Atlanta Falcons

Falcons' Super Bowl trip completes this impressive feat for NFC South

Published Jan. 23, 2017 4:29 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

For years, the NFC South was viewed as the worst division in the NFL. It had only six wild-card teams since the realignment in 2002, while the Panthers’ division-leading 7-8-1 record in 2014 was an embarrassing blemish on the group’s resume.

But what if there was a statistic that suggested the NFC South is actually the best division in the NFL, and has been for the past 15 years. You could easily make that argument by looking at the numbers.

It’s the only division in the league to have all four teams reach the Super Bowl since 2002 with the Falcons becoming the final franchise to make it to the big game. Last year, of course, the Panthers made the Super Bowl, their second appearance in franchise history.

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The NFC South now has five Super Bowl appearances, which is the second-most in the NFL. The AFC East, all thanks to the Patriots, has six appearances, which is the most in the league since the divisional realignment.

While the NFC South may not have multiple playoff teams each year or the consistency from top to bottom, it’s arguably the best division in the game in terms of Super Bowl appearances. At least, when it comes to getting multiple teams there, rather than just one like the Patriots.