Super Bowl Contenders Becoming Clearer

As we approach week 13 of the NFL season, the playoff and Super Bowl picture is becoming clearer. Teams are beginning to pull away from the pack. Other teams are showing they are not ready to play in the post season. Which teams should you look to make it to the big game? Here are just a few thoughts.

The NFC is clearly the weaker of the two NFL Conferences. They are lead by two pretty good teams, the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys appear to be the better of the two teams. Led at quarterback by the young superstar Tony Romo, this team is a scoring machine. They have Terrel Owens who may be the best receiver in the NFL. Complementing him you have Jason Witten and Patrick Clayton at wide receiver. These are reliable guys who catch the football. The Cowboys also have a solid one-two punch at running back with Marion Barber and Julius Jones. With a solid defense to complement this high scoring offense, the Cowboys must be the favorite to come out of the NFC.

You can't forget about the Packers. They are led by legend and future hall of famer Brett Farve. The Packers are not loaded with talent on offense like the Cowboys. They rely mainly on Farve putting the ball in the hands of his receivers. Without a great running game, I'd look for them to come up just a little short in the playoffs.

The AFC is led by two superior teams. The New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts are head and shoulders above the rest of the league. Both teams are led by super quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Brady has a wealth of talent around him including newly inspired Randy Moss, Donte Stollworth and other quality receivers. The Patriots have a who's who group of players at running back, but it's been good enough to get the job done for this team. They have dominated the league this year and appear to be well on their way to an undefeated regular season. The Colts on the other hand have Joseph Addai a solid 1,000 yard plus rusher. Addai also serves as a great option in the passing game out of the backfield. With both teams having solid defenses, these two teams appear head and shoulders above the rest of the league.

Ask most people and they will tell you that the Super Bowl will have the Patriots defeating the Cowboys in a shootout. This may be true but don't count out the Colts or the Packers to pull the upset. Are their other possible contenders? Don't count out the Jaguars who have a solid running game and a hard hitting defense. Also the Steelers, with Super Bowl experience, and a great quarterback just might surprise many. All this being said, it looks like yet another winning year for the AFC over the NFC.