Are you ready?

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Sep 2, 2007 | by Dave Goldberg AP football writer

NEW YORK -- Peyton Manning vs. Rex Grossman.

That was the quarterback matchup when Indianapolis beat Chicago last February to finally win the Super Bowl. And in many ways, it represents the difference between the AFC (strong) and the NFC (weaker) when the 2007 season starts on Sept. 6.

In fact, that "traditional" Thursday opener -- traditional in that it's now in its sixth season -- is one of the few games between top teams in the two conferences where the QB matchup is relatively even. It features Drew Brees and New Orleans at Manning and the Colts.

Even Brees is an ex-AFCer, coming over last season from San Diego to lead the Saints to the NFC title game after their miserable 3-13 record in 2005, during which they were made homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

The buildup to the season has been eclipsed by the off-field troubles of Michael Vick, Pacman Jones and others who have fallen afoul of the law and commissioner Roger Goodell's tough disciplinary policies. It has become a preoccupation for almost everyone around the NFL, the commissioner most of all, although he hardly welcomes it.

Or as Falcons owner Arthur Blank said after Vick, his star quarterback, pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges: "Most football people I talk to have more important matters in the football world and like to talk about football."

Starting next week, football will take the spotlight. Hopefully. And not only in the United States, but for a week in London, where on Oct. 28 the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins will play the first regular-season game in Europe, a Dolphins home game.

The main story line, at least at the start of the schedule, is the discrepancy between the conferences -- although the parity in the NFL and the knowledge that a key injury or two can completely dismantle a team's hopes often make story lines irrelevant by Week 2 or 3.

Still, the inequality is evident by the fact the defending champion Colts are rated no better than third in the AFC behind New England and San Diego in most preseason forecasts. Add in Baltimore and the conference might have four teams better than anyone in the NFC, including the defending conference champion Bears.

Chicago gave a decent account of itself in a 29-17 loss to the Colts in the Super Bowl. But until Grossman (or Brian Griese) establishes himself as a Super-Bowl caliber quarterback, the Bears will be a question mark.

Other than Brees, the top QBs in the league are in the AFC, starting with Manning and New England's Tom Brady and Cincinnati's Carson Palmer. Plus youngsters Philip Rivers of San Diego and Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh. One AFC youngster who won't be there to start the season: JaMarcus Russell of Oakland, the first overall pick in the draft, who has been a summer-long holdout, ruining any plans new, 32-year-old coach Lane Kiffin had for starting him.

The NFC's QBs are more iffy. The best besides Brees, Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb, showed signs in an exhibition game last week of problems with a knee on which he underwent surgery eight months ago.

Of course, there's 37-year-old Brett Favre in Green Bay, who may be in his final season and, coming off a bounce-back year, is six touchdown passes short of Dan Marino's career mark. Beyond him are a lot of unknown quantities.

That includes the Giants' Eli Manning, Peyton's brother, who has looked good in preseason and gained leadership points by taking on his retired teammate, Tiki Barber after Barber suggested on NBC that Manning wasn't much of a leader. It also includes two other improving youngsters who, like Eli Manning, were high draft picks: San Francisco's Alex Smith and Arizona's Matt Leinart. Plus Tony Romo, who became Dallas' starter in the sixth game last year, started fast, but finished slowly.

There's no surprise who's the favorite: New England, winner of three of four Super Bowls between the 2001-2004 seasons.

Despite no wide receivers of much merit and a banged-up secondary, the Brady-led Patriots got to the AFC championship game last season by upsetting San Diego, and led the Colts 21-3 in Indianapolis before finally losing 38-34 for the AFC crown. In the offseason, the Pats added linebacker Adalius Thomas, coach Bill Belichick's kind of versatile player, plus the wideouts they desperately needed: Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker and the former megastar, Randy Moss.

The Colts still have Manning, wide receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, and defensive end Dwight Freeney, who signed a new deal this year that makes him the game's highest-paid defensive player.

There's depth beyond those three AFC powers, including some teams that might be division favorites in the NFC.

Pittsburgh, the champion in 2005, has a new coach in Mike Tomlin, only its third since 1969, and hopes Roethlisberger will bounce back from a subpar season plagued by injury and illness.

Baltimore is still one of the NFL's top defensive teams and has more speed at running back in Willis McGahee. Denver is hoping Jay Cutler, in his first full season as quarterback, will fill a hole that's existed since John Elway retired nearly a decade ago. Cincinnati, which was troubled last season with nine players arrested, hopes it's past such woes. The Bengals have an explosive offense with Palmer and Chad Johnson. The Jets should be a playoff contender in Eric Mangini's second season as coach.