The wait is over, and Sundays have regained their meaning. Enjoy this season, because there might not be one next year. With the NFL and the players union at an impasse toward the collective bargaining agreement, we need to soak up whatever football we can get.

The offseason was spectacular with Kurt Warner’s retirement, Brett Favre’s faux retirement (again) and return to the Vikings – for what he claims is his “last season” – and all of the blockbuster trades. The trendy picks this season are for the Cowboys, Packers and Vikings to duke it out in the NFC while the Colts, Jets and Chargers fight it out in the AFC. The Saints will have an uphill battle toward repeating as world champions, but it’s not impossible.

Here’s the way the season will likely play out, with projected regular season standings next to each team and each team placed from first to last place in their respective divisions.

AFC EAST

New York Jets (12-4)

The Jets are too good to pass up this season. With monster trades acquiring LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie from the Chargers, Santonio Holmes from the Steelers and a proven sophomore quarterback in former Trojan Mark Sanchez, this team shows more power than New England.

Darrelle Revis’ monthlong holdout is over – much to the relief of every J-E-T-S fan. Without him, Kyle Wilson would have had to fill those shoes, and much of the Super Bowl talk would have faded before the leaves in fall.

An area of concern is, Braylon Edwards, who is notorious for dropping passes. Edwards’ routes are tight and he can run circles around any cornerback in this league, but he needs to improve his catching technique.

New England Patriots (11-5)

Tom Brady simply doesn’t have enough weapons this season to compete with the Jets. I have no doubt in the type of magic he’s capable of, but the Patriots have lost so many offensive weapons, that I can’t see them outshining the Jets for the division title.

Wes Welker is back from the knee injury that prohibited his presence in the 33-14 loss to the Ravens to open up the playoffs last season. This might also be Randy Moss’ last hurrah in New England if they don’t pony up the dough to keep him. As great as the Patriots look on paper, I believe it’s only good enough to get them as high as the fourth seed in the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins (8-8)

Miami looks better with the addition of Brandon Marshall. He will be another great weapon for Chad Henne this season. The other Chad (Pennington) is back from last season’s scary shoulder injury. Pennington will be an excellent veteran backup and will only enhance Miami this season.

I really like this offensive line, and it’s the main reason their Wildcat offense and run game work so efficiently. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams should cut through defenses like butter. I’ll leave them at .500, but they can easily surpass expectations.

Buffalo Bills (4-12)

C.J. Spiller, the rookie from Clemson, has performed above expectations this preseason, and he’s definitely one important part of a puzzle with many missing pieces. Since Trent Edwards has been injury prone – due in part to a shaky offensive line – I would expect Spiller to handle a bulk of the offense.

The defense, again, looks like it’ll make the offense work overtime to either win games or stay in them. I hope Bills fans have a lot of coffee, cocoa, tea or whiskey – anything to keep them warm, ’cause these Bills are built to leave them out in the cold for another season. Good luck in the draft.

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

The leading division favorite this year is Baltimore. Joe Flacco keeps improving, and it helps that Anquan Boldin is now part of his receiving corps. He also has Derrick Mason and he could be a deep threat if he can stay healthy.

I like Ray Rice as Willis McGahee’s replacement. McGahee might not share the same sentiment, but he can be a solid backup to Rice in third down and red zone situations.

On the defense, I like Ray Lewis. Age is only a number with this guy. He’s reliable, and his veteran experience can only strengthen the pass rush. I also expect Kelly Gregg and Cory Redding to be an opposing quarterback’s nightmare.

Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)

Why are they so high on my list with the great potential for a meltdown? Ben Roethlisberger’s four-game suspension is why. Adding Terrell Owens and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones with the integrated drama of Chad Ochocinco sounds bad on paper, but I’m confident all those charged personalities will learn to get along.

I expect the Bengals to sputter out of the gate 0-2, but quickly regain ground and end 3-2 by the bye week. They have one of the toughest schedules this season, but if Cincy can overcome early adversity, they can accomplish great things. Remember last season, no one thought they could sweep their division, and they did.

