The AFC

In the AFC, the Patriots and Colts death-grip on the conference is finally loosened by San Diego.

New England’s depleted offensive line, weak secondary and old linebackers catch up with them. The league figures out that the way to slow the Pats' offense is to attack, attack, attack and take your chances. The Patriots still win the AFC East but the pressure and fatigue of trying to follow up 2007 prove to be too much in the end.

The Colts, meanwhile, find that the improved and impassioned Jaguars are too much to handle in the very difficult AFC South. The Jags unseat Indy in the South sending the Colts on the road as a Wild Card team.

The Browns take advantage of slippage in Pittsburgh to win the division crown in the AFC North while the Chargers beat the daylights out of their competition in the West and take the AFC’s top seed.

The Bills — well-coached and under the radar — finally get over the top in the East and secure the other AFC Wild Card.

The playoffs go like this.

WILD CARD WEEKEND

NFC

Special feature Reliving history Highlights, details on the champions from all 42 Super Bowls NBCSports.com

Packers (6) over Cardinals (3)

Eagles (5) over Saints (4)

AFC

Colts (5) over Browns (4)

Jaguars (3) over Bills (6)

DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS

NFC

Eagles over Cowboys (2)

Vikings (1) over Packers

AFC

Patriots (2) over Jaguars

Chargers (1) over Colts

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Eagles over Vikings

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Chargers over Patriots

SUPER BOWL

Eagles over Chargers

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