With the rest of the NFC staring up at the Green Bay Packers, it's more of a battle to see which team will eventually play them and not to see if any of them are their equal. The 49ers, Cowboys, and Lions have already played on Thanksgiving, so few NFC playoff challengers still have games to play.
Chicago Bears. Because they have always played the Packers tough, I consider them as dangerous as any team in the NFC. Obviously the loss of Jay Cutler will make a difference. I'm not sold on Caleb Hanie, but I do believe he can be effective. His first test will be a road game in Oakland.
Giants at Saints. After the Bears game, we'll have to wait until Monday night to watch this one. I had been concerned that the Giants may have the offense to keep pace with the Packers in a playoff game, but injuries have sabotaged their season. It's not clear they'll even make the playoffs.
The Saints certainly have the offense to keep pace with the Packers offense (see Week 1 at Lambeau) but their defense still leaves something to be desired. I don't expect to see anything different from them on Monday night. And they're no lock for the playoffs either: they still have to win the NFC South though they currently have the lead.