September, however, is about reality. Not about what you think, but rather what you do. September is, thankfully, about getting down to business.

The Steelers and the Dolphins teed up 2006 on Thursday night, but things really get cranked up Sunday, and here are some things to watch along the way.

Especially in the AFC. Last season, the conference's six playoff teams were 5-1 on the season's opening week, with the only loss in that group being the Broncos' cave-in in Miami.

Owens already has promised he will "make a statement" in Sunday's opener in Jacksonville, though in the minds of many, he already has made plenty of statements.

He spent much of training camp making Parcells look like he just finished 3 pounds of bad calamari because Owens didn't practice for much of the preseason because of a sore left hamstring.

There has been a move among the league salary-cap specialists in recent seasons to take a hard look at the value of signing a running back closing in on 30 to a long-term contract.

There also is the matter that six of the AFC's top 10 rushers played for teams that didn't make the playoffs in 2005, led by the Chiefs' (1,750 yards).

Of the upper-echelon teams, Denver and Indianapolis are poised to use at least two backs in a rotation, and both will use a rookie in the mix - for the Broncos and for the Colts.

Look for the yellow flags flying near the linebackers this season. Offensive coordinators around the league are saying a tight end on a linebacker might be the best matchup for the guys with the ball.

And with rookie tight ends such as (49ers), (Broncos) and (Rams) set to make an early impact because of their speed, some teams might have to use defensive backs to stop the big guys.

Davis, at more than 250 pounds, ran 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. Scheffler was the second-fastest tight end timed in Indianapolis, in 4.54 seconds, and Klopfenstein ran 4.55 seconds in Boulder at his predraft workouts.

"You get somebody in there who can catch the ball, I think most teams are going to believe that's a matchup they can win," Broncos tight end said.

And with shorter pass drops by quarterbacks and more offenses looking to get the ball out, they all might just look to the middle of the field a little more.

There are 10 coaches in new jobs this year. Seven of them have never been NFL head coaches, two have previously been fired - and - and simply left one job (Jets) for another (Chiefs).

But of the 10 new coaches, it likely will be 35-year-old who wonders at times what he has gotten himself into. With the Jets, he finds himself with a team in trouble with the salary cap, with a quarterback () coming off two right shoulder surgeries and his top running back () on the way to retirement because of right knee troubles.

BUFFALO will find out quickly about the progress of its retooled offensive front. The Bills will face New England Sunday with and pounding away in the middle of the field. Talk to scouts, though, and right tackle is the one they like to see.

CINCINNATI right tackle , who signed a six-year extension last week, told the team not to back load the contract so they could continue to sign other free agents when he reaches his mid 30s.

CLEVELAND coach has spent much of the preseason trying to figure out who his center will be - it’s now former Eagle - as well as gauging how much wide receiver can give the team less than a year after major knee surgery. Edwards will play Sunday and may even start opposite .

DENVER is expected to be the most frustrating team in the league for the fantasy football types. No matter which Bell tolls at running back - or , and Mike is the likely starter - they are expected, at least for now, to rotate, dividing the carries much like last season between Tatum Bell and .

HOUSTON confirmed what many scouts believed before the draft - can play. Lundy was a sixth-round pick by the Texans, but he will be ’s first starter at running back. Lundy played 49 games at Virginia - a school record for an RB - and scored more career TDs (52) than or did there.

INDIANAPOLIS certainly likes former Titans. Despite the Titans 4-12 finish last season when final cuts were made this past weekend, the Colts still snapped up linebacker and defensive end from Tennessee. Both played last season in a defense that finished 19th overall in ‘05.

KANSAS CITY guard missed roughly three weeks of the preseason with a sprained ankle, but he is expected to be in the lineup Sunday against the Bengals after practicing this week. Shields has started 207 consecutive games.

MIAMI had to adjust on the fly this week. After preparing for some time that would be at quarterback for the Steelers. Sunday, the Dolphins had to adjust to the fact Charlie Batch would start Thursday night because Roethlisberger had appendectomy.

NEW ENGLAND has moved quickly to try and incorporate wide receiver into the offense. Gabriel, who has also been a kick returner in his career, gives the Patriots a deep threat they did not have with still in a holdout. Look for to involve Gabriel quickly.

