Who are the most overrated players in the NFL right now?

5. Jay Cutler.  Physically, he's got all of the tools.  But one has to question both his head and maturity.  Maybe I'm not being entirely fair, but it seems to me that Cutler has a bit of Jeff George in him - million dollar arm, five-cent head.  He's going to have to play out of his mind to get people to forget the massive hissy fit he threw, and if he falters - especially in a division that's pretty equal among the top 3 teams - he's going to hear it.

4. Matt Cassel - This isn't entirely fair to put him here, but when you're earning Tom Brady-like money after only 1 season of above-average success, you're in danger of being overrated.  Add to it that Cassel is going to a team in rebuilding mode, with a new head coach, and a star running back that's prone to throwing his own hissy fits.  This may turn out to be a mistaken opinion, but right now it doesn't look that way.

3. Tony Romo - Romo probably has more detractors than supporters, even in Dallas, and possibly in his own locker room.  His "easy going" personality is far too much like Wade Phillips personality.  That's not a flattering comparison.  Romo's got an offense surrounding him that should be able to move the ball and score, but if he keeps killing his team at the end of the season then the hype machine that was Romo will turn on him.

2. Terrell Owens - no player has gotten more headlines for off-field activities than he.  I mean, the fact that he can't find a house in Buffalo makes the freaking news!  Too bad that doesn't translate into football performance.  Owens was beaten last year by well-designed defensive schemes, and wasn't able to simply beat the other guy.  He's always been known to have alligator arms at times.  Now, put him on an iffy team, with an iffy QB and coach, and the potential for outright destruction is there.

1. Brett Favre - look, Favre has a hall of fame career, and for a while was the most dangerous quarterback in the game.  No one was more electric.  But seeing as how he's over the hill and grasping at straws - almost transparent in his attempt to crow "I told you so" to Packers brass - puts him squarely atop this list.  Maybe the Vikings are better top to bottom than the Jets were last year, but Favre's injury wasn't his only problem.  He's a shell of his former self, and for that he's atop this list.

Teams in Transition

I think 3 teams bear extra attention this year, and not all together for great reasons.

3.  Arizona Cardinals.  If I was a Cards fan, I'd have lost my lunch several times over, chewed off every fingernail I had and begun working on my toes, and the damn season hasn't even started yet.  If there was ever a poster child franchise for "Super Bowl Hangover," Arizona seems to be it.  Starting with the maybe yes/maybe no with Warner and blossoming into the outright war between the franchise and Anquan Boldin, this team has all the elements in place to fall flat on its face.

2.  Seattle Seahawks.  Of the two teams that made pre-planned coaching changes, this one is going smoothly, and therefore the 'Hawks are in my opinion a team to watch.  I think that team totally believes that last year's 4-12 record was an anomoly.  They're better than that.  They have tools to be dangerous, and Matt Hasselbeck can be a deadly quarterback when things are clicking along.  Couple that with the impending implosion in Arizona, and it's not outside the realm of possibility that the 2009 NFC West Champs are the Seahawks.

1.  Indianapolis Colts.  Things have been all quiet on the Indy Front since Manning's public airing of frustration with the changing of the guard.  This could be treacherous for Indy.  The Titans, Jags and Texans are all making strides, and all 3 of those teams are building offenses and defenses designed to beat Manning's Colts.  Add to that the loss of Marvin Harrison, and a new head coach who's abilities truly aren't yet known, and one can more easily envision the growing dark cloud over Indy.  Does this mean they'll implode like the Cards?  No - that's not likely, not with Manning's singular talents.  But I think this is a somewhat weakened team, and therefore deserves closer inspection.

Teams missing 2008 playoff spots that will be in contention for 2009 playoff spots.

3.  Seattle Seahawks - see above.

2.  Cincinnati Bengals.  I have a weakness.  Every year since 2005 I've said that the Bengals look dangerous and they blow it.  But there's reason for more than mere outside hope this year.  The Bengals defense rose into the middle ranks last year - this after years of residing near the bottom.  If Palmer and 85 get on a roll, along with Coles and Benson, the Bengals offense will be a top flight unit.  And, if that defense at least matches what it did last year, then the Bengals have to be put into the playoff mix.

1.  New England Patriots.  Brady's back.  Need I say more?  He's going to have to find his 2007 form, though - there are now holes in the vaunted Pats defense that weren't there before.  That won't much matter in the end, however - Brady himself will guide the Pats to 1 or 2 more wins they didn't get last year, and that will be enough to get them into the postseason.

Honorable Mention - Bears, Packers, Cowboys

Teams making 2008 playoff spots in danger of losing out in 2009

3.  Minnesota Vikings.  With or without Favre, returning to the playoffs could be a tall order for this team.  Yes, they're great and dominant on defense, but having to play the AFC's two best, nastiest defenses (PIttsburgh and Baltimore) are tall orders.  The only good news is that the rest of their division has to do the same.  Still, without a true quarterback, few will respect the Vikings passing game and with other teams making more strides, and the NFC East looking top-to-bottom equally dangerous or more dangerous...making a spot will prove to be a daunting challenge.

2.  Miami Dolphins.  Say what you want, but a resurgent Brady puts the Dolphins in second place.  The AFC's "second tier" top teams are all likely better than Miami.  They're in some danger I think.

1. Arizona Cardinals.  I said my piece on them already.

QB Discussions

3 rookies were taken in the first round this year: Josh Freeman (TB), Mark Sanchez (NYJ) and Matt Stafford (DET).  I would expect virtually no success from any of these three this year.  Freeman's the rawest talent, but has arguably the best supporting cast behind him because fellow QB Byron Leftwich has gone through it all, and comes of a season in which he won a Super Bowl.  Sanchez I think could be interesting one day, but after only 1 year running USC's offense and exiting early as a junior may prove that he's not ready yet to run the offense.  The Lions may toss Stafford to the wolves, which could derail him completely.  If Stafford gets the nod, I cringe to think what Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's defenses will do to him.  It will hurt.

Philip Rivers is clearly entering the discussion of the game's best quarterbacks.  Not young QBs - not after 5 years in the league.  But purely among the game's best.  He's made strides every year, and last year had a great season.  The QB class of 1983 is widely regarded as the best ever with Marino, Kelly and Elway.  6 total QBs were taken.  Together, they amassed only a 2-9 Super Bowl record, however.  If Rivers gets to the Super Bowl - and for the fun of it, assume he wins - then not only would the 2004 QB class also have 3 QBs to get to the Super Bowl, but their combined SB record would only get better.  The 2004 Class is already 3-0!