NEW YORK (AFP) — New England is trying to bounce back from heartbreak, Brett Favre has come out of retirement for one more chance at glory and the Dallas Cowboys are contenders again but stuck in a playoff drought.
Such is the state of the National Football League entering Thursday's season opener, which sends the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants against NFC East division rival Washington ahead of the first full weekend of games.
The Giants, led by quarterback Eli Manning, denied New England an unbeaten run to the championship last February. But Patriots coach Bill Belichick has his team thinking about this run rather than looking in the rear-view mirror.
"We just talk about what is going on now and what we have to do. We don't make much reference to a lot of historical stuff," Belichick said. "It's the here and now - what's going on, what do we have to do to improve, what's our challenge ahead, how do we meet that challenge. That's where our focus is."
New England's Tom Brady, a three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, threw an NFL record 50 touchdowns last season and wooed Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
Randy Moss caught an NFL record 23 touchdown passes last season and was rewarded with a three-year contract extension worth 27 million dollars. Add Wes Welker and rusher Laurence Maroney to the mix and the Pats will contend again.
But this time, they must contend with Favre as an AFC East division rival.
Green Bay will be without three-time NFL Most Valuable Player Favre for the first time since 1991 as the legend came out of retirement but was sent to the New York Jets so the Packers could move on behind former reserve Aaron Rodgers.
"Anytime you add a guy like Brett Favre to a team it never hurts," Brady said.
Favre said he was feeling comfortable week by week with his new club in the exhibition season and could turn the Jets into a formidable foe.
"Expectations are obviously great. That goes without saying. But they were in Green Bay as well," Favre said. "You can't really be affected by things you can't control. I just do what I can and not really get caught up in all the other stuff."
Jets receive Jerricho Cotchery likes what he sees so far, saying, "It looks like he's getting more and more comfortable each and every day."
The Jets dumped Chad Pennington for Favre and Pennington was tabbed as the starter in Miami, which begins the season Sunday against the Jets.
The Cowboys lost 21-17 to the Giants in the playoffs, extending a playoff win drought to 11 years despite a stellar season. A Dallas team that sent 11 players to the Pro Bowl all-star game must shake off the funk to contend again.
"Last year is over," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "The Giants aren't the Super Bowl champions anymore. That was last year. We're going forward. There are high expectations here. That's not unusual for the Dallas Cowboys."
Tony Romo completed 355 passes for 4,211 yards and 36 touchdowns last year. Terrell Owens made 81 catches for 1,355 yards and an NFL-best 15 touchdowns and tight end Jason Witten had 96 catches for 1,145 yards and seven touchdowns.
Add Marion Barber's 975 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns and it's easy to see why excitement is high in Texas.
"We have a lot to prove and we know expectations are high, but nothing is higher than what we're putting on ourselves," Witten said.
Dallas also has former Tennessee cornerback Adam Jones, reinstated last week by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after a 17-month suspension for a series of off-field incidents.
"I'm very grateful for this opportunity," Jones said. "I just want to keep working hard so I can accomplish the goals I've set on and off the field."
The Giants' quest for a spot in the Super Bowl next February 1 at Tampa begins against the Redskins, who will be guided by new coach Jim Zorn, a former NFL quarterback who has boosted Washington's passing game.
New York's defense lost star Michael Strahan to retirement and defensive end Osi Umenyiora to a season-ending knee injury in an exhibition game.
Other familiar faces will be in the title chase, including San Diego with star rusher LaDainian Tomlinson and 2006 Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts with star passer Peyton Manning and a new domed home stadium.
Donovan McNabb is healthy and hopeful of guiding Philadelphia to the Super Bowl as he did in 2004 while Minnesota will be powered by Adrian Peterson, who ran for 1,341 yards as a rookie in 2007.
Defensive end Jared Allen, who led the NFL with 15 1/2 sacks in 2007, was traded from Kansas City to Minnesota, joining last year's top NFL run defense.
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