By Tim Cohn

Only four teams remain in the hunt for Super Bowl XLVII: the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, and the New England Patriots. This list comes as a surprise to many NFL fans who didn't think that the Giants or the 49ers had a chance in the preseason, or to the naysayers that doubted the Ravens ability. In a season of surprises, it seems fitting that these teams are in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy.

The New York Giants

Nobody thought that the Giants had a chance in the midseason. The Giants seemed destined for mediocrity after their four-game losing streak. But after the convincing win over the Dallas Cowboys in their regular-season finale, the Giants had managed to get a playoffs spot. From there, the Giants never looked back. The Giants won 24-2 over the ten-win Atlanta Falcons, and even more astonishing, the G-men cruised past the NFL's best Packers at Lambeau in their 17 point victory. On Sunday, the Giants will face the resurgent San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. Eli Manning has a chance in this game, and potentially the Super Bowl, to secure his place in history as an elite quarterback.

San Francisco 49ers

Their season was nothing short of a miracle. A season ago, the 49ers were a six-win team, and their head coach was fired. The 49ers hired the former Stanford University coach, Jim Harbaugh, who led a massive turnaround during his tenure in Palo Alto. This season, the 49ers had one of the stingiest defenses, and the offense blossomed under quarterback Alex Smith. After winning the NFC west title and clinching a first round bye, the Niners defeated the New Orleans Saints. The San Francisco defense will have to shut down the Giant's running back tandem of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs in this wet and sloppy game in San Francisco.

Baltimore Ravens

It's all about defense with the Ravens. Statistically, the Ravens are the second best rush defense (behind the 49ers) and fourth best against the pass. This primarily defensive team will face an offensive juggernaut in Foxborough this weekend. Their biggest challenge is stopping Tom Brady and his receiving corps of Rob Gronkowski, and Wes Welker. The offense will be led by their improved quarter back, Joe Flacco, and 1300 yard rusher, Ray Rice. The Ravens come off a 7-point win against the Houston Texans after a first round bye.

New England Patriots

The Patriots this year did not do well defensively, but that didn't stop them from making it to the AFC Championship game. Tom Brady will have to overcome the Ravens stifling defense to get to his fifth super bowl appearance. Last week, the Patriots beat the Broncos 45 - 10 in perhaps their most convincing victory of the season. Standout players Rob Gronkowski and Wes Welker will have to make big plays to defeat the Ravens.