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

Ben Roethlisberger’s four-game suspension has great potential to derail this team early on. Their schedule is easy, but I still have doubts in Dennis Dixon. He will play these four games and the Steelers better hope Dixon is up to the task of being the leading man because Byron Leftwich left a sour taste in the Bucs’ mouths last season when he led them to a 0-3 start.

Shipping Santonio Holmes to the Jets eased tensions in the locker room, but is Mike Wallace the answer at this position? I’m not quite sure. Hines Ward might become more of a predictable target unless Wallace steps up.

Cleveland Browns (5-11)

Appointing Mike Holmgren was a major plus to this often-clueless front office. Keeping Eric Mangini wasn’t the smartest move despite the Browns’ 4-0 close last season.

Five of their seven games before the bye come against opponents who were .500 or better last season. Worse than that? Jake Delhomme is their new quarterback.

Josh Cribbs is the bright spot on this offense. Mohamed Massaquoi is a big question mark. He has the size and talent (six-feet, two-inches, 207 pounds), but running routes seems to be an issue for him.

Mangini will be fired by November.

AFC SOUTH

Indianapolis Colts (14-2)

As long as Peyton Manning is steering this ship, it will be a success. Manning is still working on a new contract at press time. Although Jeff Saturday got his contract settled before Manning, no one in their right mind believes Manning’s going anywhere.

Manning has extra motivation to reach the Super Bowl this season after losing to the Saints 31-17. Manning isn’t the only one with a chip on his shoulder; Dallas Clark is also out for revenge, and that added motivation – coupled with rookie Brody Eldridge – makes them a great offensive threat.

I think Pierre Garcon is making a comeback of sorts. He becomes the major receiver along with Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie.

Special teams is lacking with injuries to Jamie Silva. With hopes resting on Devin Moore, don’t expect too many eye-popping kick or punt returns.

Houston Texans (9-7)

Brian Cushing’s four-game suspension might affect Houston, but Matt Schaub should be able to right the ship. Expect a sputter though. Schaub was the NFL’s passing yards leader last season and he’s likely to repeat in the top five QBs with receivers like Andre Johnson in his offense.

Arian Foster has potential to be Houston’s premier back; if he can avoid injuries. Otherwise, the running backs look pretty slim down the line with Steve Slaton, Chris Henry and Jeremiah Johnson.

Tennessee Titans (8-8)

Vince Young has proven he has the talent to resume the starting quarterback position but has yet to prove he’s matured enough to accept the responsibilities that come with it. Off-field behavior aside, Young is the right man for the job. Coupled with offensive beast Chris Johnson, you’ve got yourself a bona fide threat.

The Titans won’t pose a threat to the Texans or Colts because the latter half of their schedule looks too tough for their defense to handle.

Stanford Keglar and Stephen Tulloch need to improve the pass rush. Otherwise, expect Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin to run amok in the backfield.

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)

Aaron Kampman got his wish when he was traded from Green Bay in the offseason – a return to the 4-3 defense that made him a star. He’s coming back from an ACL tear and that’s always a questionable injury to return from. Kampman will still make a difference on this defense alongside Derrick Harvey. Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, like Kampman, has to readjust to 4-3. Their familiarity with that scheme is a positive.

I’m not entirely sold on David Gerrard. He’s interception prone, but he’s got the guts to the run the ball when he has to. He does have redeeming values, but nothing screams “Irreplaceable” to me. He’s only got the starting job because Luke McCown and Trevor Harris haven’t shown any indication they’re ready to be anything more than backups.

AFC WEST

San Diego Chargers (11-5)

San Diego hardly looks the same anymore. They traded LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie to the Jets and Vincent Jackson (at press time) is probably going to sit out the season unless contract extension talks improve. The Chargers acquired Patrick Crayton from Dallas, and he should fit well in Jackson’s likely absence.  

The Cromartie and Tomlinson moves point to a calmer locker room, which can boost morale and cohesion and win them the division again, but the AFC West is the second weakest division in the league behind the NFC West, so that isn’t saying much.  

Shawne Merriman, who has often clashed with the front office, is back for another year and Philip Rivers is a happier QB without L.T. This might translate into a more fluid passing game. Look for Antonio Gates to get many of those catches if that’s the case.

