I don't have a clue how it will all turn out.  My hopes and prayers are on the Iggles, but so many things are up in the air.  Will McNabb fully regain the form that took them to the Super Bowl?  Is Westbrook going to see more carries this year?  Are the unproven components of the defense going to gel?  Will the receiving corps be any better than last year's crew?  The only saving grace in all of this is they play in a division which is underwhelming (although not as much as the NFC North).  Actually I think whoever ends up playing against either the Patriots or the Chargers for a Super Bowl ring is going to end up losing that game.

Here's a pre-season prediction which could be right or it could be wrong but tell me if it doesn't at least get a laugh or two out of you.  Atlanta Falcons -- "Han Solo frozen in carbonite -- You couldn't be more screwed."  Now that's priceless.

Illegitimi non carborundum.

A few random predictions:

• This year will either be boom or bust for the Patriots. If everyone gels and stays healthy, the look to have a killer team. On the other hand, Moss could be poison, and if Brady ever gets injured it's not clear to me that they could produce on offense.
• I'm afraid for my Steelers....I think they're going to have a lot of trouble adjusting to the new coaching staff and getting the right personnel to work with the schemes they're looking to implement. Their draft strategy this year seemed pretty scattered as well, and since that's something that the organization has usually been pretty good at, I'm worried for the future as well...
• There's always one team that comes out of nowhere, and this year's team will be (looks into crystal ball)....the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They have an up in the air division - with Vick out, the Falcons look vulnerable, the Saints have looked iffy in their pre-season games so far, and the Panthers...? Hey, stranger things have happened.

My pre-season Super Bowl pick? Baltimore vs San Francisco

Well, I will go ahead and put my predictions for the season down on paper or whatever this is.

Let's start with the AFC East as this is a rather interesting division and should be extremely competitive. I don't see how you could pick against the Patriots. They're the Patriots plus they signed the best linebacker in the game, improved their receiving corps three fold and have one of the three best young RB's in the league who now has the job all to himself and another year of experience. The only downsides I can see to them are when they started throwing too much a couple years ago and got themselves in trouble. Maroney so talented, though, he could get them out of almost anything on his own. Gotta put them #1. #2 is a bit of a surprise but I think it's gotta be Buffalo. Losman and Evans emerged as a legit combo last season. I'm skeptical of ALL the love Marshawn Lynch is getting but I am drinking the rookie of the year cool aid none the less. I actually like the youth movement on defense the coaches have opted for and think this is young, hungry team with lots of energy. Sadly that leaves a very good Jets team third. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they finished first. Mangini is that good and they define the word TEAM so well. Thomas Jones will do wonders for that offense but what did they ever really do behind Curtis Martin? They're a bunch of overachievers and a 9-7 or even 10-6 finish isn't out of the question for a third place finish in this division this season. That leaves the Dolphins. They're certainly headed in the right direction (finally) but with a new administration, it's going to take awhile to get everything together. Taking a step back record wise isn't necessarily going to hurt this team's long term chances. Joey Porter and Trent Green are old and it would have been better for a coach in his first year to go with a youth movement. Those guys won't be around by the time you're good enough to win this division coach.

The north. Every once in awhile the wheels come completely off a Brian Billick coached team and I think this will be one of those years. I know who you have left on that defense but losing Adaleius Thomas still hurts. McNair is old, McGahee won't deliver enough, Mark Clayton won't step up...they could end up at 9-7. Whatever their record, it certainly won't surpass that of Cincinnati. Carson Palmer is ready to go off in Manning-like proportions. Rudi Johnson is steady as ever and a year without an arrest will do wonders for Marvin Lewis's D. This guys will go deep into the playoffs. I'm not concerned about there being a new coach in Pittsburgh at all. I think he's actually the type of coach who will set a fire under guys in his first year. That might not bode well for his long term success but it's a vet team and Cowher left the cubbard full. Reothy bounces back in a big way and I like that baby Bettis spelling Parker in the backfield. The D will be tough as ever. I'd like to see the Browns contend but...

The AFC South still belongs to the Colts. That guy in Jacksonville continually makes mistakes like the one where he needlessly undermined his quarterbacks this offseason. That will poison the whole team all season. His only hope is to continually give the ball to MoJo. Tennessee...I'm going out on a limb here and saying Vince Young will break the Madden curse. Yes, Madden is getting old, he's no longer on network TV on Monday nights, he's in the hall of fame now...it just ain't what it was. They'll challenge Indi ferociously actually, 10, 11 wins. The Texans...don't make me laugh. Oh wait, too late. Not only does Atlanta regret the Matt Schaub trade -- so does Matt Schaub. The guy's young, he should retire while he still has a body and come back with someone else next season.

Norv Turner must be giddy as hell to come to a power house like San Diego after spending that time in San Fran. The only problem is, his playoff track record is no better than Schotty's. Oooops! Just as well, the owner's a right wing dick face. 14-2 and another too early playoff exit. Which leaves the door open for...the Denver Broncos. They've gotta be the chic pick for the Super Bowl out of the AFC. Shannahan with a plump young quarterback who has yet to become embittered by his micromanagement? Travis Henry who was *born* to run behind Denver's offensive line? They will rock the house....the house that Al built. Oakland manages to put some numbers and surpass Kansas City this year but that's about it. The defense is solid, the quarterback play behind Dante Culpepper will be better than expect but they will have no line and little running game. Kansas City will be horrendous. It was one thing to have defense. Now they have no offense or do defense. Larry Johnson better cash those signing bonus checks then move the money offshore before Kansas City continues the reprehensible trend of NFL teams suing for their player's signing bonuses after his murdered because teams put nine in the box against the Brodmeister.

First Round Byes: San Diego & New England

Division Winners: Indianapolis Colts & Cincinnati Bengals.

Wild Cards: Denver Broncos & Buffalo Bills

Conference Championship Game: Cincinnati Bengals 31 - Denver Broncos 27

It is easy to buy small plaster models of what you think life is like.