The Los Angeles Kings won their first Stanley Cup trophy on Monday night after 45 years of existence, sending their hundreds of fans into a frenzy.
The news got us thinking: Which NFL team is most likely to next win its first Super Bowl title in franchise history?
We've got 14 teams to choose from, so let's break it down by tiers
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Nothing on the horizon: Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars
I've never been sadder in a Super Bowl locker room than when I talked to the Cardinals. They were all so hopeful, but I couldn't help thinking they would never get back to that point. Without a quality quarterback, they are as far away as ever. Things change quickly in the NFL, but it's hard to imagine any of these teams being serious Super Bowl contenders in the next two years.
Sleepers: Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals
This Bengals squad is set up for continued success for a while. We like what Pete Carroll is doing with the Seahawks defense and think they will be playoff contenders for some time. Perhaps we're stretching by putting the Bills in a tier this high, but we'd love to see them as relevant again. There is plenty of talent there.
Knocking on the door: Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions
The Falcons are above .500 every year. If they can keep that up during the Matt Ryan era, they could eventually break through. Philip Rivers still has five more years left in his prime. Matthew Stafford has about a decade. Both quarterbacks are certainly good enough to win a Super Bowl. The Texans should have a window as serious contenders for the next few years.
Runner up: Philadelphia Eagles
Eagles fans are sick of falling just short, but that's what they'll do in this meaningless post. We could see them finally winning it all under Andy Reid, but don't quite trust Michael Vick enough to be steady throughout an entire playoff run.
Next up: Carolina Panthers
This exercise wasn't about which team was the closest to winning a title. The odds are strong that none of the teams above will win this year or even next. The idea was to predict what team was most likely to win their first Super Bowl next.
Only one of the teams on the list has Cam Newton. We think he'll win a Super Bowl someday, and we think he'll get it done before any of the teams above.