Denver Broncos (8-8)

Is Josh McDaniels running everyone out of town? Brandon Marshall, Denver’s elite wide receiver, is now with the Dolphins and Tony Scheffler is with the Lions thanks to disagreements with McDaniels. We can’t forget about Jay Cutler last season, either. The initial infatuation Denver had with McDaniels after their 6-0 start is over, and now he needs to prove he is the right man to replace Mike Shanahan.

Much had been said about Tim Tebow’s addition to Denver but with Kyle Orton’s one-year extension, the Tim Tebow era isn’t quite ready to start yet.

The offense is still strong behind Orton, but the backfield looks terrible. Pass rush looks inconsistent, and the linebackers don’t look like they’ve adapted to McDaniels’ standards. Look for high-scoring games.

Oakland Raiders (7-9)

JaMarcus Russell is finally gone, much to the delight of all Raiders fans. Jason Campbell was traded from Washington and makes a smart fit in this offense. His wrist was injured in preseason so time will tell how it will affect Oakland. The only downside to the equation is Tom Cable. He has yet to impress with his command over the offense, but John Marshall’s command over the defense does reveal lots of potential, especially with Pro Bowler Nnamdi Asomugha. The pass rush looked mean against the Bears in preseason. If that momentum can carry on, the Raiders might be poised to hit .500 or above.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-12)

The good news? The Chiefs face 10 teams that didn’t reach the playoffs last season. The bad news? Matt Cassel still doesn’t have the offensive weapons to resurrect the 2008 Matt Cassel everyone fell in love with back in New England.

I like Jamaal Charles, but he’ll start the season off behind Thomas Jones. Having the 32-year-old Jones instead of the 23-year-old Charles makes more sense to Todd Haley for some reason. And people wonder why the Chiefs are among the worst teams.

Worse than the offense is the defense. The Chiefs traded Jarrad Page to New England for a conditional draft pick. They’re a better team for it, but it won’t make a difference this year.  

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys (13-3)

Not only the division favorites, but the Super Bowl favorites again. The Cowboys made a splash drafting Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State. If he doesn’t have the breakout season I think he will, everyone else in the NFL will laugh, point fingers and say, “I told you so” to owner Jerry Jones.

Romo stuck it to his naysayers by beating the Eagles wild-card weekend but choked against the Vikings. If this offensive line can overcome their red zone difficulties from last season, the Cowboys will be the top seed or second come January. Another question mark is offensive tackle Flozell Adams’ absence. Can new blood replace experience? Undrafted offensive tackle Doug Free seems to have Jones convinced he’s worth the risk.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

Welcome to the Kevin Kolb era, Philly. This doesn’t vastly improve the Eagles’ chances of reaching the Super Bowl, but a wild-card berth might be in the cards. Kolb has to overcome adversity to step out of Donovan McNabb’s shadow. The City of Brotherly Love might not have so much for him if he starts throwing lots of interceptions. Kolb has some dangerous offensive weapons in running back LeSean McCoy, tight end Brent Celek and wide receiver DeSean Jackson.

Defensively, cornerback Asante Samuel anchors the backfield. The regular season opener versus the Packers is a statement game for Kolb. If Philly can gel and gain momentum in an easy September schedule, it might hold up in October when McNabb comes into town with the Redskins.

New York Giants (7-9)

The only thing scarier than Eli Manning’s bleeding forehead in their first preseason game is their potential dominance. If the defense doesn’t shape up, this will be a long season. It’s unlikely the Giants will catch the Eagles, but there is hope.  

What the Giants need to improve: Maybe the curse Plaxico Burress secretly put on Mario Manningham will wear off and Manningham can catch passes again. Hakeem Nicks is more than capable to be Manning’s go-to receiver. The run game with Brandon Jacobs is troubling. If he can play a full season healthy, chances of .500 or beyond improve from impossible to unlikely.  

