When the Bengals are looking to get into the playoffs this coming season, we will have to watch for them to fight an impressive battle this season. It’s going to be a lot of fun to see the AFC North. Like its NFC counterpart, the AFC North has some very strong teams and intense rivalries. When we get into the season, we’ll see if Cincy has been able to push their team to a higher level and get themselves up into the top of the division. But remember, with the defending champs Steelers in the division, Cleveland trying to get back to their previous incarnation, and Baltimore always causing trouble, it’s going to be a big year for this division. Cincy will have to push a lot to get there, but anyone could win this division!

Kevin Williams and Pat Williams were suspended several weeks ago for having used a banned substance. The two defensive tackles of the Minnesota Vikings are accused of having used a banned diuretic that is considered a performance enhancing drug. This can land them a big suspension in the NFL. They claim that the NFL never notified the FDA or the players or the players’ union about this substance and they, therefore, cannot be held accountable. It will take a few months for them to iron this out a little bit, but for the moment, the legal system has spoken and they will be working their way through the courts a little bit more to see if the suspension will hold or not.

Plaxico Burress, despite the problems that have plagued him in the last few years, especially since December, is still being considered by several different teams in the NFL right now. The wide receiver is one of the best players in the league and can catch almost everything that gets lobbed in his diretion. He’s a greatly talented player, no question, but it’s hard to imagine having him without bringing all the baggage with him again. The Tampa Bay Bucs and the New York Jets have made contact with the player and are interested in having him on their team, perhaps. They have, at the very least, inquired into his current situation to see if he’s doing well and what he might know about his upcoming disciplinary situation in the NFL.

Michael Vick is going to be released from prison soon. But the authorities are being kind and not telling exactly when he will release. This will prevent the creation of a public scene during the event and it will be good for his security as well. Instead of having protesters and angry people there, he will probably leave under cover of darkness and then just be home. There have been a lot of discussions amongst people whether Vick could possibly come back to the NFL after this. Most people think that it isn’t possible, but the possibility does exist. If he’s rehabilitated, it might be worth it, but maybe not. It’s a little hard to imagine a team taking on that lumber ultimately.

When there isn’t much going on in the NFL, then we like to look back at some of the history of the league and some of the most impressive quarterbacks. When we are thinking about the NFL, it’s impressive for us to take a look at some of the best ones in history. The current players that are considered the best are Kurt Warner and Tom Brady. But of course the top quarterback is Joe Montana, who played for the 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs and won several championships. Even in the early 90s, when he was playing for the Chiefs, he led them into the playoffs, even if they didn’t get into the Super Bowl during that time. These quarterbacks are great people to remember and see what they were like back then.

The New York Jets are in a rather odd rebuilding phase at the moment. They had Brett Favre on their team last year and were able to improve a lot over their previous performances. But now that he’s gone and released, they are pinning their hopes on Mark Sanchez, their great new QB who is very talented as well. We’ll see what he’s able to do. But there are now two picky running backs, Leon Washington and Thomas Jones, who are grumbling about their contracts right now. They are expected to be major parts of next year’s team, with Sanchez needing a major running game to hold his team up. But now some of that is thrown into doubt with some on the team being uncertain what will be happening next. There’s plenty of time, but with Jones and Washington not appearing at workouts, there’s a bit of trouble.

The New York Jets aren’t all that happy about Brett Favre’s continuing possible trading issues. They were the ones who had him and then lost him when he decided he was finished with football. They were the ones who gambled their season on him, got a decent showing, but will have no chance to really capitalize on further development. Now they have to watch him do this weird flirting dance with the Minnesota Vikings, possibly on track to really show those Green Bay Packers what they missed out on. Were the Jets just a rebound relationship? Why can’t Favre stick it to Green Bay from NY Jets? Was this retirement a sham too? They’re just not pleased with the way that he’s working and the kind of situation that he’s in.

Reggie McKenzie, the director of operations for the Green Bay Packers, had his championship rings in his car during a little league baseball game. In that time, they were stolen from the car. It was one Super Bowl ring and a NFC Championship ring, both won since he came to work for the team in the early 90s. A laptop and a wallet were also taken from the car in the incident. There were no injuries and apparently no one actually saw anything. Perhaps there are some fingerprints, but it’s hard to tell. I don’t know if he can have his rings reissued. Remember, if you ever win a Super Bowl, don’t leave the ring in your car, even if you live in Green Bay!

The NFL season doesn’t start for several months, but many of the early training camps are already beginning. These aren’t quite so serious as the late-summer versions, but they are very important for the teams to keep their players in shape and give them some practice. This is probably where they plan out a lot of their offensive and defensive system. With the quarterbacking role so complicated these days, they certainly have to work on it a lot, because it certainly takes a lot of memorization and everything for them to get it done. This is going to be one of the most interesting years for the NFL too, with a lot of movement of players. They are getting ready and so will we!