My answer on who will represent the AFC and NFC has already changed about 20 times during the preseason.

When you examine this year’s NFL landscape there are nine teams that if everything broke correctly, could win the Super Bowl:

1. Giants
2. Eagles
3. Packers
4. Saints
5. 49ers
6. Patriots
7. Ravens
8. Steelers
9. Texans

All fatally flawed, this will come down to which of the nine can cover up their biggest weakness best.

Out of the NFC, I’m going with Green Bay. Moderate defensive improvement from last year’s impotent display and Aaron Rodgers playing at a comparable or relatively close level to last year can get them back to the big game. Manufacturing a running game will be critical for them to win it.

As for the AFC, the knee-jerk reaction is to pick the Patriots and that’s what I’ve settled on throughout the preseason. Here is why I’m going against my better judgment and going with New England:

• Matt Schaub
• Joe Flacco
• The corpse of Ben Roethlisberger

I don’t trust any of those entities to get it done against the Patriots. If you can guarantee me Houston’s health, I’d pick them. If you can guarantee Pittsburgh not looking like a bunch 40-year-olds playing flag football by the playoffs, I’d go with them.

If you can guarantee me the 2000 Ravens will play defense in Baltimore, then I’d pick them.

None of these things are likely to happen. Alas, I’ll go with New England again.

Trite and boring but those two teams had the NFL’s best record last year; only Green Bay’s shoddy defense prevented a Super Bowl XLVI get-together  last season.

When the dust settles in New Orleans, it will end with New England raising the Lombardi Trophy.

FINAL SCORE: NEW ENGLAND 27, GREEN BAY 26 

The biggest loser of Super Bowl XLVII? Not Green Bay…but the Saints.

New Orleans, where the game will take place, would clock both of these teams with Sean Payton in tow.