Washington Redskins (5-11)

McNabb’s trade to Washington is key to future success, just not this season. It also helps that Super Bowl winning coach Mike Shanahan is at the helm. The big question mark is Albert Haynesworth. He has missed most of training camp due to bogus injuries and holdouts. Rifts and gossip in the locker room aren’t ingredients for playoff-bound teams. Owner Dan Snyder’s irresponsible spending has hurt this team for years to come. Rectifying those mistakes with Shanahan and McNabb won’t be enough for a successful campaign this season.

NFC NORTH

Green Bay Packers (12-4)

Much has been said about the Packers this offseason. They’re favored to win the division and possibly the Super Bowl. They improved their offensive line by drafting Bryan Bulaga from Iowa and finding a steady lineup with Chad Clifton, Mark Tauscher and Josh Sitton. I’m not too sold on Daryn Colledge at left guard though.

Special teams is still a main concern for this team. If that can improve, Aaron Rodgers’ job will be easier. Rodgers is poised to be within the top five QBs (again) this season. I expect him to be the league MVP.

Running backs Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson are poised to create a lethal combination in red zone offense. Look for the running game to be as deadly as the passing game.

Minnesota Vikings (11-5)

Brett Favre’s back in the lineup after a drama-filled summer of uncertainty. His return instantly makes the Vikings a favorite once more to reach the postseason and win the division. It will be a neck-and-neck battle with the Packers this season because the Vikings’ schedule isn’t as soft as it was last season. After their bye in October, they face the Jets, Cowboys, Packers and Patriots.

Making matters worse is Sidney Rice, who is out because of hip surgery. He’ll be out half the season. The Vikings seem desperate since they signed ex-Favre foe Javon Walker and Greg Camarillo from the Dolphins as replacements. The last question mark is Percy Harvin. His migraine attacks have been widely reported. His absence would be greatly felt down the stretch.

Chicago Bears (8-8)

The Bears made strides during the offseason by trading for Julius Peppers and firing most of the coaching staff. Coach Lovie Smith might be the first head coach to get fired this season. Jay Cutler is now a year removed from his ugly divorce with the Broncos but has yet to prove he can be the Bears’ franchise quarterback.

Brian Urlacher’s dislocated wrist is all healed up, but he’s injury prone. All the Bears’ linebackers are already banged up, and the season hasn’t even started. That’s cause for major concern.

If Cutler struggles down the stretch, look to Dan LeFevour to step in. The Bears have one of the toughest schedules this season, so a playoff run doesn’t seem likely with a December schedule that includes the Patriots, Vikings, Jets and Packers – all teams projected to make the playoffs this year.

Detroit Lions (3-13)

The pieces are slowly coming together for the Lions to build something other than a dastardly-to-halfway mediocre team. They drafted smart by picking Ndamukong Suh from Nebraska, and hopefully his car accident in August won’t affect his performance. Matthew Stafford is now recovered from his separated shoulder that plagued him toward the end of last season. Let’s hope that was the reason he threw 20 interceptions.

Detroit needs vast improvements at their offensive line if they plan to keep Stafford healthy. This is a pass-happy offense that needs a running back. Javid Best, rookie drafted from Cal, is their, uh, best hope at this position if he can stay healthy. He’ll likely win the starting job from Kevin Smith who tore his ACL in week 14 last season.

NFC SOUTH

New Orleans Saints (10-6)

They ain’t the “Aints” no more! The defending Super Bowl champions are looking to reprise the 97-99 Broncos and 03-04 Patriots in becoming back-to-back champions. But many a team has suffered the so-called “Super Bowl Hangover,” so it will be up to Drew Brees and company to get to a quick start this season.

They didn’t lose many vital pieces to free agency, and they drafted smart by acquiring Patrick Robinson from Florida State to create depth in the backfield. Veteran safety Darren Sharper is on the physically unable to perform list, so it’s up to Malcolm Jenkins to step in and fill big shoes.

With more consistent output from running back Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Bush have potential to destroy the backfield and preserve Brees’ arm.

Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

Quarterback Matt Ryan has risen to the task of being the face of this franchise. This year, the Falcons tout “Rise Up” as their slogan after failing to reach the playoffs despite their 9-7 record. History might repeat itself.

Are the receiving corps cursed? Fifth-round pick Kerry Meier is out for the season with a knee injury in preseason, Michael Jenkins has a shoulder injury and Harry Douglas is returning with a torn ACL from last season.

