NFL season offers promise, hope for all franchises

I am not much of an NFL fan – I definitely prefer college and prep football because of the passion and pride involved within the structure of the game.

But one thing I do love about the NFL is the parity present within the sport and the unpredictability that is present at the start of a new season.

The NFL is unlike any other sport because the opening day of the season truly is a new beginning for all 32 of the league’s teams.

In the NBA and in the MLB, one can easily scratch off a dozen teams as pretenders before the season even starts.

In college football, it’s the same format and structure – the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. Everyone knows with 100 percent certainty that Washington State will not win the PAC 12 in 2013. Likewise, struggling programs like Kansas or Colorado know good and well that they have absolutely no chance to win the national championship.

But in the NFL, it’s different. In professional football, every team goes into the season with ambitions and a realistic chance to reach the playoffs. Once there, history shows that any team can get hot and emerge as the Super Bowl Champion.

So for that uncertainty and unpredictability, the NFL game is unique and interesting.

This season should be filled with drama, as question marks surround both our local team and teams around the rest of the league.

As tomorrow’s season opener quickly approaches, we decided this week to take a look at some of the biggest and most interesting stories that will control the headlines in the new year.

2013-14 NFL storylines to watch

Can New England be New England?

After more than a decade of dominance, we all just sort of assume each year that the Patriots will be on top of the AFC. But with Wes Welker gone, Rob Gronkowski on the shelf and Aaron Hernandez facing life without parole, Tom Brady doesn’t have a plethora of weapons at his disposal this year. We’ve all sort of been spoiled with their success and assume that it will continue. But Tom Brady is 36 and he isn’t immune to Father Time. The day will soon come that he can’t cover up the team’s deficiencies any longer.

Will Chip Kelly be innovator or Spurrier 2.0?

Chip Kelly is an offensive genius. His Oregon teams dominated college football and were an absolute offensive machine. But that success was at the college level – things are completely different in the pro ranks. Will Kelly’s high-octane, up-tempo scheme work in the pros? Or will his efforts fall flat like those of Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban, each of whom failed in the NFL game? Time will tell, but I know my eyes will be glued to the first Eagles’ game to see how it all shakes out.

Can AP go for 2.5K?

Adrian Peterson is an absolute robot. Less than a year after undergoing a significant operation to repair a torn ACL, Peterson returned to the Vikings last season and rushed for more than 2,000 yards. Now 100 percent healthy, Peterson said during the offseason that he believes he has the ability to rush for 2,500 yards – a mark that would shatter the single-season rushing record. Such a feat would be absolutely ridiculous. But if anyone can do it, AP can. It’s a long shot, but never say never with Peterson. He’s done the impossible before. Who’s to say he can’t and won’t do it again?

Can the Cowboys find the ‘Secret Sauce?’

As a Dallas Cowboys fan, my eyes have been on America’s Team throughout this busy offseason. Dallas has a new defensive coordinator, a healthy defense and a slew of new weapons to aid much-maligned quarterback Tony Romo. The team has looked good in the preseason – so good that Stephen Jones (son of owner Jerry) has said that Dallas has found the “secret sauce” that it needs to make a Super Bowl push. If that is the case, I will be one happy camper. If it’s not, Jason Garrett may need a new job.

Who will be the sleeper?

Every year, someone rises from the gutter and surprises the rest of the league with their vast improvement. Last year, it was the Seattle Seahawks who used rookie Russell Wilson’s right arm to power their way deep into the NFC Playoffs. This year, I think there are a few teams worth paying attention to. Staying out west, I think the Arizona Cardinals will be much better with Carson Palmer at the helm. Defensively, the Cardinals are legitimate and possess the ability to takeaway the football from opponents. With Palmer, the team’s offense will rise from below average to average. That alone should enable the team to have a turnaround season. John Skelton and the rest of those awful Arizona quarterbacks were among the worst in the history of the NFL.

Payton is back: What is next?

The Saints have Sean Payton back in 2013-14. His return has rejuvenated the entire city of New Orleans. But will his return make much of a difference for the Saints? New Orleans’ defense is still a work in progress and the team’s schedule is very unforgiving. Surely, Payton’s presence alone is worth a few wins. But is it enough to power the Saints past the Falcons and into the driver’s seat in the NFC South? My gut says yes, but what I see on the field says no.

Ah, it’s time to make predictions.

Each year, I make predictions before the season so that I can look back in the postseason and laugh at how awful I did.

So for the division winners, give me Dallas, Green Bay, Atlanta and San Francisco in the NFC with the Saints and Seahawks as the wild card teams.

In the AFC, I’ll take the Patriots, Bengals, Colts and Broncos with the Texans and Ravens as the two wild cards.

I like San Francisco over the Colts in the Super Bowl.

It’s OK to laugh at the Colts’ pick. My co-worker Eric Besson did too.