Chargers, Cowboys Look Super Bowl-Bound

Clifton Brown - SportingNews.com

With the Steelers not getting the help they needed to make the playoffs, a new Super Bowl champion is sure to be crowned Feb. 7. Which teams have the best chance to meet in Miami?

AFC

1. Chargers. They have a bye, an 11-game winning streak and have beaten the Colts in the playoffs the past two seasons. "It makes us feel good, the way we're playing right now," Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson said after Sunday's victory over the Redskins. "We're clicking on all cylinders."

Philip Rivers has had a tremendous season at quarterback, maximizing his abundance of weapons. This team has been building toward this point for years, and seems mature enough, talented enough, and confident enough to beat any team standing in its way.

2. Colts. Many say the Colts erred by pulling their starters in Week 16 and shunning a chance for a perfect season. Can the Colts regain momentum for the playoffs? "We need to put last week's game behind us," Peyton Manning told reporters following Sunday's loss to the Bills. "I just want to say to our fans how much we are going to need them. I hope they can forgive what happened last weekend, and we can all move on. We are now in playoff mode and that is our focus." Remember this: Nobody has beaten the Colts yet when their starters played the full 60 minutes. However, Jim Caldwell's controversial decision in Week 16 will be much harder for the Colts to live with if they do not win the Super Bowl.

3. Patriots. With Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, they always have a chance. But losing Wes Welker (knee injury) really hurts, and they have not played well on the road. You had to feel for Welker, watching his emotional reaction on the sidelines against the Texans following his injury. He is a terrific player, one whose uncanny ability to get open cannot be replaced. The Patriots' offense just got easier to defend, making another Super Bowl appearance less likely.

4. Ravens. In Week 4 they lost a close one at New England, but their running game and defensive experience should make them a tough out. Since becoming the Ravens' head coach, John Harbaugh has succeeded in getting his team to play well late in the season. "It's not easy to make the playoffs in the National Football League," Harbaugh said. "It's been a tough road. We've suffered our share of disappointments. We're looking forward to the fact that we're playing next week. We're going to be a formidable opponent. There's no doubt about that."

5. Bengals. They will want revenge after not putting up much resistance Sunday night against the Jets. The Jets had more to play for and they looked like it. But the Bengals are another team that has not played its best football late in the season. "This was not the outcome we wanted today," head coach Marvin Lewis said following the Jets' game. "We get a chance to regroup and get going again next Saturday afternoon. You don't get a chance to do this much in the National Football League." It would not be shocking to see the Bengals payback the Jets. But getting past the Chargers or the Colts? Don't bet on it.

6. Jets. With their solid defense and running game, the Jets have a chance to pull off a wild-card upset. But it is hard to see rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez, who has 20 interceptions, ending his rookie season in February at the Super Bowl. Say this for head coach Rex Ryan, though. He will not stop talking up the Jets until they are eliminated. "I believed in this football team from Day 1," Ryan said. "You got to be able to run the football this time of year, and you got to be able to play defense. And we can do that better than any team in the league. That gives a chance in every single game, no matter who we play. I know one thing. You don't want to play us."

NFC

1. Cowboys. Winning at New Orleans was a turning point, and the Cowboys open at home against an Eagles team they have defeated twice. "We're really set up perfectly right now to really make a run," Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said after Sunday's 24-0 win over the Eagles. "We beat a very good team today, and we've got them again. We got to try and make it a three-peat."

Tony Romo and Wade Phillips still have never won a playoff game. This Cowboys team, though, appears built for the long haul. It starts with their defense, which shut out the Eagles on Sunday, throttling one of the NFL's most explosive offenses. Dallas has three players in its front seven playing at an extremely high level — nose tackle Jay Ratliff, and linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer. If the Cowboys continue to play defense as well as they have the past three weeks, they will be very difficult to beat.

2. Vikings. The offense seems back in sync, and Brett Favre makes them dangerous. At age 40, Favre relishes the bye. "Well, I assume like everyone else that it will be good, not only for me but for the rest of our team," Favre said following Sunday's 44-7 victory over the Giants.

3. Packers. Reaching the Super Bowl as a wild card will be tough, but the Packers have won seven of their last eight, including a victory over Dallas. Aaron Rodgers has become one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, and after romping over the Cardinals on Sunday, the Packers will take loads of confidence into the rematch.

4. Saints. Taking a three-game losing streak into the playoffs is not a recipe for success, and they are dealing with injuries. Maybe home field and Drew Brees will be enough. The Saints were the best team in the NFC for most of the season, so they know they are capable of making a run. When their offense is clicking, nobody's is better. But lately, they have looked like a team that peaked too soon.

5. Cardinals. They are more complete than last season's team, but the road back to the Super Bowl looks harder this time. The Cardinals were overlooked heading into last season's playoffs, and they will draw on that experience for motivation. However, Kurt Warner is the key for them. He must start hot and stay hot for the Cardinals to make a run.

6. Eagles. None of their 11 victories came against a playoff team. They only have one touchdown in two games vs. Dallas, as the Cowboys have shut down Philadelphia's playmakers. Donovan McNabb looked uncomfortable in the pocket Sunday against the Cowboys, leading to rushed and inaccurate throws. "They apply pressure, and did a great job of keeping us out of the end zone," McNabb said following Sunday's loss. "It's a do-or-die situation in the playoffs. This is a time when you have to elevate and bring you're a game every week."

Clifton Brown is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at cliftonbrown@sportingnews.com.

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