The NFL season kicked off Thursday night with a Super Bowl 50 rematch between the Broncos and Panthers at Mile High.
After capturing an early lead, the Panthers coughed up the ball a few times and handed the momentum and lead to Denver. Carolina stormed back on the final drive only to miss a game-winning field goal.
With the Panthers loss, seemingly against all logic, the Cleveland Browns have now been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
“It may seem far fetched but it indeed true,” said Shumandad Patel, professor at MIT.
“I’ve calculated the results back and forth, this way and that way and crunched the numbers over and over tirelessly, factoring in their strength of schedule, projections, their current roster, conference opponents, also factoring the torn ACL RGIII will suffer around Week 6 or 7 and I get the same result every time: playoff elimination.”
Patel added, “This is unprecedented. To see a team eliminated before they even play a single game! This is unfathomable in the field of sports but it has just happened. Leave it to Cleveland.”
