1. Atlanta Falcons
Losing a Super Bowl is always tough. No losing team has returned to the Super Bowl the next year since the Buffalo Bills in 1993. No Super Bowl loser has won the following year since the famed 1972 Miami Dolphins.
So, why can the Falcons deviate from history?
Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is bound for San Francisco. Still, don’t expect this team’s explosive offense to fade. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones get most of the attention, but Atlanta is loaded with weapons on the offensive side of the ball.
The defense is rapidly improving as well. The return of Desmond Trufant will only make that a more potent unit. Youngsters Vic Beasley and Deion Jones showed massive improvement through 2016, which should continue into next season.
The NFC South won’t be any cakewalk. But even if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints come strong in 2017, the Falcons are still a viable Super Bowl threat.