Advantage NFC

For the past couple of years it seems the best professional football teams have all been in the AFC -- the big three being the Patriots, the Colts and the Chargers. In most rankings, an NFC team finished no higher than fourth.

Most everyone assumed the Patriots, what with Tom Brady at quarterback and their always easy schedule, would cruise back to the Super Bowl this season. But then Brady was injured in yesterday's season-opening game, begging the question which team will succeed New England as rulers of the AFC. The obvious answer would be either the Colts or the Chargers.

I know one week doesn't mean that much but take a good look at yesterday's results. Both the Colts and the Chargers were beaten at home by NFC teams, the Chargers losing in the last second to Carolina and the Colts being soundly thumped by Chicago in the first game in Indianapolis' new stadium. Is the NFL's balance of power shifting?