A lot of times people are so fixated on win/loss records that they ignore what they are seeing right in front of their face.
What I see right now?
The San Diego Chargers are the best team in the NFL.
Of course this is a flexible situation, but if I had to pick a favorite going into the playoffs it would be the Chargers.
The one team they are most likely to meet in the AFC Championship game are the Indianapolis Colts and that is the one team the Colts do not want to see.
The Chargers have the Colts number similar to how the Patriots use to have the Colts number, plus the Chargers have no fear of the Colts since they have beat them in Indy before in the playoffs.
You still have dangerous teams out there in the AFC like the Patriots, but none of them are as hot as the Chargers right now.
In the NFC the tape doesn’t lie, both the Saints and the Vikings are struggling big time. The scariest team in the NFC right now maybe the Philadelphia Eagles especially if they get a healthy Brian Westbrook back.
But I would favor the Chargers over any team in the NFL right now. Philip Rivers should be mentioned in the NFL MVP discussion.
Yes he is cocky, arrogant and annoying, but he is also very good and playing with extreme confidence.
Ladainian Tomlinson is no longer an elite back, but the Chargers have done a good job of keeping him healthy and Darren Sproles in spot duty does just enough to keep the running game a threat.
The defense has progressively gotten better as the season went on. The secondary is great, they are still looking for a consistent pass rush but when Merriman and the crew can bring pressure they are a hard defense to get points on.
The one thing that should make Chargers fan worried is Norv Turner. Norv is always good for one or two horrible and normally conservative decisions in the playoffs that can cost his team, but beyond that the Chargers look primed for a Super Bowl run.