Parity is one of the big drivers of today’s NFL, and aside from the Patriots, there has been a pretty consistent turnover of power over the past couple decades. The 16-game season and single-elimination playoffs lead to more variance than other sports, and fans from every team are able to dream ahead of a new season.
Over the past five seasons, fewer than three teams on average make it back to the NFC playoffs from the previous season. Even the best squads in the conference struggle to make the postseason every single year, and it just takes one injury or some bad luck to spend January watching from home.