MVN: Most Valuable Network

Knowing the outcome of Saturday's games makes this a bit tougher to do, because I have to act like I don't know the outcomes of those games to rank the 12 teams pre playoffs.  It would be easy to put Atlanta or Indy on bottom, but I had both teams reaching the round of eight.  So, with that in mind, here's how MVN saw the Playoff Power Poll as of yesterday.

1.  Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers never led the MVN Power Rankings in any week but they are the most battle-tested, injury resistant team in the post season.  Ben Roethlisberger had his best month in December, and figures to play in the AFC Divisional round coming off a concussion, but even if backup Byron Leftwich has to play, the Steelers might be in even better hands.

2.  Tennessee Titans
Hard to say how effective DT Albert Haynesworth and DE Kyle Vanden Bosch will be coming off of injury, but it won't matter if Kerry Collins plays like he did against the Steelers in the regular season.  Problem is, he's still Kerry Collins, could always end up tossing up a Houston game, and watch his team go one and done in the postseason.

3.  New York Giants
The Giants lead the pack of NFC teams vying for the Lombardi Trophy, but very narrowly over the next two best teams.  The Offense led them into the post season, but it's up to DC Steve Spagnuolo and his unit to take the Giants deep into the playoffs.  No team is going to be pulling harder for the Vikings this week than the Giants, because it's the difference from getting to walk over Arizona next week, and getting the game of their lives against the Eagles.

4.  Baltimore Ravens
There is such an unbelievably slim margin between the top four teams that the Ravens were actually ahead of the Steelers before beating Jacksonville by three scores to clinch a playoff spot.  The reason they aren't in the top three is that they are 0-4 against the teams ranked above them, but that statistic is misleading: they could have beaten the Steelers easily either time, and lost to Tennessee by a field goal in a hard fought game.  Though 0-4, they've spent more time ahead against those teams than behind, and if they take care of business in Miami, they'll have another shot at the Titans.

5.  Carolina Panthers
Carolina would not really be competitive with any of the teams above them here, I would think.  They took the Giants to overtime, which was probably their most impressive game of the year.  Not that their 12-4 record is undeserved: it's quite deserved because of who they played, and they had to really earn their division title on the last play of the regular season, but the best thing they can hope for is a Philadelphia victory because it will send the Cards across the nation to play them next week and set up the potential of playing the NFC Championship Game in Charlotte.

6.  Philadelphia Eagles
Far more talented than the Panthers, especially on defense, they have the same problems that Carolina does in that Quarterback inconsistencies have killed the Eagles this season.  Unlike Carolina, who has the No. 1 rushing attack to fall back on, the Eagles are prone to tough outings when Donovan McNabb is having an off day.  I think the only thing that will prevent the Eagles from getting to the Super Bowl will be weather, specifically wind.  The fact that they don't have to play at home might be a blessing in disguise, but whether they can win in the Meadowlands for the second time this year, or in Carolina is another story entirely.  Minnesota isn't actually a great match-up for them either, though they will likely prevail today.

7.  Indianapolis Colts
I had the Colts ranked as a better team than the Chargers going into this one, and I'm not sure that would change if I was re-sorting the teams based on what I know now.  I mean, the Chargers dominated the game, especially the Colts offense, all game long, but Peyton out-managed the Chargers, and I would have to think the Chargers defense would have struggled considerably more on a neutral field, or the road.  The Colts might be the best team in NFL history not to make it past the wild card round, but if Baltimore (or arguably Philadelphia) gets upset today, they won't hold that title for very long.

8.  Atlanta Falcons
I would have said that Matt Ryan's 3 INT day against the Rams was a lone negative sign, but then I would have rattled on and on for a paragraph or two about how great this team really is and how likely it is that they will come out of the NFC at the end.  Well, I might have been very, very wrong about this teams' ability to go across the country on a short week and fight off a pesky Arizona team, but I'm not that surprised.  It was a tall task that a Super Bowl bound team would have handled, but the Atlanta Falcons have nothing to be ashamed of over the off-season.

9.  San Diego Chargers
Five weeks ago, they were 4-8.  Now, if Baltimore pastes their (relatively) clear road to the AFC Championship game, the Chargers will host that game with a win over the Steelers.  Trust me, as hard as the Giants are pulling for the Vikings today, the Steelers are pulling even harder for the Dolphins.  They do not want to face this team next week...I know I wouldn't.  Send them to Tennessee and make them do it again before we have to play them.

10.  Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are a playoff darkhorse in every sense of the word, but they're an interesting one.  I'd get pretty long odds on them to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl at this point, and even if I was a betting man, I probably would not take them.  I don't like the Vikings' chances of stringing together three flawless performances, but the defense is great, and they could give Donovan McNabb fits in what figures to be a low scoring game.  They'll need a ton of luck to be a factor multiple weeks in this post season, but they are the team that the Panthers would least like to face, and you could do worse than picking a team that figures to be in every game they play in the postseason.

11.  Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins, like the Vikings, figure to be in every game they play this season, but not because they are a dominant team on a single side of the ball, it's pretty much because they can't pull away from anyone.  Baltimore is a terrible first round matchup for them, and they'd better find a way to turn Joe Flacco's dropbacks into turnovers, because that seems like the only way they can keep base with the Ravens.  If they do win this one, they get: the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Yeah, this playoff bracket is pretty much already screwed the Dolphins over, so if they make an appearance in the AFC Championship, feel free to punch anyone who mentions Chad Pennington's lack of arm strength ever again.

12.  Arizona Cardinals
Last in the MVN Playoff Power Rankings, but first in postseason points scored!  That means they won, by the way.