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No NFC team has won consecutive Super Bowls since the Cowboys in the 1992-93 seasons – but the 2008 New York Giants have the talent to become the first.

New York stormed to the 2007 NFL championship along a wild-card path, winning four consecutive games on the road to claim the Lombardi Trophy.

Their success continued in 2008 as the Giants won 11 of their first 12 games to take charge of the NFC East. New York then toppled Carolina on the 16th weekend, 34-28, to capture the top seed in the NFC playoff bracket on the way to a 12-4 finish.

The top seed is a comfortable place to be in the NFC. In six of the previous eight seasons this decade, the NFC top seed has advanced to the Super Bowl. The only exceptions were the 2002 Philadelphia Eagles and the 2007 Cowboys.

AP

The New York Giants' running game features a three-player attack led by 1,000-yard rusher Brandon Jacobs.

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The AFC is the tricky side. Only twice has the top seed reached the Super Bowl this decade – and the top seeds in each conference haven't met in a Super Bowl since the 1993 season.

That said, Tennessee is the top seed in the AFC and stands the best chance of reaching the Super Bowl on that side of the bracket, according to the annual power poll of The Dallas Morning News.

The eight remaining playoff teams are ranked in nine categories. Points are awarded on a one-through-eight basis, with the best in each category receiving one point and the worst receiving eight. The points are totaled to produce the playoff rankings.

1. San Diego 2. Arizona 3. Philadelphia 4. NY Giants 5. Pittsburgh 6. Carolina 7. Tennessee 8. Baltimore

The Class of 1983 has long been viewed as the greatest quarterback draft in NFL history, producing six first-rounders, including Hall of Famers John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. Don't look now, but here comes the Class of 2004. First-rounders Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh) and Eli Manning (NY) have already won Super Bowls, and there's no hotter quarterback than San Diego's Philip Rivers. He's thrown 11 TD passes and only two interceptions in San Diego's current five-game winning streak. Kurt Warner (Arizona) also has won a Super Bowl, and Donovan McNabb (Philadelphia), Jake Delhomme (Carolina) and Kerry Collins (Tennessee) have started Super Bowls. Baltimore rookie Joe Flacco has thrown for only three TDs in his last five games.

1. NY Giants 2. Carolina 3. Tennessee 4. Baltimore 5. Philadelphia 6. San Diego 7. Pittsburgh 8. Arizona

The Giants led the NFL in rushing, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Brandon Jacobs hit 100 yards four times, Derrick Ward twice, and Ahmad Bradshaw topped off at 96 yards against Baltimore. Carolina packs a 1-2 punch in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, who combined for a league-high 10 100-yard rushing games this season. Tennessee also unleashed a Smash-and-Dash combination in LenDale White and rookie Chris Johnson to finish seventh in the NFL in rushing. Baltimore has gone with a big back (Le'Ron McClain) late in the year, and Brian Westbrook has had his struggles this season in Philadelphia, as has Willie Parker in Pittsburgh. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 1,100 yards in 2008 but has been slowed by a strained groin, which leaves Darren Sproles to carry the mail. The Cardinals ranked last in the NFL in rushing.

1. Arizona 2. Carolina 3. San Diego 4. Pittsburgh 5. Baltimore 6. Philadelphia 7. Tennessee 8. NY Giants

The Cardinals' offense benefited from an NFL rarity – three 1,000-yard receivers in Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston. They combined for an NFL-high 13 100-yard games, and Boldin and Fitzgerald are Pro Bowl-bound. The only other wide receiver headed to the Pro Bowl in this playoff field is Carolina's Steve Smith, and the only tight end headed to Hawaii is San Diego's Antonio Gates. Derrick Mason (Baltimore), Hines Ward (Pittsburgh) and Vincent Jackson (San Diego) are the only other 1,000-yard receivers still playing. Steve Smith was New York's leading receiver with 57 catches yet doesn't even start for the Giants, who will be without their suspended Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress. Rookie DeSean Jackson led the Eagles with 62 catches but scored only two TDs. Backup TE Bo Scaife led the Titans with 58 catches.

1. NY Giants 2. Tennessee 3. Carolina 4. San Diego 5. Baltimore 6. Philadelphia 7. Arizona 8. Pittsburgh

The Giants and Titans have two Pro Bowl blockers apiece – C Shaun O'Hara and G Chris Snee for New York and C Kevin Mawae and OT Michael Roos for Tennessee. The Titans allowed a league-low 12 sacks, and the Giants led the NFL in rushing. Carolina allowed fewer sacks (20) than the Giants (27) and finished third in the NFL in rushing, but the Panthers lost starting guard Keydrick Vincent in December with a season-ending groin injury. The Ravens also finished in the top five in rushing but are also without a starting guard, Marshal Yanda, who missed the final 11 games with a knee injury. The Steelers allowed 49 sacks, tops in the playoff field, and the Cardinals finished last in the NFL in rushing with an average of 3.5 yards per carry. The Eagles have a pair of aging tackles in Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas, and Pittsburgh is without two starters up front.

