Nope: Like many teams in this age of spread offenses in college failing to produce NFL-ready linemen, the Lions have O-line woes and a banged-up backfield. They rank 30th in the league in the rushing. Stafford's been sacked an NFL-most 37 times and Zach Zenner is their top RB with Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah hurt.
The Dope: "Are the guys going to be prepared, are the guys going to be ready, are the guys going to be ready for the speed? There's no question in my mind about it." — Linebacker Jonathan Casillas, who has won Super Bowls with the Saints and Patriots.
Jones chose Prescott with the 135th pick of the fourth round, and Tony Romo's training camp injury microwaved plans to ease the rookie from Mississippi State into the rotation.
Hope: Rodgers is on a roll. And when he gets going,Cheap Jerseys From China, the Packers look unstoppable, capable of building big leads and coming back from any deficit. After a 1-2 start in 2014, Rodgers famously admonished fans to R-E-L-A-X. This time, after a 4-6 start, he came up with "run the table" that led to another NFC North title.
6. DETROIT (9-7), No Super Bowl appearances.
Nope: The rookies could run out of magic in the playoffs, especially if a defense short on headlining playmakers gives one of the NFC's elite passers plenty of time to work over a secondary that hasn't produced many interceptions over the last two seasons.
3. SEATTLE (10-5-1), last Lombardi: Super Bowl 48, 43-8 over Denver, Feb. 2, 2014.
Dak Prescott was quite the revelation and consolation for Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who was outmaneuvered for first-rounder Paxton Lynch and third-rounder Connor Cook in the NFL draft last April.
4. GREEN BAY (10-6), last Lombardi: Super Bowl 45, 31-25 over Pittsburgh, Feb. 6, 2011.
Hope: Prescott and Elliott keep rolling right along and don't allow the pressure of the playoffs to get to them. Coach Jason Garrett used the season finale against Philadelphia to allow Romo to shake off the rust , just in case. While many playoff teams have QB issues, Dallas has depth at the position.
Hope: Exceptionally deep and balanced offense. Ryan threw a team record 38 TD passes and to an NFL record 13 targets. Taylor Gabriel, Justin Hardy and Aldrick Robinson provide big-play potential behind top WRs Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. OC Kyle Shanahan is THE hot head-coaching candidate.
The Dope: "If you're in, you've got a chance. Obviously we'll have a chance to get better, the things we need to still work on we can improve upon." — coach Jim Caldwell.
Nope: Despite a league-high 540 points, the defense isn't all that. Even though youngsters Keanu Neal, Deion Jones and Vic Beasley have transformed Atlanta's defense, the unit needs help. The Falcons allowed 19 fourth-quarter points in Sunday's 38-32 win over New Orleans. How will it fair against Green Bay or Dallas?
The Dope: "We're as healthy as we've been all year. We've got players we didn't dream we would have when we started training camp. Let's let it all empty the bucket in our three games. Whatever we can do, think of, let's do it over those three games." — Jones, seeking his fourth ring but first 21 years.
Hope: The Giants allowed an NFC-low 17.75 points a game , second in the league to the Patriots (14.06). Steve Spagnuolo's unit has allowed 10 points or fewer in three of the last four games. Over the final 11 games opponents averaged just 16 points.
Hope: The Seahawks are an experienced team that has won at least one playoff game in each of the last seasons. Wilson remains an uncanny playmaker who can make something out of nothing and Seattle's defense still elite. The Seahawks' signature win in New England in November shows they can win anytime, anywhere.
Now Prescott is aiming to become the first starting QB to win a Super Bowl as a rookie , and he has the supporting cast to make it happen, including fellow rookie Zeke Elliott and perhaps the best offensive line in the league.
The Dope: "We dug ourselves a hole at 4-6,Nike Air Max Scontate. We're out of it now,Bengals Jersey Cheap. And now the real challenge is starting. It's playoff football and it's a one-game season." — coach Mike McCarthy.
Hope: Stafford is clutch in crunch time . The No. 1 overall pick from the 2009 draft is the first QB to lead eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime since the 1970 merger. However, he did struggle with a finger injury down the stretch.
Nope: The defense is depleted at cornerback. The offense has been on a remarkable run of mistake-free football during its winning streak, but doesn't have a real running threat. The Packers could be hard-pressed to keep up in