by Justin Goodrum
Daily Lobo
Ever since the Pittsburgh Steelers won last year's Super Bowl, I have been patiently waiting for the next NFL season to start.
There is only so much World Cup, tennis and golf coverage a sports fan can take.
Finally, when September rolls around, I can get my football fix.
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Like the past five years, this season is filled with parity - most of the NFL's 32 teams have a shot at the big game in February.
With story lines such as T.O. to the Cowboys, Reggie Bush's rookie season and the return of Carson Palmer to the Bengals, it's easy to lose sight of which teams are the real contenders to make a Super Bowl run.
Any critic's love affair with the AFC might come to an end as many of the traditional powerhouse teams are going to struggle.
Jake Plummer had a breakout year for the Denver Broncos, taking his team to the AFC Championship. But in the end, he proved why his nickname should be the "The Mistake" instead of "The Snake."
In Sunday's loss to St. Louis, Plummer had three interceptions and a lost fumble and could lose his job to rookie Jay Cutler.
With a suspect defense and a questionable quarterback, the Broncos might be in for a lot of headaches this season.
Despite suffering a season-ending knee injury last October and having his name tainted in the Minnesota sex-boat scandal, the Miami Dolphins' Daunte Culpepper gives his team the ability to throw the deep ball, as well as mobility in the pocket.
Although they lost to the Steelers on Thursday, the Dolphins could be a playoff team if they can capitalize on a strong defense and improve their running game.
In the NFC, there are two divisions - the South and the
East - that are deep from the
top to the bottom. I usually don't believe in curses anywhere else in life, but in sports, that's a different story.
The Seattle Seahawks couldn't get the job done in the Super Bowl last year, and in my mind, they will fully experience the power of the Super Bowl Jinx.
Seahawk running back Shaun Alexander is on the cover of Madden 2007. That pretty much means something horrible will happen to ruin his season.
The Carolina Panthers are the expert pick to go to the Super Bowl. But can they live up to the hype?
Despite a loss to their division rival Atlanta Falcons in the first week, the Panthers still have one of the best defenses in the league and a top receiving corps with Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson.
Overall, both conferences will have a tough road to the Super Bowl, as most of the favorites will need some lucky breaks for their dreams to be realized.
