How the Chips Fall...

Eight teams still retain hopes of winning the Super Bowl, although some have slimmer hopes than others (*cough* Seahawks *cough*). There's a reason why each squad is here. You cannot be at this level and not deserve it. If absolutely nothing else, each of the teams that find themselves in the divisional round earned it by just barely not shooting themselves in the foot enough to eliminate themselves (*cough* Seahawks *cough*).

But this is when it gets real. As much as no bad teams make it to the second round of the playoffs, it is nearly impossible for anyone but the best to make it to the conference championship games. Unlike in the BCS National Championship game, it will take your best effort to move on. Nothing less.

That being said, I believe that the winner of Super Bowl XLV will be determined this weekend. Not literally, of course, because of that whole "any given Sunday" business, but for the most part, I think we'll have a pretty good idea by the time the final four is set. The reason is simple: matchups. Think about this way, the Jets beat the Colts in the first round, but do you think there are many teams that would have done it? No, not at all. That was a matchup that the Jets took advantage of it. But if was was almost any other team, the Colts would have moved on.

Part two of my theory: The Colts were one of the only teams that could have beaten the Patroits. New England got really lucky when the Colts lost. I don't care that Indy wasn't the same team we're used to. Pats vs. Colts is still Pats vs. Colts. Anybody's game. While the Jets matched up with the Colts well, the Jets don't really match up with the Patriots.

That's the basic scenario teams face as we go into the second to last week of real football (excluding the Pro Bowl, obviously). You may think that the Bears are hoping that the Falcons knock off the Packers so that Chicago won't have to play a division rival if it makes it to the NFC Championship. But, the Bears may be fans of the Pack on Saturday, because Chicago played the cheeseheads as tough as any team did in 2010.

That's what it's about this week: figuring out who plays who and who will have the best shot at the title, not necessarily based on their talent, but the way they match up with their opponent.

Should be another interesting weekend. As always, get 'cho popcorn ready.