You know.. I have to say one thing about the Steelers. In all my years I never remember a team where all the players seem to be having career years all at the same time. They are on a roll like no other and maybe no one can stop them.
I say Indy is the "x" factor. Manning seems to be able to put up 40 points anytime he desires. You just cant count out the Pats though, when it looks bad they play better. The AFC is so much stronger than the NFC this year, dont you think?

i think if the Colts beat the Pats they are gonna win it all. while i dont know if the Colts are ever going to beat them, this appears to be the year. the Colts O is smoking, and the Pats are banged up in the secondary. however, Belichick always finds a way to shut down Peyton...

as for the NFC, the Falcons are the best team, but they are so inconsistent (just like every other NFC team except for the Eagles which are crap now) any of the four remaining teams could win the NFC title.

as long as the Patriots dont win it, id be happy to see any other team win.

Who is the only QB to through for more yards than manning in a game? TOM BRADY. The game is more than one cornerback, even if he is one of the best in the league! As far as cheating, we call it hitting them when they have the ball and hitting them when they don't. Just to let them know we are here.

Pittsburgh may be surprised by the Jet!

sorry, i forgot that troy brown was tied for the team lead in picks... seems like they are more than one man down in the secondary to me...

and if NE wins, it will be because of Corey Dillon's running more than Tom Brady doing anything.

Don't forget the colts are 28-25 playing outside!

NE is more than one guy down in the secondary. That is why not having their #1 guy be able to return is so significant. What is the name of their lineman that went down? Seymour or something like that? He was supposed to be their best lineman. I don't recall 27-24 exactly owning the other team. Especially when it was a few close plays to going the other way. Something about a kicker? Indy is the favorite this week (not obviously overwhelming though), but only a complete nutjob would count the Pats out. They will really need Dillon on his game to be able to control the clock better.

Obviously the Steelers will have to pay attention to the Jets, but they should win it before the 4th quarter. The Steelers 2nd and 3rd string beat a desperate Buffalo who you can make a strong case about playing as well or better than the Jets.

Philly is still going to be really good. Their offense is still above what it was last year because they have everybody, including a running back (Westbrook) who was hurt last year. Their defense will also be better because of Jevon Kearse and a couple of their linebackers are back. They'll have to be on their game against Minnesota, but they should pull it out. It'll be tighter than the regular season game without Owens in there.

Atlanta is incredibly dangerous to anybody, but their inconsistency kills them. They had better be ready for the Rams who are also very dangerous. The Rams have a scary running combination in Marshall Faulk (who everyon knows about) and Steven Jackson(?) a powerback with an incredible yards/carry average (who not many really know about). Jackson will be very key. He should get a lot of carries if he's on. Anyone remember the Falcons vs Chiefs? They can not afford to turn the ball over and let Michael Vick gain any momentum. I still wonder why the Falcons want to keep Vick so bottled up all the time. I think they need to let Vick play the game.

The Pats have lost both their starting cornerbacks for the season (Law and Poole). Their backup corner is hurt but likely to play. They'll probably move safety Wilson back to corner and plug in a LB at safety. The defensive lineman that's hurt is Richard Seymour and he is a force. If he can't play it will be a huge loss. If he does play he won't be 100%. Facing the Colts with a defense that's held together with alligator clips and duct tape is scary, but I wouldn't count them out.

Yeah, that "hitting them when they don't" thing...that's called CHEATING

It remains to be seen if the refs are going to enforce that. I joke, but I think it's critical to what the Colts (and the Rams) do. If the refs allow them to tackle guys that don't have the ball, it may be more of the same for the Colts this year.

It's the championship! Let the guys play!

It's football, so I'm not too picky about whether they do or don't, but show some consistancy. I don't like one set of rules for the regular season and a different set for the post season. The precious Colts get away with things you can't say too. Every single team does, so they're all cheaters. If it's not called it's not a foul, so let it go. I think the Colts could actually take the hits better this year because they are spread around so much. Reggie Wayne has really come on this year. Brandon Stokely is a very nice addition too. You don't hear about Marvin Harrison as much because he always draws the #1 corner. Wayne is just about as good and Stokely is a killer 3rd receiver. Wayne caught all the balls last week against Denver, but it would have been a very different story for him if Marvin hadn't been there to draw Champ Bailey the whole game. Marvin's so selfless that he understands that will happen. That Patriot offense will actually have to help out a lot with its game plan to neutralize the Colt's offense some. Their defense will not do it alone. They have to move the ball and eat up the clock. Take advantage of any turnovers.