1. SEAHAWKS: The Seahawks showed why they’re the team to beat again this year in a 31-17 win over Carolina last weekend. And here’s the key: That’s the most points Seattle has allowed since Week 11. The Packers present a much tougher challenge, but the league’s best home-field advantage should be enough to get the Seahawks to their second straight Super Bowl.

2. PACKERS: The Pack has the league’s best player and a first-round bye, and they’ve won seven of their last eight games, including an impressive victory over the Pats at Lambeau Field. The only question is whether this high-powered offense can outplay the Seahawks defense in Seattle.

3. PATRIOTS: New England trailed the Ravens by 14 points not once but twice last week. They got the job done, thanks in part to Bill Belichick’s trickery, but they’ll need to play better to beat the Colts. That said, the Pats are still the better all-around team and they’ve been here before.

4. COLTS: The Colts have played great football in knocking off the Bengals and Broncos the past two weeks. There’s no doubt that Andrew Luck is ready to lead a Super Bowl team, and the defense is playing the best it has all year, thanks largely to the return of a healthy Arthur Jones at defensive end. They’ll play the Pats much closer than they did in a 42-20 loss in Week 11, but it still feels like this Colts club is still a year away from taking the next step.