Now that the playoff seeds are set in stone for the AFC, lets take a look at all the teams and see what’s in store for us as the 2007 NFL playoffs are set to kick off.

New England Patriots: The NFL’s first 16-0 team is riding high, having not lost since about this time last year. They’ll be staying put at Gillette throughout the playoffs and will undoubtedly be tough to beat. If the weather starts to turn frightful in New England, however, look for other teams to have a considerable advantage. The Patriots won’t throw the ball 50 times in sleet and snow, so it’ll turn out to be a battle of running games. The AFC has plenty of fine running backs (Fred Taylor, Joseph Addai, LT, Maurice Jones-Drew) that are all considerably better than Laurence Maroney.

Indianapolis Colts: My oh my, look who has returned. The World Champions from a year ago have returned as the number two seed yet again and, unlike last year, have gotten absolutely no hype whatsoever due in part to the whole “Patriots not losing a game” thing. The Colts have been riddled with injuries all year, having to resort to guys like Crasphonso Thorpe (I know, who?) to play wide receiver and guys who I’ve never heard of on their defensive line. The good news is that they’ll be fully healthy (with the exception of Dwight Freeney) come two weeks from now when they host their playoff game in the sterile environment of the RCA Dome. Nobody’s talking about them but look out for Indy. With Bob Sanders back and the always dangerous Peyton Manning the Colts might quietly put the rest of the AFC to shame.

San Diego Chargers: The first seed from last year returns as the number three seed in a season that was riddled with inconsistency and confusion. How good is this team? Nobody really knows. They still have the best running back in the game (sorry Adrian Peterson) and their defense is one of the best in the NFL. In the playoffs it comes down to a team’s ability to establish the run and stop the run; both things the Chargers do well. Thus the pressure will be on second year starter Philip Rivers who hasn’t had a great season but has come on strong as of late. People talk about teams they do and don’t want to play; can we consider the Chargers one of those teams? They’ve won 10 of their last 12 games.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers have taken the number four seed, fending off the pesky Browns and taking the AFC North title. Despite losing running back Willie Parker and defensive lineman Aaron Smith, the Steelers are still incredibly dangerous. Ben Roethlisberger has had his best season as a pro, slinging for 32 touchdowns and quietly guiding this team. The Steelers defense, despite ignorant guarantees from a rookie safety, is the best in the NFL. They’ve drawn the toughest match up in the first round, having to go heads up with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rematch of week 15 when they lost to the Jags at Heinz Field. Another one of those grinder teams, the Steelers are built for the playoffs and built for harsh weather. Known more for the dump he took in his girlfriend’s closet in college than his running abilities, Najeh Davenport will have to step up and grind it out to wear down the Jags defense and, should they beat the Jags, New England’s defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Here they are, the team that ESPN has forced you to believe in. This is the team that nobody wants to play in the playoffs; though I was always under the impression that everyone in the playoffs was a team you didn’t want to play seeing as it is a grouping of the best six teams from each conference. The Jaguars running attack of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones Drew rehashes memories of Tiki Barber and No-Gain Ron Dayne with the Giants in 2000 as a deadly running back combination. David Garrard doesn’t make bad decisions; he’s thrown only three passes to the other team all season while connecting with his own team for 18 touchdowns. The most feared part of this team has to be its defense, led by the freaks of nature up front. Marcus Stroud and John Henderson are two big boys and I’m pretty convinced that Henderson is actually out of his mind.

Tennessee Titans: The final team in the AFC playoff picture has rebounded nicely after all but being eliminated following a week 14 loss to the same Charger team they’ll face this coming week. With a little choke job from Cleveland and some grace from the football Gods, the Titans are looking to play spoiler and surprise some teams. Vince Young, who was hurt last night versus the Colts, should be back for the Titans though I think Charger fans would all rather see drunk back up quarterback Kerry Collins taking the snaps. The Titans are another team that does an outstanding job defending the run and also moves the ball well on the ground with running backs LenDale White and Chris Brown. Then there’s Young who, despite his 9 touchdown to 17 interception season, somehow wins games with his arm and his legs. I know, I’m confused too.