With the Super Bowl matchup set -- Carolina vs. Denver on Feb. 7 -- we asked the NFL Nation reporters covering the 30 teams that won't be playing in February to answer a question:
From a scale of 1-10, how close is the team you cover to being a Super Bowl contender?
Here are there responses, with 1 being nowhere near close to being a contender and 10 being on the brink of playing in the 2017 Super Bowl:
10: On the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance
Arizona Cardinals: Despite a lopsided loss, Arizona is one of the most complete teams in the NFL with the highest-scoring offense to complement one of the best defenses.