Also people are going fucking loco over this packers team... why suddenly are they clear SB contenders?
Process of elimination.
Seahawks: It's been nearly a decade since the SB winner won even one playoff game the next year, so they're out.
49ers: A rash of injuries/suspensions in a tough division, so they're out.
Saints: Their defense is even worse than the Packers', so they're out.
Bears: Receivers are better, but the entire roster is worse than the Packers', so they're out.
Eagles: People aren't sure if their offense is a mirage or not, and likely every DC spent their summer break scheming how to stop it.
Falcons, Lions, Bucs, etc.: Too far of a jump in one season, so they're out.
Really, their only logical choice is the Packers.
Needless to say, I'm not booking my ticket to Arizona yet. First off, the Packers are one more OL injury away from being a one-and-done playoff team. Second, NO probably wins if the game is in NO. Third, this year's 49ers seem like exactly the sort of team that seems dead after Week 9 or so, only to squeeze into the last Wildcard and kill the Packers in the playoffs yet again. Fourth, the Falcons are hardly a perennial door mat, and if they get in, could upset a team or two before they get knocked out. Fifth, the Eagles could be for real. And most importantly...
Sixth: There's no sign the Seahawks will stumble in the playoffs. Most of your Super Bowl slumps are explainable: Retriement / Salary Cap for the Ravens, the Packers ran into their kryptonite in the Giants, etc. The Seahawks lost far less than most SB winners and they have few kryptonite teams.
As hyperbolic as it sounds, tonight's game probably sets if Seattle gets the 1st seed or not. And if they do, the only real danger for them not getting back to the Super Bowl is the 49ers coming to town for the upset.