But as the NFL reaches its halfway mark, we decided to put our experts on the spot. We asked them to project the matchup for Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta on Jan. 30. Here's what they said:

Sean Salisbury	St. Louis Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Miami has a great team, but Jacksonville has more offense. The Rams have proven they are a much better defensive team than people give them credit. Plus, they have offensive weapons. Defense doesn't necessarily win championships anymore. You need a good defense, but if you have great offensive weapons and can score, which both the Rams and Jaguars do, you will beat most teams. The last eight Super Bowl winners have been in the top five in total offense. To me, offense wins championships -- and the Rams and Jaguars have it.
Chris Mortensen	St. Louis Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Both teams' schedules are favorable to them in the race for home-field advantage, which will be more significant for St. Louis, since the Rams are a dome team. They still have a wealth of talent and continue to get better. Having faced a little bit of adversity the last two weeks will help them. I suspect Minnesota could make a run, but looking at the NFC landscape, it's not a strong conference. Not only are the Jaguars going to get home-field advantage in the AFC, but they are also starting to put everything together. What Dom Capers has done with that defense is phenomenal. They are now on a record pace and fulfilling the potential of several No. 1 picks, like Tony Brackens, Kevin Hardy and Fernando Bryant. With Fred Taylor back and Mark Brunell looking more comfortable, the Jaguars are the best team in football.
John Clayton	Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins Who are the two best teams that could go to St. Louis and Jacksonville -- the two teams I figure will have home-field advantage -- and win a game? I think the Vikings can go to St. Louis and beat the Rams, who would be highly favored like the Vikings were against the Falcons last year. Consequently, the Jaguars should win 14-15 games, but they haven't really haven't played at a high level yet. They haven't shown an ability to come behind, and that could play a factor in each of the two playoff games they play. Going into Week 10, I like the Vikings and the Dolphins.
Joe Theismann	St. Louis Rams vs. Indianapolis Colts The Rams have speed, balance in their running attack, and a quarterback who is operating at an efficient level. In the AFC, it would be between the Dolphins and the Colts. I like the Colts because offensively they are the only team that might be able to handle Miami's defense. They have the good runner and a smart quarterback and make big plays. Miami still has too much youth on offense.
Merril Hoge	St. Louis Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars These two clubs have the most balanced teams. They can score with the pass and the run. Defensively, they pose a lot of problems to opposing offenses and match up well in the passing game. They have good run defenses and special teams. They are the most complete teams in their respective conferences.
Andrea Kremer	St. Louis Rams vs. Jacksonville Jaguars The Jaguars are playing well, and the scary thing about it is that they are just beginning to feel comfortable in Dom Capers' defense. The offense still has to click more, especially with the return of Fred Taylor and Mark Brunell still being mixed up. They aren't where they need to be yet, but they are solid in every phase of the game and are playoff tested. Even though the Rams have faltered the last two weeks, they have an unflappable quarterback who seems unphased at whatever circumstances he faces. Their defense concerns me in addition to their lack of playoff experience. But in terms of personnel and because of their weak schedule, the Rams should coast through the rest of the regular season. There isn't formidable competition in the NFC this year.
Greg Garber	Minnesota Vikings vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville was the top team coming into the season. Dom Capers has the defense playing better than most people ever imagined. They had nine sacks last week in Atlanta and now have 35 on the season. Remember, this defense had just 30 sacks in all of 1998. So they have a nice, efficient offense and a defense that has added some teeth. In this season, it doesn't take much to be the best team. You take the team with the fewest weaknesses, and that's Jacksonville.