Predicting the NFL's Last Remaining Undefeated Team of 2015 Season

It’s over. It’s all over.

Well, at least it is for the Atlanta Falcons. We’re talking about the chance to go undefeated, not winning a Super Bowl. On Thursday night at the Superdome, Dan Quinn suffered his first defeat as an NFL head coach, courtesy of a 31-21 setback to the New Orleans Saints.

But that means there are still five other unbeaten teams in the NFL this season. Which one will be the last one standing with a zero in the loss column?

We're here to tell you just that, and we'll present the five teams in order from least likely to most likely to remain unbeaten. While we are not in the business of making predictions weeks in advance, we will do so for the sake of this piece. Keep in mind that the Falcons lost on Thursday night, and this week, only the Green Bay Packers play at home.

Could any of these five clubs actually run the table?

Carolina Panthers (4-0)

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Week 6 Opponent: at Seattle Seahawks (2-3)

There’s a little symmetry when it comes to the number four and this week’s matchup between the unbeaten Carolina Panthers and the struggling Seattle Seahawks.

First, the Panthers come in with four wins without a loss. More significantly, the defending NFC champion Seahawks have defeated quarterback Cam Newton’s team four straight times in the past three seasons, including a pair of wins in 2014—the second in the NFC Divisional Playoffs in Seattle.

Ron Rivera’s team hasn’t been pretty, but it's been effective. Carolina’s defensive unit has allowed only eight touchdowns in four games.

But here come the Seahawks, and the game is in Seattle. While Pete Carroll’s team has yet to win away from the Pacific Northwest this season, they’ve won two games at home and did not allow an offensive touchdown in either contest. The Seahawks are far from perfect, but we expect that home-field magic to continue one more week.

So that’s that when it comes to the Panthers.

First Loss: Week 6 at Seattle

Cincinnati Bengals (5-0)

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Week 6 Opponent: at Buffalo Bills (3-2)

It’s hard not to be impressed with what the Cincinnati Bengals have shown us this season. The team is off to its best start since 1988 (when the franchise reached Super Bowl XXIII) and has displayed the ability to be dominant and resourceful.

Some would say that quarterback Andy Dalton is worthy of MVP consideration, and who’s to argue with what he’s done to date? He’s already thrown for 1,518 yards and 11 scores while committing just three turnovers, and he was the main catalyst in comeback wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks—the latter this past Sunday after his team trailed 24-7 in the fourth quarter.

With defensive tackle Geno Atkins looking like his old Pro Bowl self, the Cincinnati defense looks pretty formidable as well.

This week, the Bengals travel to Orchard Park to face a talented but inconsistent Buffalo Bills team that has looked impressive at times but was also handled at home this season by the New England Patriots and New York Giants. The Bills defense has drawn mixed reviews with a pass rush that has produced just nine sacks in five games. The Bengals have allowed only six sacks over the same time frame.

After their trip to Buffalo, the Bengals have a week off before heading to the Steel City for an AFC North showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers and possibly quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. If that is the case, Cincinnati’s run at perfection could come to a sudden end.

First Loss: Week 8 at Pittsburgh

Green Bay Packers (5-0)

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Week 6 Opponent: vs. San Diego Chargers (2-3)

You will recall that just four seasons ago, the Green Bay Packers made quite the run at an unblemished season. Mike McCarthy’s team, then the defending Super Bowl champions, opened 2011 at 13-0 before the team was upended at Kansas City. The Pack finished 15-1 and wound up getting knocked off at home in the NFC Divisional Playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants.

Yes, this past Sunday, quarterback Aaron Rodgers looked human at home. After not throwing an interception in the regular season at Lambeau Field since 2012, he was picked off twice and lost a fumble against the visiting St. Louis Rams. Of course, he also threw for 241 yards and a pair of scores in the team’s 24-10 victory.

The reigning NFL MVP is far from a one-man show these days. Green Bay’s defense is playing much better, and the Packers ground attack is formidable. After this week’s meeting with the Chargers, McCarthy and company will have an extra week to prepare for their trip to Denver, which may also be unbeaten entering Week 8.

Of course, the Packers are a much different team away from Lambeau Field, and against that Broncos defense, it may wind up being a very long evening.

First Loss: Week 8 at Denver

Denver Broncos (5-0)

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Week 6 Opponent: at Cleveland Browns (2-3)

The way the Denver Broncos are playing these days, you can hardly think they are invulnerable to any opponent. And as the Cleveland Browns proved last week, they are far from just any team.

That’s because quarterback Josh McCown has suddenly acquired a hot hand, throwing for 300-plus yards in three straight games and racking up six touchdown passes against one interception in those contests.

That’s just fine when it comes to the Broncos, who lead the NFL in total defense and have not allowed a point in the first quarter in five games this season while totaling 22 sacks and 14 takeaways. That’s the kind of resume that can cool off even the hottest of quarterbacks.

But things could get tricky should Gary Kubiak’s club survive this Sunday. After an off week, Denver will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football, then travel to Indianapolis on a short week.

It will be interesting to see if the Packers (also off in Week 7) are unblemished at the time as well. And it will also be intriguing to see if quarterback Peyton Manning and the Denver offense can get its act together by then.

Then again, even getting past the Browns this week is far from a certainty.

First Loss: Week 9 at Indianapolis

New England Patriots (4-0)

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Week 6 Opponent: at Indianapolis Colts (3-2)

Well, what franchise would know the task ahead better than the New England Patriots?

Back in 2007, Bill Belichick’s team almost pulled off what some feel is nearly impossible and became the first club to finish the regular season 16-0.

Of course, things didn’t go too well in Super Bowl XLII against the upset-minded New York Giants. And as it has turned out over the years, New York head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning have had the Patriots' number.

Four seasons later, the Giants knocked off the Pats at Foxborough at midseason. Belichick and company then reeled off 10 straight wins, including playoff victories over the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, then fell to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

Why the revisionist history? Let’s fast-forward to Week 10 of this season, when the Patriots come off a three-game homestand and visit Manning and company on a Sunday afternoon.

Of course, that’s still weeks away. Will Patriots quarterback Tom Brady—who has 11 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in four games this season—have been picked off by then?

In any case, the Patriots look like they have an edge to them right now. And let’s just say history does have a strange habit of repeating itself.

First Loss: Week 10 at New York Giants

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com.