Thomas Davis and the Carolina Panthers are coming to a sobering reality.
Their 15-1 season was fantastic. It gave us new star players like Josh Norman and reintroduced us to the dominant Cam Newton we'd seen in college. It solidified Dave Gettleman as executive of the year and it showed general managers everywhere just how good and athletic a defense can be.
But will it matter if they don't win the Super Bowl?
"It's very gratifying," veteran linebacker Thomas Davis said, via the Charlotte Observer. "But it means nothing if we can't win in the playoffs."
Davis was a rookie back in 2005 when Carolina went 11-5 and lost in the conference title game to Seattle. And while this is the prevailing veteran point of view, it's difficult to just throw away such a great season because it did not end in a championship.
The Panthers went more than a calendar year without losing a regular-season game and brought their fan base to a new level. But maybe it's because they have players and perspectives like Davis' that Carolina was able to do what they did in the first place.
"It's a great feeling to be 15-1, something that I've never been in my career and anybody in this locker room hasn't been 15-1," he said. "It's good to share that with our brothers, with each other. At the same time we know we can't lose sight of what we're trying to accomplish, and that's ultimately to win the Super Bowl."
