At the midway point of the season, who are the favourites to make it to Indianapolis for Super Bowl 46?

Liam Quinn: Undefeated Green Bay is the automatic NFC choice. The Packers have looked brilliant so far in 2011, and appear to be getting better with each passing week. Aaron Rodgers would have to be the consensus pick for MVP at the moment; he's simply on another level right now. However, the one chink in the Packers armour is a surprisingly poor pass defense. Going into Week Nine, they were ranked 31st in the league against the pass. At some point, those struggles could come back to haunt them.

Ed Wyatt: Have to agree with you. Rodgers and the offense are so efficient at the moment, that no one can keep up with them, even the high-powered Saints. I also concur that the pass defense could be an issue. Like New England, the Packers could end up in a "whoever scores last, wins" game and that's a risky proposition.

LQ: From the AFC, I'm going with the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore hasn't looked amazing all year - those losses to Tennessee and Jacksonville were ugly defeats - but their wins have been very impressive. They dominated the New York Jets, Houston and St Louis, and they've scored two impressive wins over their archrivals Pittsburgh. If the Ravens hold firm, the AFC now has to go through Baltimore.

EW: A few weeks ago, I would have said the Patriots, but their defense is just too porous. Believe it or not, I'm going with the New York Jets. They know how to win close games and they've got a superb defense and a reasonably balanced, if unpredictable offense. I have a lot of respect for the way Rex Ryan commands a team and I think they'll be good down the stretch.

What team has been the biggest surprise so far?

LQ: It's tempting to say the 7-1 San Francisco 49ers, but I'm going with a different choice. The Cincinnati Bengals are the biggest surprise, with a record of 6-2. Even though the Niners have the better record, the overall strength of the Bengals division - AFC North - gives them the edge. Consider the fact that the Bengals share a division with Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two of the perennial powerhouses, and are tied for the lead with both. The Niners on the other hand, share a division with St Louis, Arizona and Seattle.

EW: Liam, you stole my thunder again! But keep in mind, the Bengals still have four games left against the Steelers and Ravens, so I'll go with the 49ers. This is a team that many have picked to win the NFC West for the past couple of years, yet they continually failed to deliver. This season, with new coach Jim Harbaugh in charge, San Francisco has put it all together. Much-maligned quarterback Alex Smith is having a great season and the defense has been solid. There's a good chance the Niners will clinch the division in the next few weeks, and end up with not only a home playoff game, but a first round bye.

Biggest disappointment?

LQ: San Diego Chargers. I know the Chargers are currently atop the AFC West, and in all likelihood, will win the division. But the Chargers have hardly impressed, especially considering they were picked by many to contend for the Super Bowl. San Diego is 4-4, but three of those wins have come against sub-.500 teams (Minnesota, Denver and Miami). To make matters worse, the second half of San Diego's schedule is much tougher. In the final four weeks, the Chargers must play Buffalo and Baltimore at home, then go to Detroit and Oakland. On current form, they'll be lucky to win two of those.

EW: This may be a strange pick, but I'm going to say the St. Louis Rams. This was a team on the move, with a good young quarterback in Sam Bradford and a decent runner in Steven Jackson. After finishing 7-9 last year, many - myself included - thought the Rams were ready to win the NFC West. To be fair, they've had a brutal schedule and some crippling injuries, but I don't think anyone expected St. Louis to be 1-7 at the halfway point.

Every year, a sleeper seems to emerge late in the year. Who are the biggest dark-horse contenders that could make a late run at the Super Bowl?

LQ: Dallas Cowboys. If not for late-game Tony Romo meltdowns, ‘Big D' could very easily be 6-2, or even 7-1. The argument could be made that they outplayed the Jets, Lions and Patriots, only to suffer narrow defeats. If the Cowboys can avoid beating themselves, a late charge isn't beyond them. At 4-4, the Cowboys are still in the playoff hunt, and providing they can eliminate their mistakes, they could make some noise in the playoffs.

EW: New York Giants. While pre-season favourites Philadelphia (3-4) and Dallas (4-4) are battling away, the Giants are 6-2 and leading the NFC East. Eli Manning is quietly having a remarkable season, and although Tom Coughlin's men have a brutal second half schedule (including San Francisco, Philadelphia, Green Bay and Dallas twice) this past weekend's win over New England was a great way to kick off a charge towards the post-season.