Indianapolis, #3) Pittsburgh, #4) San Diego, #5) Jacksonville, #6) Cleveland or Tennessee, (Browns have one game edge over Titans

and a far easier schedule, so I would have to go with the Browns).

The supremacy of the NFC may be decided a week after Thanksgiving, as the two 10-1 teams, Dallas and Green Bay, face off.  The winner will have a two-game advantage for home-field advantage (a one-game lead with win and all tie-breakers with win in head-to-head).  The NFC West is extremely weak (no shock) and the NFC South is in shambles with the Vick-less Falcons and the on-and-off New Orleans Saints. 

The NFC playoff picture is a little murky after the #5 seed.  The top seed should be #1) Green Bay, #2) Dallas, #3) Tampa Bay, #4) Seattle, #5) NY Giants, #6) take your pick-seven teams are currently either 6-5 or 5-6.  If I had to choose one, it would be Detroit.

Everyone has four teams penciled in as Super Bowl teams (Pats, Colts, Cowboys, Packers), it's just a question of who faces who.  The dark horse of the NFC will be the NY Giants.  Three of their four losses came at the hands of Dallas and Green Bay.  Being a #5 seed, the Giants will face the #4 seed (@ #4 home) and judging from the NFC South and West, that team could be 8-8 or 9-7 by January. 

The AFC is full of dark horses.  San Diego and Pittsburgh can be world-beaters when they want to.  Jacksonville can shut down the run

and grind it out-Steeler style-but have an untested (playoffs) QB in David Garrard.  Tennessee also has a QB with no playoff experience.  And Cleveland, with just one playoff game since 1994, is flying below the radar with a still-unproven "rookie" QB.

The possible match-ups would be:  #6 Cleveland @ #3 Pittsburgh and #5 Jacksonville @ #4 San Diego in the AFC.  The NFC would have #6 Detroit @ #3 Tampa Bay and #5 NY Giants @ #4 Seattle.  An upset in each conference would not be shocking.

A few questions to ponder until the playoffs begin are:  Will the Patriots rest their players after everything (division, first-round bye, home field advantage throughout the playoffs) is wrapped up?  Will the Colts do the same after the secure a #2 seed or will Jacksonville keep the pressure on until season's end?  Which Pittsburgh team will show up for the playoffs, the 2005 Steelers or the old choke specialists from years prior?  Will the read San Diego team stand up?  Will Green Bay and Dallas overlook lesser teams while eyeing an NFC Championship Game match-up (just like their epic battles in the mid-1990's)?  And which #5 seed poses the largest threat to the higher seeds?             
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