1. Tennessee 2. NY Giants 3. Philadelphia 4. Carolina 5. Pittsburgh 6. Baltimore 7. San Diego 8. Arizona

There are only three Pro Bowlers among the 29 defensive linemen who will start this weekend: Titans tackle Albert Haynesworth and ends Julius Peppers of the Panthers and Justin Tuck of the Giants. Tennessee finished sixth in the NFL in run defense and got 38½ sacks from its line, tops in the playoff field. The Giants were next with 37, followed by the Eagles with 34½. New York and Philadelphia also ranked in the top 10 in run defense. Pittsburgh, Baltimore and San Diego all play 3-4 defensive fronts, so their linemen are more focused on run defense than on the pass rush. The Steelers finished second in the NFL against the run, the Ravens third and the Chargers 11th. Carolina allowed four 100-yard rushing games, tops in this field. In the last three games Arizona has opened in a 4-3, a 3-3 and a 3-4 and managed a combined five sacks.

1. Pittsburgh 2. Baltimore 3. Tennessee 4. San Diego 5. Carolina 6. NY Giants 7. Philadelphia 8. Arizona

Pittsburgh weakside linebacker James Harrison was named the AP's Defensive Player of the Year with his franchise-record 16 sacks and NFL-leading seven forced fumbles. Pittsburgh strongside backer LaMarr Woodley also was an MVP candidate with his 11½ sacks and NFL-high four fumble recoveries. Inside backer James Farrior is joining Harrison in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. The Ravens also are sending two LBs, Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs. Carolina's Jon Beason is the only other linebacker in the playoff field going to the Pro Bowl. New York and Philadelphia have workmanlike linebacking corps that helped those teams finish in the top 10 in run defense. Tennessee's Keith Bulluck and Arizona's Karlos Dansby are playmakers. San Diego has had to play the entire season without its best linebacker, Shawne Merriman, because of injury.

1. Pittsburgh 2. Baltimore 3. Philadelphia 4. Tennessee 5. NY Giants 6. Carolina 7. San Diego 8. Arizona

Baltimore's Ed Reed is the best defensive back in the game. His Ravens led the NFL with 26 interceptions and allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete a league-low 52.3 percent of their passes. But Baltimore is playing without CB Chris McAllister and SS Dawan Landry because of injuries. The Steelers led the NFL in pass defense and allowed only 12 touchdowns. Neither Pittsburgh nor Baltimore allowed a 300-yard passer, and the Giants and Ravens allowed only two 100-yard receivers. Philadelphia and Tennessee are sending two defensive backs apiece to the Pro Bowl – CB Asante Samuel and SS Brian Dawkins of the Eagles, CB Courtland Finnegan and FS Chris Hope of the Titans. The Panthers intercepted only 12 passes, San Diego allowed opposing QBs to complete 67.9 percent of their passes, and Arizona allowed a staggering 36 TD passes.

1. Carolina 2. San Diego 3. NY Giants 4. Tennessee 5. Pittsburgh 6. Baltimore 7. Arizona 8. Philadelphia

The Giants have a Pro Bowl kicker (John Carney) and punter (Jeff Feagles), and both the Cardinals (Sean Morey) and Ravens (Brendon Ayanbadejo) have Pro Bowl kick coverage players. Pittsburgh ranks in the top five in kickoff and punt coverage, and Carolina ranks in the top 10 in both. The Chargers are the only team in the field that ranks in both the top 10 in kickoff and punt returns. San Diego also has the best net punting average in the field at 40.9 yards, while Carolina led the NFL with 30 touchbacks on kickoffs. The Eagles have allowed four touchdowns on special teams, tops in the field. Also, Philadelphia has turned the ball over three times in the kicking game and suffered four blocked kicks. The Titans have the fewest negative plays – one snap fumbled away by punter Craig Hentrich. The Cardinals scored three TDs on special teams.

1. Tennessee 2. NY Giants 3. Philadelphia 4. Carolina 5. Pittsburgh 6. San Diego 7. Baltimore 8. Arizona

Tom Coughlin of the Giants is the only coach in this field who has won a Super Bowl, but three other coaches have taken teams to the NFL title game: Jeff Fisher of the Titans, Andy Reid of the Eagles and John Fox of the Panthers. Reid has won more games than any other NFC coach this decade. Pittsburgh's Dick LeBeau is the NFL's best defensive coordinator. Norv Turner has rebuilt his coaching stock in San Diego, taking the Chargers to the AFC title game in 2007 and winning out in December to overcome the Broncos for another AFC West title. John Harbaugh is in his first season as a head coach with the Ravens. Ken Whisenhunt is in his second year at Arizona and also is making his playoff debut. Both are 1-0 heading into this weekend.