NEW YORK looks as if it will lean on former Chiefs backup initially at running back and will rotate in , who came in a trade late in training camp. The Jets are also intrigued by rookie - a 5-foot-9 back who scored TDs five different ways at Florida St. (rushing, receiving, kickoff return, punt return and fumble recovery).

OAKLAND coach is in a tough spot with the trade of Gabriel, who he had used as the No. 2 receiver in the preseason. Shell has not been happy with almost since he took the job. But Porter is now the best option at No. 2, especially since neither nor has ever topped 700 yards in a season.

WHEN PITTSBURGH signed cornerback to a five-year, $22.5 million contract extension in the days before their Thursday night opener, it meant the team will now have no starters set to become unrestricted free agents at season’s end. Right tackle is scheduled to be the team’s only restricted free agent.

SAN DIEGO will start in ’s weak-side linebacker spot Monday. Foley will miss the season after being shot several times by an off-duty police officer. Phillips missed some practice time last week with a case of what coach called strep throat.

TENNESSEE coach has played it coy with his quarterbacks since acquiring veteran just before the preseason finale. But the Titans were talking internally about signing Collins internally as far back as the April draft. This was not a move made so Collins could ride the bench.

ARIZONA signed one of the more interesting projects to their practice squad. Quarterback is a former Minnesota Twins draft pick - he pitched at the University of Kentucky - and he also played quarterback, running back and wide receiver for the Wildcats football team. He once scored TDs rushing, passing and receiving in same game.

ATLANTA has not gotten much return on its investment in linebacker because of injuries. Hartwell is not expected to play in the opener after having arthroscopic surgery on both knees in late August. He missed much of last season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury.

CAROLINA didn’t want to have to use a starter to return punts this season, but now may have to as wide receiver or cornerback are still the team’s best options in the return game.

CHICAGO likes what its defense can do, but it will not be at full speed until defensive end returns to form after a dislocated right shoulder he suffered in the preseason. Brown isn’t expected to be 100 percent for the opener and was second on the team in sacks in ‘05 with six.

DALLAS quarterback will have to deal with pressure right in his face Sunday. The Jaguars, because of Bledsoe’s limited mobility, figure to try and rattle Bledsoe right down the center of the field with and . The Cowboys have been a bit unsettled at center as well wavering between and .

DETROIT rookie offensive lineman , who grew up in Panama and started his career as a defensive tackle at South Florida, was a surprise keeper by the Lions after the final cuts. Davis was undrafted this past April.

GREEN BAY general manager obviously believes in what he saw in the 2001 draft when he was a personnel executive with the Seattle Seahawks. Thompson brought in troubled wide receiver , who still could be suspended for a year, for a visit this week. Robinson was the ninth pick overall by the Seahawks in the ‘01 draft.

MINNESOTA not only traded for to be their backup quarterback, but several personnel executives in the league say that the Vikings quickly negotiated a two-year contract extension for Bollinger, who is now signed through the ‘08 season.

NEW YORK rookie wide receiver , who missed almost all of the preseason with a thigh injury, has seen his opportunity to be one of the team’s top three wide receivers go by the wayside, at least for the moment. used Moss’ absence to grab the No. 3 spot.

PHILADELPHIA will likely go easy with running back . Buckhalter, because of a host of injuries, has not played in a regular-season game since January of 2004 because of knee injuries. The Eagles will mix and match a bit at running back to start the season.

ST. LOUIS has given defensive coordinator plenty of room to work. Head coach , who cut his NFL teeth as an offensive assistant, has let the former New Orleans head coach work the defense to his liking. Haslett figures to be far more aggressive than the Rams were last season, especially with defensive tackle .

SAN FRANCISCO let and go in free agency as continues to try to find some balance for the teetering franchise. In their place, however, the 49ers don’t have a consistent pass rusher. That is a year after they traded to the Broncos for and then cut Middlebrooks several times.

SEATTLE, looking for a little more pop in the kick return game, signed former Giants returner this week. Ponder led the league in 2004 with a 26.9 yards per return average. He averaged 25.9 yards per return last season.

TAMPA BAY will start rookie at right guard. Joseph will be the only change up front for the Buccaneers. Joseph was a first-round pick this past April and Oklahoma coaches said he graded out the highest among the linemen in 2004 when the team also had and in the lineup.

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