Brett Favre tried the revenge thing when he went to the Vikings after he left the Packers. They chose to move on from him, and he came so very close to going back to the Super Bowl with the Vikings. He was on the right path, but his plan for revenge made it much harder for the team to play. We were all tense and hoping for him to win that NFC title game so that he could go to the Super Bowl, and he was not able to have that level of success again. He knew that his window for success was closing, and he was very intent on slinging the ball all over the field until he could get the results that he wanted.
It did not work out, and he faded into retirement. Revenge will not work for teams like the Steelers and Panthers, and they must take a new path to get to the promised land.
The Steelers
The Steelers are likely upset that they could not get back to the Super Bowl last year, but they have returned all their offensive pieces, drafted TJ Watt, and brought Joe Haden onto the team. The best revenge is a really good roster, and the Steelers seem to have that. They have the odds on favorite to be rookie of the year, and they have a guy on their team who is considered one of the best defensive backs in all of football. They have returned Martavis Bryant to the roster, and they have LeVeon Bell back from his suspension.
The Panthers
The Panthers were very good when they went to the Super Bowl, but they had a terrible year last year. They were underachieving all of last season, and they were hit by so many different injuries that they could not keep up. They needed to get well this season, and they have made shrewd choices that ensure that they will have the best chance to win their division.
They are still fairly far behind the Falcons, but they have a better recipe for revenge. They have Christian McCaffrey.
Protecting Cam Newton
The Falcons and Bucs probably think that they are going to have an easy time with the Panthers because of how things went last season. It is very simple for people to use the Panthers as an example of a team that fades fast after the Super Bowl, but this team has given itself the best chance to win by drafting Christian McCaffrey.
Plus, they have added him to an offense that can exact revenge easily.
Where will the NFC South lead?
The NFC South will lead to the Atlanta Falcons, and they will make a very strong case to repeat. The Panthers have ensured that they will perform better this year, and the Steelers have made similar changes.
