Parity?

Reverse bell curve.

3 teams in the NFC could finish 13-3. Seattle choked vs. A Brett Hundley led Cardinals team. Best they can do is 12-4 & I think SF is going to crush Seattle.

I don't think a 13-3 team has ever NOT had a bye. That's insane -- Saints could be 13-3 & only the 3 seed

There may be some parity in the league, but there's too many other factors that influence how a season plays out for any particular team, IMHO.
Injuries (especially), schedule, player development or regression, and more have a more direct affect on a team's fortunes. 

It seems to be more of a 3 tier league; one tier are the teams that are competitive every year, the middle tier are the .500 teams, and the lower tier are the teams that are perpetually bad. Likewise, there are teams that will shuffle between the top and middle tiers and produce a 'surprise' team or 2 (for good or bad).

There are usually 5 teams with at least 12 wins. 

The 2011 Saints were 13-3 and played in the wild card round v. Det beating them 48-28. The 1999 Titans were 13-3 and played as a wild card at Buffalo and won. 

12-4 Wild Card teams are not rare.

Since they went to 8 divisions in 2002 there are most commonly 5 teams with 12+ wins.  Before that there were commonly 3. Only 2003 had six 12+ win teams. There have never been 7 in a season.

Four 13+ win teams happens about every 5 years

grignon posted:

Four 13+ win teams happens about every 5 years

Yeah but in the same conference?? 3 teams at 13-3 or better in the same conference is pretty incredible.

Boris posted:

grignon posted:

Four 13+ win teams happens about every 5 years

Yeah but in the same conference?? 3 teams at 13-3 or better in the same conference is pretty incredible.

2011 featured a 15-1 Packers team, 13-3 49ers and 13-3 Saints. Then the goddamn 9-7 Giants won the Super Bowl

True!

It's not every playoff a 15-1 team has their OC's son drown in a freak car accident 

Actually, I think it was a drowning in the Fox River.