ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

THE SEASON KICKS OFF TONIGHT; HERE'S 10 QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:

1.) HOW WILL THE STEELERS DO WITHOUT BIG BEN TONIGHT?
THEY SHOULD BEAT NEW MEDIA DARLING MIAMI AT THREE RIVERS EVEN WITHOUT ROETHLISBERGER, WHO IS OUT AFTER AN EMERGENCY APPENDECTOMY. BUT IF BEN MISSES ANY MORE TIME, BYE-BYE REPEAT. DOES THIS GUY HAVE A CURSE ON HIM OR WHAT THOUGH?

2.) ARE THE PATS DONE CONTENDING FOR THE TITLE?
REPORTS OF THE PATRIOTS DEMISE HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED. SURE THEY'VE LOST SOME TALENT (McGINEST, GIVENS) AND THE BRANCH> HOLDOUT DOESN'T HELP MATTERS. BUT IF I'VE SAID IT ONCE , I'VE SAID IT 1000 TIMES: AS LONG AS THEY HAVE BRADY & BELICHICK THEY'VE GOT A CHANCE TO WIN IT ALL.

3.) WILL THE BUCS MAKE THE PLAYOFFS?
EVERYONE LOVES CAROLINA (AGAIN) AND OF COURSE VICK & CO. ARE ALWAYS A FASHIONABLE PICK. BUT IF THE NEW OFFENSIVE LINE, WHICH COULD START 2 ROOKIES (JOSEPH & TRUEBLOOD) CAN CONTROL THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE, LET SIMMS PASS & CADDY RUN, THE BUCS HAVE A DECENT SHOT. I HAVE THEM AT 10-6, WITH THEIR LOSSES BEING @ ATL, CIN, @NYG, @CAR, @DAL, @PIT, SEA, WHICH SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO GET IN. MAYBE. (BOLD PREDICTION, I KNOW)

4.)WHICH ROOKIE WILL MAKE THE BIGGEST IMPACT?
OF COURSE IT DEPENDS ON WHO PLAYS THE MOST. REGGIE BUSH WILL GET PLENTY OF TOUCHES & FIGURES TO BE THE SMART CHOICE; VINCE YOUNG IS APPARENTLY LIGHT YEARS FROM BEING READY TO GUIDE A TEAM, YET MAY START SOONER THAN LATER. BUT WHEN KURT WARNER GETS CRUMPLED LIKE A SCHLITZ CAN IN A BIKER BAR I THINK LEINART STEPS AND LEADS THE TALENTED AND HUNGRY CARDINALS TO A PLAYOFF BERTH.

5.)WHAT ABOUT BUSH'S SAINTS?
IT WILL BE EXCITING TO SEE THE BELEAGUERED SAINTS FINALLY PLAY AN ACTUAL HOME GAME, NOT A ROAD HOME GAME, WHEN THEY TAKE THE SUPERDOME FIELD ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL SEPT. 25 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE POST-KATRINA ERA. THERE IS EXCITEMENT SURROUNDING THE TEAM WITH THE ACQUISITION OF QB DREW BREES FROM SAN DIEGO AND OF COURSE DRAFTING THE ELECTRICFYING BUSH. SO THEY SHOULD BE FUN TO WATCH, BUT AS FAR AS A WINNING RECORD, WELL THAT MIGHT BE A BIT MUCH TO ASK FOR. BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE NEW "AMERICA'S TEAM".

6.) SPEAKING OF AMERICA'S TEAM, HOW 'BOUT THEM COWBOYS?
I GIVE IT TILL ABOUT WEEK 5 BEFORE PARCELLS AND T.OWENS HAVE A FULL-ON EXPLOSION WHICH COULD RESULT IN SOMEONE GETTING HURT. THE BLEDSOE- OWENS MELTDOWN SHOULD BE JUST AS FUN. I PREDICT BY MIDSEASON T.O. WILL DEFECATE ON THE COWBOY STAR WHICH WILL PROMPT OWNER JERRY JONES TO SHIP HIM BACK TO SAN FRANCISCO.

7.)IS CARSON PALMER REALLY THE BEST QB IN THE LEAGUE?
ACCORDING TO MANY 'EXPERTS' HE IS. I GUESS JUST BECAUSE HE CAME BACK FROM A MANGLED KNEE AND THREW A COUPLE OF TD PASSES IN A PRESEASON GAME HE EARNED THAT TITLE? BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PEOPLE ARE FORGETTING ABOUT THE 2 BEST QBs: THE WINNER(BRADY) AND STAT BOY (MANNING). UNTIL BOTH OF THEM RETIRE, THERE'S NO WAY PALMER IS BETTER-ESPECIALLY WITH A REPAIRED KNEE.

8.)WHICH TEAMS ARE READY TO MAKE THE PLAYOFF LEAP?
WELL I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE CARDINALS, WHICH IS A TEAM I & EVERYONE ELSE THOUGHT WAS READY LAST YEAR. BUT WITH LEINART, EDGE JAMES, A NEW STADIUM W/ ACTUAL FANS IN IT AND THOSE STUD RECEIVERS (BOLDIN & FITZGERALD), THEY ARE MY PICK FOR THE 2ND STRAIGHT YEAR. OTHERS EXPERTS LIKE MIAMI W/ CULPEPPER AND BALTIMORE, WHO FINALLY HAS A REAL QB (McNAIR). BUT I LOOK FOR CULPEPPER'S KNEE TO WILT IN THE SOUTH FLORIDA HEAT, AND McNAIR IS ONE BIG HIT AWAY FROM A RETIREMENT PARTY, SO MY SECOND SURPRISE TEAM IS...DETROIT- ALL HAIL NUDE DRIVERS!

9.)WHICH TEAMS ARE IN TROUBLE?
DETROIT- I FEEL BAD FOR NEW COACH ROD MARINELLI, A FORMER BUCS ASSISTANT WHO HAS HIS HANDS FULL IN D-TOWN. THEY RELEASED FORMER #1 PICK RECEIVER CHARLES RODGERS, THEIR ASSITANT COACH JUST GOT ARRESTED FOR DRIVING NUDE, AND THE STILL HAVE MATT MILLEN AS THE GM. BAD SIGNS, ROD, BAD SIGNS. OTHER TEAMS TO CRUMBLE INCLUDE MINNY, GREEN BAY(OF PIGS), & THE JETS, WHO ARE OLDER AND MORE BANGED UP THAN FARRAH FAWCETT>

10.)OUT ON A LIMB PREDICTIONS:
*ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: REGGIE BUSH- TOO MANY WAYS FOR HIM TO HURT YA
*MAKES THE PLAYOFFS: ARIZONA
*WON'T MAKE THE PLAYOFFS- MIAMI
*MVP: BRADY HE'LL DO MORE WITH LESS AND EARN THE ACCOLADES HE DESERVES
*SUPER BOWL: PATRIOTS VS. BUCS (NAH, I'M NOT A HOMER!)