Who are the contenders and pretenders?

By Craig Hardesty Sports Central Columnist

Remember the days when you were (almost) willing to bet your car that the Cowboys or 49ers, or even the Bills, were going to make it to the Super Bowl?

Remember when you would have been willing to make that bet in September, if not August?

Well, here we are in Week 11 of the NFL season, and most of us are still trying to figure out who the contenders and the pretenders are. The playoffs are just around the corner, and we are no closer to finding the cream of the crop in the NFL than we are to finding life on Mars.

Oh, sure. The St. Louis Rams and the Oakland Raiders look pretty good. But, are they Super Bowl bound? Aren't we talking about a Rams team that can't seem to defeat the New Orleans Saints -- the 6-5 New Orleans Saints?

And what about those Ray-duhs? They were looking pretty good until Shawn Alexander made their run defense look like a block of Swiss cheese. Can you really pick a team to go to the Super Bowl that can't seem to tackle the opposing teams running backs?

Or maybe you think the Saints will make it to the Super Bowl? Did we mention that New Orleans is 6-5 and just lost to the Patriots?

The Colts are pretty good, aren't they? Nope, they have no defense.

The Ravens are pretty good, aren't they? Nope, they have no offense.

Well, the Titans are still contenders, right? Nope, they have no offense -- or defense.

Anyone out there still rooting for San Francisco? Can you trust a team where the star receiver hates the head coach and vice versa, and will then get on national television and say so?

Is there any team out there worth hanging your hat on?

Go out on a limb and declare the Rams to be Super Bowl favorites. Even if they can't beat a very "iffy" Saints team, the Rams still have the most potent offensive attack in the league. And their defense, though young and somewhat unproven, is certainly better than their defense of last year.

So go ahead and pencil in the St. Louis Rams to make it to the Super Bowl.

Just don't bet on it.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.