Okay, let’s play for real this time.  No more mulligans.  Let’s add up the W’s and the L’s.  It’s time to sort out the haves and the have-nots.  You know what that means.  That means that it is time for the Preacher’s Annual NFL Preview, to tell you exactly what to expect from your favorite NFL franchise.  NFC South: No worst to first this year.  Patriots: No perfect season.  Jets: At least you’re accustomed to being disappointed.  Pack: Reasons to smile.  Jags: Uh huh.  Oh, but I can’t give it all away here and now.  All good things to those who wait.  The Preacher’s Annual NFL Preview link will appear before kick-off of the regular season on Thursday.  Watch for it.

In the meantime, new names and faces in strange places.

The aforementioned Brett Favre in N.Y. Jets green looks, well… wrong.  It’s something I can’t imagine I’ll get used to seeing.  I’m used to seeing QB greats like Richard Todd and Ken O’Brien in those greens.  Oh, how about other old men like Boomer Esiason and Vinny Testeverde?  Now those guys looked right at home in gang-green.  Then there are the new names.  In Dallas the buzz is all about the player formerly known as Pacman.  Yes, Adam Jones has asked the press to leave the old moniker behind.  And in Cincinnati, Chad Johnson has officially changed his name to Chad Eight-Five (Officially it’s Chad Ocho-Cinco, but I translate here for my sing-lingual readers).  Perhaps you recall a scene from last season when Chad showed up in pre-game warm-ups with “Ocho Cinco” covering the name on his jersey and a displeased Carson Palmer ripped it off.  Chad remembers, because the NFL fined him for the stunt.  Well, no more angry QBs and no more fines.  He’s a legit Eight-Five now.

While elsewhere around the league, some teams are dealing with real football issues.  The Patriots and their fans had reason in the pre-season to be nervous about the play of Matt Cassell behind Tom Brady.  They have even more reason to be nervous now as the cumulative health along their offensive line going into the games that count isn’t good - and they are a sack away from Cassell.  The Cardinals have decided to start Kurt Warner over Matt Leinart - again.  And the Ravens and Falcons are beginning the season with rookie-phenoms under center, Joe Flacco because he’s the only Ravens QB who is healthy enough to walk out to the huddle at the moment, and Matt Ryan for the Falcons because… because they have no one else!

For my Bucs fans, how about former Buc John Lynch being wooed to the Patriots and then cut?  Poor guy.  Should have stayed in Denver where at least he would be on an NFL roster for week one of the season.  The Pats planned to bring him back (cut him so he isn’t on the roster week one and they don’t have to guarantee his salary), but with the addition of Deltha ONeal, John might be facing a waiting game.  Then there’s the newly liberated Chris Simms.  I still say Baltimore.  Come on, they’re out of QBs. 

So check back on Thursday for the Annual Preview.  See ya!