The rule is you're allowed to root for another team in the other conference, as long as it's clear who your #1 team is. Really you shouldn't start thinking about this second team until your team is knocked out of the playoffs. Also, you can't ever say you'd be happy either way. If the Chiefs lost the Super Bowl, even to my NFC team, I'd be crushed.
For the longest time, I never had an NFC team. Until I married into one: the New Orleans Saints.
Now I should be clear, I wouldn't have just hopped on board with any NFC team. Bears and Lions would have been off limits. As would the Cowboys and 49ers based on having grown up when I did. For the same reason, but to a lesser extent, I would have had a hard time rooting for the Eagles, Giants, and the Packers if Brett Favre was still there. That only leaves 9 teams.
So I married into secondary Saints fandom (Brit's Dad is from Louisiana and the Saints are a fixture in that house). As I noted three years ago, the Saints are a good underdog to root for historically. In their 40+year history, they've won two playoff games. A wild-card win at the Rams in 2000 and their first home playoff win--vs the Eagles in the divisional round of 2006.
Which means that their conference championship loss at the Bears, was the farthest they've ever been in the playoffs. A win on Saturday would give them their first conference championship at home.
But can they beat the Cardinals?
- - -
I have experience in watching a team with a bye lose in the divisional round. In 2003, the Chiefs started 9-0. They finished 13-3 which means losing 3 of 7 down the stretch. In those losses, the Chiefs defense got exposed.
When the Chiefs hosted the Colts in the divisional round, neither team punted, for the first time in playoff history. The Chiefs only lost by 7, but the problem was their defense. In the playoffs, they were exposed as having a flaw too big to overcome.
So looking forward to this weekend's games there are two questions.
Who are the bye teams that got a good record despite having a fatal flaw?
And are there any teams as good as the 2003 Colts?
1. The Colts don't seem to have a fatal flaw. (Unless you want to count resting their players)
The Saints don't always play up to their abilities, especially early. Also, their defense isn't strong.
The Vikings might have been a first half of the season team.
And the Chargers might not have a solid defense either.
2. The Ravens, Cowboys, and Cardinals all seem capable of winning more games.
Based on this formula it seems the Colts are safe (because of no fatal flaw) and the Chargers are safe (because of the Jets).
But the Vikings and Saints look like it will come down to the end, and who makes the big play.
So straight up, I'll take:
Colts
Chargers
Saints
Cowboys
With the spread:
Colts -7
Jets +8
Cardinals +7
Cowboys +3
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