The Carolina Panthers are young and talented at many positions, so there's a tendency to think they'll be right back in the Super Bowl next season. To do that, though, they'll need to overcome a couple of decades of history working against them.

The last Super Bowl loser to get back to the big game a year later was the Buffalo Bills, who famously went to four straight in the early 1990s. Since then, teams have struck out more than 20 years in a row.

That's not to say the Panthers will fall apart next season. Note that four straight Super Bowl losers have made it to at least the Divisional Round of the playoffs one year later, while seven straight have qualified for the playoffs. That's a big change from the previous 10 years, where eight of 10 Super Bowl losers didn't even get back to the playoffs the next season.

Also, two of the last four Super Bowl losers (New England and Denver) came back and won the Super Bowl within the next three years. So it's not all over for Cam Newton and company.

SUPER BOWL LOSERS, ONE YEAR LATER
Super BowlLosing TeamOne Year Later?
XXIXSan DiegoLost in Wild Card
XXXPittsburghLost in Divisional Round
XXXINew EnglandLost in Divisional Round
XXXIIGreen BayLost in Wild Card
XXXIIIAtlantaMissed Playoffs
XXXIVTennesseeLost in Divisional Round
XXXVNY GiantsMissed Playoffs
XXXVISt. LouisMissed Playoffs
XXXVIIOaklandMissed Playoffs
XXXVIIICarolinaMissed Playoffs
XXXIXPhiladelphiaMissed Playoffs
XLSeattleLost in Divisional Round
XLIChicagoMissed Playoffs
XLIINew EnglandMissed Playoffs
XLIIIArizonaLost in Divisional Round
XLIVIndianapolisLost in Wild Card
XLVPittsburghLost in Wild Card
XLVINew EnglandLost in Championship Game
XLVIISan FranciscoLost in Championship Game
XLVIIIDenverLost in Divisional Round
XLIXSeattleLost in Divisional Round
50Carolina???

--Andy Richardson