Car enthusiasts were asked which NFL franchise reminded them of a driverless car, and the obvious choice could have been one of two teams near Silicon Valley, given the region’s ties to automotive tech.

But instead, participants in the fourth annual NFL and Cars survey from Swapalease.com most often cited the Cleveland Browns (at 19.3 percent) when asked that question. Perhaps playing on the word “driverless,” that may be a fair assertion, given the Browns’ one win over the past two seasons.

Or maybe, like yours truly, the survey participants have been immersed in HBO's “Hard Knocks” and just have Cleveland on the brain. 

At any rate, that was one of several questions posed by Swapalease in its annual poll tying together cars and football.

The Browns were also the most popular answer (27 percent) when participants were asked to name the team that most reminded them of a rusty car.

Interestingly enough, the Oakland Raiders were the squad that reminded the most folks of a stolen car (26 percent), but that might have changed had the survey been conducted after the head-scratching Khalil Mack trade, as the Raiders were the ones robbed in that deal.

But then again, the Chicago Bears got a bit more muscle with Mack, so it’s fitting they were the team that most reminded respondents of a Humvee (10.3 percent).

And what NFL survey would be complete without the New England Patriots?

They were found to be the team that most often brought to mind a Tesla S (13.7 percent of respondents saying so).

How appropriate, given the respective leaders of Tesla and the Pats (Elon Musk, Bill Belichick) can be polarizing, to say the least.

Speaking of the Patriots, 27 percent of respondents have predicted New England as the Super Bowl winner, the highest proportion of any franchise.

Though the share of participants who said they are a “Diehard fan and cannot wait for the season to start” dropped from 33 percent to 22.6 percent, Swapalease emphasized the close ties between football and automobiles.

“Despite the reported falling numbers of ‘diehard” fans, the return of football is always a special time of year for millions,” said Scot Hall, executive vice president of Swapalease, in a news release.

“And since tailgating remains a significant part of the football experience, cars and trucks will forever be linked to the sport, especially since automotive advertising is now as much a part of Super Bowl Sunday.”

So what car or truck would I link to my beloved Carolina Panthers?

A muscle car. That's constantly in the shop.

Strong, fast, beautiful to watch, tons of potential — and frustrating. 

Just need to get it repaired and on the road to (speaking of automotive ties to football) Mercedes-Benz Stadium this February.