The Arizona Cardinals pulled off one of the greatest playoff runs of all time last year, coming within 35 seconds of winning the Super Bowl against the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers.
That success has bred hope that the Cardinals are about to embark on a run of NFC West dominance and consistently be in contention for the Super Bowl for years to come.
But history shows us that this year will not be pretty.
Over the last ten seasons, the team that lost the Super Bowl the previous year made the playoffs the next year only twice: the 2006 Seattle Seahawks (lost 2005 Super Bowl to Pittsburgh) and the 2000 Tennessee Titans (lost 1999 Super Bowl to St. Louis).
Neither of those teams made it past the divisional round in the playoffs, let alone made it back to the Super Bowl.
Taking it a step further, only one team other than those two finished with a record above .500, the 2008 New England Patriots, who finished 11-5 but missed out on the playoffs.
Anything can happen, but recent history shows us the Cardinals are due for a down year, probably finishing below .500.
Brace yourselves, Cardinals fans.
