yards with 35 touchdowns and added 636 rushing yards and 10 more scores on the ground. An offense whose leading wide receivers were Ted Ginn Jr. and Jerricho Cotchery shouldn’t have scared anyone, but buoyed by Greg Olsen and a creative run game, the Panthers were remarkably consistent: They scored 27 points in 15 of their 19 games, a mark that tied them with the 2007 Patriots and a handful of other teams in second place over the past 25 years.

“Only the 2018 Chiefs,” added Barnwell, “with Patrick Mahomes and a handful of other future Hall of Famers on offense, got to 27 more often. The Panthers were 15-0 when they did so. The Panthers were also excellent during their run to the Super Bowl. They dominated the Seahawks, going up 31-0 at halftime before Seattle racked up 24 unanswered points of its own. Newton and Co. then shellacked a very good Cardinals team in the NFC Championship Game, eventually forcing six Carson Palmer turnovers in a 49-15 victory.”

But it wasn’t mean to be on Super Sunday at Levi’s Stadium. Despite limiting Denver to just 194 total yards, the mistake-prone Panthers fell by a 24-10 score. “With a clearly limited Peyton Manning waiting in the Super Bowl,” said Barnwell, “the Panthers were five-point favorites. They laid an egg, looked overawed by the moment and never got their run game going, which is why they’re not higher in the top 25.”

Of course, the real disappointment for the Panthers has nothing to do with this list. They remain one of 12 current NFL franchises that still hasn’t come up with a win on Super Sunday.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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