Look for Kroy Biermann to strike fear into quarterbacks and record many sacks this season.

Carolina Panthers (7-9)

Jake Delhomme never recovered from his embarrassing 2008 playoff game against the Cardinals and was finally shipped off to Cleveland this offseason in favor of Matt Moore. John Fox is in the last year of his contract. If he hopes to coach again next year, it won’t be with Carolina.

As bad at the Panthers might be this season, the silver lining is they aren’t the Buccaneers. Losing Julius Peppers to free agency without a viable replacement seems like a recipe for disaster. How many guys will step up? Greg Hardy might be an answer. The rookie from Mississippi won’t have people saying “Julius who?” anytime soon, but the potential is there.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-14)

Josh Freeman is the foundation for the Buccaneers’ future success. The heir apparent brought the lifeless Bucs to a 3-13 record after starting the second half of the season. It doesn’t help matters he fractured the tip of this throwing thumb in preseason. The Bucs decided against trading for a veteran backup QB and that might become regrettable if Freeman isn’t up to par by the regular season opener against Cleveland.

This defense is very young and that can play to their advantage. Having Gerald McCoy, Roy Miller and Brian Price in the rotation is perfect trial by fire for these rookies.

NFC WEST

San Francisco 49ers (9-7)

Not since the days of Terrell Owens have the 49ers been atop the NFC West, or the playoffs for that matter. That changes this year with Kurt Warner retiring. The offense is pretty much the same, but they’re a year older now. Wide receiver Michael Crabtree could have a standout season. He held out the first five games last season but with a full one ahead of him, he could be on his way toward a Pro Bowl soon.

The No.1 draft pick from 2005, quarterback Alex Smith, has a lot to prove in his game. He’s been riddled with injuries and looks to complete his first full season since 2006. He’s got the weapons, but will he know how to use them? He has a veteran running back in Brian Westbrook, who was recently traded from the Eagles. Westbrook is also notorious for injuries, as is Frank Gore. If they can stay healthy, the latter half of their schedule looks favorable toward a playoff run.

Arizona Cardinals (8-8)

With Matt Leinart’s release, Derek Anderson’s appointment (remember his inconsistencies in Cleveland last season?) and Anquan Boldin’s trade to the Ravens, this season is hardly the same as last season. I still think they have enough to make a .500 run, considering this is the weakest division in football.

Larry Fitzgerald is still Arizona’s premier wide receiver, but he won’t post dazzling numbers with Anderson as his quarterback. There’s also Fitzgerald’s preseason injury to consider.  

There are bright spots on this team, however. Running back Beanie Wells, who will play a major role alongside Tim Hightower, can be the breakout star the Cardinals need, if he can hold on to the ball. Early Doucet is also capable of filling the void left by Boldin. Third down conversion and red zone offense are paramount to the success of Arizona this season.

St. Louis Rams (6-10)

The Rams should have drafted Ndamukong Suh in April but instead got Sam Bradford. They got rid of Mark Bulger to make room for Bradford, but the problem isn’t at quarterback so much as it is at defense and the offensive line. Their O-line could easily be compared to Swiss cheese with all the holes in it.

Bradford has looked amazing this preseason, and it will go a long way towards rebuilding this franchise, but spending $50 million on a rookie who has yet to prove himself in the regular season presents a huge question mark. The Rams will improve this season, but not enough to crack .500.

Seattle Seahawks (4-12)

With all the offseason drama concerning USC, Pete Carroll insists he didn’t bail on them in favor of a second try in the NFL. Who still believes him? He brings new life to the Seahawks, who saw a lot of glory under Mike Holmgren.

Matt Hasselbeck needs to stay healthy this season. The last two have seen Hasselbeck out for a bulging disk and shoulder issues. His backup, Charlie Whitehurst, might become essential to this team if Hasselback goes down again. He’s shown potential, but under duress, Whitehurst tends to throw interceptions.

Leon Washington could post big numbers this season if he can play as brilliantly as he has shown he can this preseason.

The Seahawks are also without starting left tackle Russell Okung, who is out indefinitely with an ankle injury.