N.Y. Jets at Miami

As if Brett Favre's regular season debut in a Jets uniform isn't enough of a draw, there's also the intrigue of the Jets facing the quarterback they unloaded to make room for Favre - Dolphins' starter Chad Pennington. Think he won't be motivated? And think the Dolphins will be the pushovers they were last season now that Bill Parcells is calling the shots in the front office? Don't bet on it.

Week 17 best game

Dallas at Philadelphia

The Cowboys have been more or less handed the crown of NFC Super Bowl favorite during the preseason, but could well end up having to go through the tough, gritty Eagles and aging QB Donovan McNabb to get there in the final weekend of the regular season. Dallas-Philly is always a head-banger. The stakes for both teams could be huge.

Coach on the hot seat (AFC)

Lane Kiffin, Raiders

Al Davis nearly axed the youngest coach in the NFL during the offseason before finally relenting. So it's fair to say that Kiffin will be on an extremely short leash as the season gets underway. If the Raiders haven't gotten it going by the end of October, he'll almost surely be gone. Don't toss that headset out just yet, Art Shell - you may yet be called in for another encore.

Coach on the hot seat (NFC)

Mike Nolan, 49ers

Presiding over the worst NFL offense in recent memory has been Nolan's legacy thus far in San Francisco. This is going over predictably well in a place where fans have been brought up on a steady diet of Joe Montana, Roger Craig, Steve Young and Jerry Rice - and the Super Bowl championships that came with them. Only a full revival under new offensive coordinator Mike Martz will keep Nolan from getting cashiered.

Team on the rise

Cleveland Browns

No, seriously. Maybe you missed it last year, but the Browns won 10 games. And didn't make the playoffs. But they bring back an offense that is suddenly formidable. Receiver Braylon Edwards had 16 touchdowns last year. Receiver Donte' Stallworth and tight end Kellen Winslow provide a solid compliment that forces defenses to stay honest. The question is, can their defense provide a couple of stops?

Team on the decline

New England Patriots

They had to fall in stature, but how far will they really go? What kind of hangover will the Patriots have from the Super Bowl. Of 16 experts on ESPN.com, just three picked the Patriots to win the Super Bowl this year. It's cool not to like the Patriots again. If you had to pick a reason for the Patriots' supposed decline, go with this one: Age. Key defensive cogs like Rodney Harrison (35) and Tedy Bruschi (35) are graying. And Randy Moss is 31.

MVP watch

LaDanian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers

This pick comes down to this: Who do you think will go to the Super Bowl? LaDanian Tomlinson is a popular choice . . . among analysts who think the Chargers are going to the Super Bowl. Minnesota's Adrian Peterson put up gaudy stats (1,341 rushing yards, 296 yards in a game) last year, but he has to remind people where he plays. And Tom Brady is so last year. The early money is on Tomlinson, and by extension, the Chargers.

Rookie to watch

Darren McFadden, Oakland Raiders

You can't argue with McFadden's college numbers. The Arkansas running back ran for 4,590 yards during his three-year career with the Razorbacks. His senior season included 1,830 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns. The only thing stopping him now: Oakland's offensive line. Minnesota's Adrian Peterson came out of nowhere last year to earn rookie of the year. Keep your eye on Rashard Mendenhall in Pittsburgh, who's running behind an established line and is one of the top backs in the preseason.

Reason to love the Broncos' chances

Champ and Boss Bailey

Champ is one of the top cornerbacks in the league. Boss is an outside linebacker who just came over from the Lions. Together, they figure to give Denver its most formidable defense in years. And Jay Cutler appears to be the real deal.

Reason to hate the Broncos' chances

Everybody's saying this is San Diego's year, and you know how accurate prognosticators always are.

Reason to love the 49ers' chances

Mike Martz

OK, it's a little unusual to have an offensive coordinator listed here, but bear this out. Martz turned rent-a-wrecks like Trent Green, Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger into bona fide stars. Martz certainly inerits a wreck in San Francisco last year. The offense ranked last in scoring, total yards and reasons to watch a game on a Sunday afternoon. They've got nowhere to go but up!

Reason to hate the 49ers' chances

Lack of talent

Who, exactly is J.T. O'Sullivan? Yes, he's the 49ers' new starting back. Unless Alex Smith steals the job back. Smith is a team-first guy, so don't count on that happening. But there's uncertainty in the air. And, when your star offensive player is Frank Gore, there might be a few problems.

Headcase watch

Steve Smith, Carolina Panthers

Remember when Smith punched teammate Anthony Bright in the face in a team meeting room? That incident got him a one-game suspension and a civil lawsuit. The lawsuit was settled out of court, but Smith apparently learned little. He has been suspended for the first two games of this season after sucker punching defensive back (and teammate) Ken Lucas during training camp.

Karma killing team

Dallas Cowboys

Everybody loves the Cowboys. Their America's Team. And why not? With loveable, affable stars, the Cowboys are always fan favorites. Just imagine a day at the Cowboys' training facility. Will Terrell Owens come out of the locker room? If he does, how long will it take him to swear at the quarterback Tony Romo or insult his choice of girlfriend? Oh, look! There's Pacman Jones! Anybody nicknamed after a video game is surely pleasant to spend time with. That locker room must be chalk full of rainbows, lollipops and good vibes.

The Favre Factor

If only this was a show on Fox News. Instead, Favre might be having a flashback to a couple of years ago in Green Bay, when injuries decimated his receiving core and he was left to throw to an unretired milkman. Seriously, Laverneaus Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are OK, but how good will Favre make them? Favre's being counted on for a lot in New York, the question is if he has enough talent around him to go 8-8. And then he'll retire. And then he will unretire and go play for Arizona.

Three reasons to like the Packers

1. It's called the NFC North. The Vikings can be counted on to go 9-7, the Bears could go 3-13 or 13-3 and there's another team in that division, we just can't think of it. If Denver was in this division, the Broncos would be shoe-ins.

2. Aaron Rodgers inherits a stacked offense. And Rodgers hasn't been half bad in the preseason, completing 68.5 percent of his passes and earning a QB rating of 103.6. Not that ratings matter much this time of year (see Brett Ratliff's 122 rating).

3. De-fense. They've got shutdown corners in Al Harris and Charles WOodson,but they''ve also got defensive end Aaron Kampman, who has 27.5 sacks in the last two seasons.