Last season, Tom Brady and the Patriots did everything except win their final game. Admittedly, that left a rather large hole in the resume.
2008 National Football League schedule (PDF)
2008 NFL Season Preview (PDF)
No one expects the Patriots to be perfect again during the regular season, but will they be good enough to make it back to the Super Bowl?
The NFL season kicks off Thursday night, when the defending-champion Giants play host to the Redskins.
Here's one view of how the division races shape up, with predicted records in paretheses:
NFC East: 1. Cowboys (13-3); 2. Giants (10-6); 3. Eagles (9-7); 4. Redskins (8-8).
Tony Romo, Eli Manning, Donovan McNabb and Jason Campbell give the division a strong quartet of quarterbacks. Brian Westbrook might be the division's best running back, but the Cowboys' Marion Barber and rookie Felix Jones will be a handful for defenses. And then there's a weapon named T.O.
NFC North: 1. Packers (11-5); 2. Vikings (10-6); 3. Bears (7-9); 4. Lions (5-11).
Relax, Packers fans. You don't need Brett Favre to win this division. Aaron Rodgers will do just fine. Or did you forget the Bears got to the Super Bowl two years ago with Rex Grossman? Adrian Peterson can carry the Vikings only so far.
NFC South: 1. Saints (10-6); 2. Buccaneers (9-7); 3. Panthers (8-8); 4. Falcons (4-12).
The margin between the Saints and the Bucs? Unfortunately for Jon Gruden, it's about the same as the margin between Favre and Jeff Garcia.
NFC West: 1. Seahawks (9-7); 2. Rams (7-9); 3. Cardinals (7-9); 4. 49ers (4-12).
Easy to forget the Rams and 49ers have combined to win six Super Bowls since the 1981 season. It might be a while until the division wins another one.
AFC East: 1. Patriots (12-4); 2. Jets (10-6); 3. Bills (6-10); 4. Dolphins (3-13).
Can hardly wait to see those Tom Brady vs. Brett Favre duels. Think I'll pass on the Trent Edwards vs. Chad Pennington matchups.
AFC North: 1. Steelers (10-6); 2. Browns (9-7); 3. Bengals (7-9); 4. Ravens (6-10).
Pittsburgh and Cleveland were both 10-6 last year, but the Steelers outscored their opponents by 124 points, the Browns by only 20. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall gives the Steelers another running threat, to go along with Willie Parker.
AFC South: 1. Colts (11-5); 2. Jaguars (10-6); 3. Titans (8-8); 4. Texans (7-9).
Those predictions are assuming a healthy Peyton Manning. If he misses more than a game or two, the Jaguars are the pick.
AFC West: 1. Chargers (10-6); 2. Broncos (7-9); 3. Chiefs (5-11); 4. Raiders (4-12).
Could Eli Manning have won the Super Bowl last year with the Chargers, the team that drafted him? If their receivers caught enough passes with their helmets, he could have.
NFC Wild-Card Playoffs: Giants over Seahawks; Vikings over Saints.
AFC Wild-Card Playoffs: Jaguars over Chargers; Steelers over Jets.
NFC Divisional Playoffs: Packers over Giants; Cowboys over Vikings.
AFC Divisional Playoffs: Patriots over Steelers; Colts over Jaguars.
NFC Championship: Cowboys over Packers.
AFC Championship: Patriots over Colts.
Super Bowl XLIII: Cowboys over Patriots.
Jim Hersh is sports editor of the Sunday News. E-mail him at jhersh@lnpnews.com.
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