The current NFL season has thrown in several surprises and disappointments for fans and experts alike.

The Cleveland Browns are tied for the lead in the AFC North Division. The Kansas City Chiefs are still undefeated.

Perennial powerhouses like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers have struggled to even get going.

Predicting the winners of each division seems nearly impossible this year because of the number of teams defying their reputations.

However, there are some teams that have started hot that will eventually go cold, and some teams that are muddled in despair will triumph later.

Look for the Carolina Panthers, who got off to a terrible start, to find their way to the top by the end of the season. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots will likely flop after another great start.

From the depths of 1-3, the Panthers will rise to a respectable record this season. While they won’t win the division because the New Orleans Saints seem to have that firmly in their grasp, the players in Carolina will rally past the challenges they have experienced so far this year.

Last year, the Panthers had a similar experience at the beginning of the season. However, the team didn’t just start 1-3. The Panthers began the year with a horrifying 1-6 record before finally winning on the road against the Washington Redskins. This showed the Panthers weren’t done, but instead that they could beat a rookie phenom quarterback in a road environment.

At the end of the season, Carolina rattled off four straight wins, three of which featured the Panthers’ offense scoring 30 or more points.

This year, the Panthers could do the same, except earlier. They are entering a four-game stretch against the Minnesota Vikings, the St. Louis Rams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Atlanta Falcons. Those four teams have a combined record this season of 4-14.

If the Panthers can get hot behind an offense that features Cam Newton, Steve Smith and DeAngelo Williams, they can make some noise down the stretch.

The offense needs a jump start from someone, which is something that will come with time. The defense is in the top ten in points allowed, yards allowed, and passing and rushing yards allowed. With such a dominant defense, the offense just needs to improve slightly in order to start winning games.

On the other hand, the New England Patriots have played well despite unfortunate circumstances that plagued the team even before the season started. Tom Brady has far fewer viable receiving targets than he has in the past, and yet the Patriots have managed to post a 4-1 record and sit atop the AFC East.

However, New England already looks weary, and the team looks as if the 4-1 record has been anything but easy. Brady and the Patriots just suffered a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in which Brady did not throw a touchdown pass, and his accuracy is below average for him.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski still has not made it back on the field, and it seems unclear when he will return. Stevan Ridley also missed the game against the Bengals because of a knee injury.

Perhaps most alarmingly, the Patriots lost Vince Wilfork to a torn Achilles tendon that could sideline him for the rest of the year, according to ESPN.com. This cripples the Patriots’ run defense and pass rush. The defense’s biggest weakness has been against the run, ranking 23rd in the league in rushing yards allowed. The team also is in the middle of the pack with 13 sacks on the year, according to patriots.com.

The future looks bright for the Carolina Panthers and dismal for the New England Patriots. More than half the season remains for both teams, but look for the Panthers to rise to the top and for the Patriots to flop.