They arrived at training camp in July, with visions of postseason celebrations dancing in their heads. Thirty-one teams entered the fray that was the 2000 regular season, and only 12 are left to tackle the postseason. We analyze what it will take to knock off the teams who are playoff bound.

Here is the breakdown for all of the playoff contenders in the NFC. For a breakdown of the playoff contenders in the AFC, click here.

NFC East
To beat the Giants you must ...
1. Try to rattle quarterback Kerry Collins early. When he gets off to a good start, the Giants can become almost unbeatable.

	Rattling Collins is one of the keys to beating New York.

2. Load up against the run to stop Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber. That will force the Giants to play more multiple-wide receiver sets, which they can do, but aren't great at.

3. Make Collins throw 35-40 time a game. While Collins is playing pretty well, throwing every down isn't the way the Giants want to play.

4. Do damage in the return game. Kicker Brad Daluiso's kickoffs have been short and have led to good field position for opponents.

5. Throw the ball early and often. The Giants are outstanding vs. the run but they give up some plays in the secondary. Target cornerback Dave Thomas, who is not as good as Jason Sehorn.

To beat the Eagles you must ...
1. Contain Donovan McNabb, the wily young quarterback who does damage with his arm and legs. Assign a spy to keep an eye on him, but it had better be a player with outstanding mobility to keep McNabb from getting outside the pocket.

2. Don't expend too much energy trying to stop the run. McNabb is the only runner who is truly dangerous.

3. Cover tight end Chad Lewis tightly, as he is the team's top receiving target.

4. Run the ball. The Eagles' pass rush is good, and that helps the already solid secondary. But there have been several games in which the opponent has posted big numbers on the ground.

5. Avoid a close game at the end, as kicker David Akers has proven he can handle the pressure and kick game-winning field goals.

NFC Central
To beat the Vikings you must ...
1. Spread out their defense with multiple-wide receiver sets and throw medium-deep passes underneath the safeties. In lieu of their cornerback problems, the Vikings play a lot of two-deep coverage, meaning their safeties are kept deep to help the corners. In Week 15, the Rams were very successful by simply taking what was given to them. Coming at them with touchdowns rather than field goals also helps.

2. Take running back Robert Smith out of the game. Of course, that's easier said than done because it requires you to figure out a way to defend the run without committing a safety.

3. The longer you can keep the Vikings' high-powered offense off the field, the better. But even that doesn't guarantee you success. The Vikings have proved to be a very versatile team. They can control the clock themselves with Smith or go for broke with wide receivers Cris Carter and Randy Moss.

4. With controlling the clock comes running the ball, and the Vikings haven't been able to stop the run consistently.

To beat the Buccaneers you must ...
1. Attack with a power running game. There are two reasons running the ball is helpful against the Buccaneers: It allows you to keep the game close, and it wears down a smallish Bucs defense. Assistant head coach Herman Edwards has said the unit can last about 55-60 plays before fatigue sets in.

2. Utilize three-receiver sets. With an extra receiver on the field, you'll face one fewer linebacker. After the defensive line, linebacker is the Bucs' strongest position.

3. Force quarterback Shaun King to beat you. That means stopping the run, a long-time staple of the Bucs' offense. King has yet to fully prove he can lead the Bucs through the air, though he has shown flashes.

4. Attack the offensive tackles. The strength of the Bucs' front line is inside, where center Jeff Christy and offensive guards Randall McDaniel and Frank Middleton reside. Offensive right tackle Jerry Wunsch and rotating offensive left tackles Pete Pierson and George Hegamin aren't as talented.

5. Do not turn the ball over. The Bucs usually capitalize.

NFC West
To beat the Saints you must ...
1. Put as much pressure as possible on quarterback Aaron Brooks. Even though he has displayed amazing poise since taking over for Jeff Blake, Brooks is still a young guy who could tighten up with everything on the line.

2. Figure out a way to run against the Saints' defense, like Denver did in its Week 14 victory. The Saints thrive in passing situations and love to blitz whenever possible. But if you can keep them guessing with the threat of a run, they could become vulnerable. Controlling space-eater defensive tackle Norman Hand is a key.

3. Win the special-teams battle. The Saints have had problems with their punt and kickoff-return coverage all season. Busting a few big returns could reap big dividends.

4. Attack the Saints' safeties. While Sammy Knight and Darren Perry have done a solid job, they don't have a lot of speed. Of course, you first have to effectively fend off the Saints' potent pass rush.

5. Stay on your toes, and be ready for anything. Rookie head coach Jim Haslett loves to take risks and stay aggressive.

To beat the Rams you must ...
1. Take away the big play, which is the Rams' forte. Defenders must keep the action in front of them but avoid leaving too much room underneath, which is where Marshall Faulk can wreak havoc if given enough room.

2. Go with a ball-control offense that controls the clock and keeps the Rams' ever-dangerous offense off the field. Avoid getting into a track meet, which is a sure signal for disaster.

3. Keep the Rams' offense from getting off to a fast start. If the Rams score right out of the chute, like they did vs. the Vikings in Week 15, they will establish confidence and be very hard to stop.

4. Contain the Rams' pass rush and work the corners over. The Rams' coverage has been suspect most of the season, especially deep.

5. Do a good job on special teams. The Rams' return specialists have coughed up the ball and made ill-advised decisions quite a bit this season. They also have had a hard time with onside kicks.

Material from Pro Football Weekly.
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