Story Lines

1. Brett Favre in a Barney costume » Well, not quite. The Vikings are at Cleveland this weekend, which means road whites. Still, No. 4 returns after a long, uh … offseason … away from football. Is Favre really making a comeback if he never actually misses any games? Regardless, his presence turns the Vikings into conference title contenders, provided, of course, that he has enough gas left in the tank to slug through the whole season. But there’s one thing that still irks us here. The Vikings are a running team. They can win 10 games this year simply by handing the ball to Adrian Peterson all day. They need a game-manager who can protect the ball, limit mistakes and keep a defense honest. Does Favre, the ultimate gunslinger, strike you as that kind of guy? We didn’t think so.

2. T.O. toes the line » Even though Terrell Owens joked on Twitter that the firing of Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert was his fault, it couldn’t be true — Owens played exactly one preseason series for his new team due to a toe injury. Maybe that’s the best way for Owens to keep from being a disruption (by the way, VH1 has picked up a second season of his reality show). For now, head coach Dick Jauron has bigger problems with his no-huddle offense. But would anyone be surprised to see Owens get bent out of shape when his first game for the Bills is easily overshadowed by New England QB Tom Brady’s return?

3. Out with the old, in with the new » After rookie coaches Tony Sparano (Miami), Mike Smith (Atlanta), and John Harbaugh (Baltimore) drove their teams to the playoffs in 2008, the NFL went copycat. So this year, when a record 11 new coaches take over, nine are in their first year. The youngest are 33-year-olds Josh McDaniels (Denver) and Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay). The other rookies are Steve Spagnuolo (St. Louis), Todd Haley (Kansas City), Rex Ryan (New York Jets), Tom Cable (Oakland), Jim Schwartz (Detroit), Jim Caldwell (Indianapolis), and, bringing up the rear, Mike Singletary (San Francisco). It will be interesting to see how the new coaches fare in Week 1 when all, except Caldwell (the oldest of the group at 54) are underdogs.

Upset Special

Browns over Vikings

The Brett Favre Era will get off to a rocky start when the Vikings travel to Cleveland on Sunday. Brady Quinn was named the Browns starting quarterback and is part of a group with a ton to prove after last year’s 4-12 disaster. New coach Eric Mangini has installed a much-needed sense of discipline. No, Cleveland isn’t headed to the playoffs. The Browns are just shooting for mediocre. But for one week at least — as Favre and the Vikings get used to each other — they will pull off a 24-21 shocker.

Fantasy Watch

Five to Start


1. Matt Hasselbeck » Starts comeback season with a new receiver, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and against an awful Rams team.

2. Ray Rice » Running back will get the majority of carries for run-heavy Ravens and should factor in the passing game.
3. Fred Jackson » With Marshawn Lynch suspended for three games, the Bills turn to Jackson in the backfield.
4. Vincent Jackson » Wide out had seven touchdowns last year and Chargers open the year against Oakland.
5. Josh Morgan » Young 49ers playmaker will make the best of Michael Crabtree’s holdout against Arizona.

Five to Sit


1. Chris Johnson » Titans back won’t get many yards against the Steelers and he’s not the goal line guy.

2. Willie Parker » The running game will take a hit on both sides for the opening Thursday night game.

3. Brett Favre » Better get used to handing the ball off to Adrian Peterson and throwing 15-20 times.

4. Brandon Marshall » Could play this week, but missing the preseason due to suspension may cause slow start.

5. Willis McGahee » A big name, but he’s no longer the starter in a crowded Baltimore backfield.

Game to Watch

Titans at Steelers, Thurs. 8:30 p.m., NBC

The defending Super Bowl champs should be revved up: Remember two Titans (LenDale White and Keith Bullock) stomping on the Terrible Towel after a win last year? But both teams have more to worry about. Tennessee must show it can field a good defense minus departed free agent defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. Of course, the Titans beat Pittsburgh without Haynesworth last season, en route to a 13-3 record and home field advantage. The Steelers must be concerned about running back Willie Parker, who missed three preseason games with a hamstring injury.

Examiner Power Rankings

No.    Team    Comment   

1. Steelers » A legit chance to repeat as Super Bowl champs

2. Patriots » Tom Brady is back but Pats’ defense is aging

3. Giants » Big question mark at receiver, loaded everywhere else

4. Titans » Does Kerry Collins give them enough punch at QB?

5. Eagles » Vick + McNabb + Westbook + Jackson + Maclin = lots of points

6. Vikings » If Brett Favre performs well, they cruise into playoffs

7. Falcons » Haven’t had winning record two years in a row … ever

8.  Chargers » Let’s face it. Nine wins gets it done in AFC West

9. Colts » Do Peyton Manning & Co. have enough for another run?

10. Packers » If they can play defense, they’ll challenge for North title

11. Ravens » Joe Flacco, John Harbaugh look to avoid sophomore slumps

12. Bears » Jay Cutler is first legit Chicago QB in 20 years

13. Cardinals » They’ll score points, but can they stop anyone?

14. Panthers » They can run, but can Jake Delhomme minimize mistakes?

15. Saints » Drew Brees might be the NFL’s best QB

16. Seahawks » Offseason upgrades will help them compete in weak NFC West

17. Texans » This is a critical season for Matt Schaub

18. Dolphins » Soft schedule helped a lot last year; uphill battle this time

19. Cowboys » Second-best team in the state (don’t tell Jerry!)

20. Redskins » Fourth-best team in the division (don’t tell Danny!)

21. Jets » They’ll love Mark Sanchez, but Jets still missing pieces

22. Bills » Fired OC before season even started; that’s a bad sign

23. 49ers » Paging Michael Crabtree: The train is leaving the station

24. Buccanneers » See: Bills, Buffalo

25. Jaguars » Maurice Jones-Drew will thrive as primary back

26. Bengals » We’re still waiting for Caron Palmer to regain Pro Bowl form

27. Browns » They need Braylon Edwards circa 2007, not 2008

28. Broncos » Had perhaps the strangest offseason we’ve ever seen

29. Chiefs » See: Buccanneers, Tampa Bay and Bills, Buffalo

30. Rams » Steve Spagnuolo will wish he was back in New Jersey

31. Raiders » Al Davis is eroding into a two-word punch line

32. Lions » Matthew Stafford and his howitzer will struggle