| AFC | NFC | |||||
| 1 |  |
New England Patriots | 14-2 |  |
Atlanta Falcons | 13-3 |
| 2 |  |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 12-4 |  |
Chicago Bears | 11-5 |
| 3 |  |
Indianapolis Colts | 10-6 |  |
Philadelphia Eagles | 10-6 |
| 4 |  |
Kansas City Chiefs | 10-6 |  |
Seattle Seahawks | 7-9 |
| 5 |  |
Baltimore Ravens | 12-4 |  |
New Orleans Saints | 11-5 |
| 6 |  |
New York Jets | 11-5 |  |
Green Bay Packers | 10-6 |
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the 2010 NFL Playoff competitors. Two of these teams will play on Sunday, February 6th. Only one will win.
The Bears have the bye, but there should be some interesting match-ups this weekend.
The Colts are back in the playoffs, after some worry mid-season that they could be out. Will Manning's post season experience warrant a return to the Super Bowl? There's a good chance he meets Brady in the AFC Championship game.
The Seahawks are about to play in some big games. With their 7-9 record, can they be an upset? We'll find out in a few short days.
As many know, but some don't--it's not exactly truly traditional bracket, in that the divisional rounds reseed accordingly. What does that mean? The Bears won't play the Packers until, at least, the NFC Championship game. Here's how it'd work out:
Atlanta will play either: Seahawks, Saints, or Packers
Bears will play either: Eagles, Seahawks, or Saints
Which team would you most want to see? Because it probably won't be them.
Saturday Games
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks - 4:30pm ET NBC
The reigning champs made it back to the postseason, avoiding the let down that plagues a lot of teams. (I'm looking at you, 2006 Bears) They face a Seattle team that is facing a lot of derision for being the first division champ with a losing record ever. It should be a very tough test for the Seahawks, but the Saints are going into a nasty environment in Seattle. The overwhelming amount of talent for New Orleans will ultimately win this one for them, if they can keep their focus.
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts - 8:00pm ET NBC
Vaunted offense that's playing hurt. Vaunted defense that gave up points to the Bears like they were going out of style. These Colts have an overwhelming amount of playoff experience, but this rematch of the AFC Championship game from last year may not go the same way. This is a good matchup, and well worth the Saturday night primetime matchup.
Sunday Games
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs - 1:00pm ET CBS
The Chiefs are one of the big surprises of the 2010 season, and they look to continue that pace as they march towards the AFC divisional round. Fun fact: The Chiefs have won as many games in 2010 as they won in 2007, 2008, and 2009. COMBINED. They face a Ravens team that will almost entirely depend on which Joe Flacco shows up. I'm really excited to see this game, because it will show if the Chiefs are more the beneficiary of schedule, or if they're the real deal.
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles - 4:30pm ET FOX
This is the one many Bears fans will watch with their breath held. A big piece of fandom feels like the Bears let the Packers into the playoffs. The fact of the matter is, the Packers won the games that counted, and their in. Media darling Mike Vick actually has more playoff experience than Aaron Rodgers. This is going to be a very good rematch of Week 1, but if the Packers bring their offense, they could very well be victorious this time.
Thoughts or predictions for this weekend? Just because the Bears aren't playing it, doesn't mean we won't be covering it. Check back all week as we try to dip and dive into some of these other games, and what they could mean for the Bears