Out of Nowhere, to Be Found

The NFL calls them preseason games, we prefer exhibition games -- the important thing is that we can all call them over. The real NFL season finally starts Thursday with the Redskins at the Giants, who were last seen capping an amazing run through the playoffs with a shocking Super Bowl victory. Our question: Which squad has the makings of being this year's surprise winner?

Cleveland Browns

O h, great, Browns fans are thinking, it's bad enough we went winless in the preseason, but now you have to jinx us? To which we respond: Everyone knows the exhi . . . er, preseason is meaningless, and c'mon, accusing us of jinxing your team is like blaming those memorabilia guys for sullying O.J.'s good name. Let's face it, the Browns are already jinxed, if phrases like "The Fumble," "The Drive" and "The Couch" mean anything. They are one of just three non-expansion teams who hasn't played in a Super Bowl, making up a real murderee's row with the Cardinals and Lions. They haven't so much as appeared in a conference title game since 1989, although we could excuse some of that lag on three years of inexistence. Then again, waiting for a team to replace the one that packed up and moved -- and proceeded to win it all shortly thereafter -- is the kind of thing that happens when your squad is jinxed. But don't stick your head in that oven just yet, Clevelanders! After all, the Red Sox and White Sox both recently slipped off the shackles of karmic oppression, so maybe your team's time has come. (Hmmm . . . perhaps the team should to change its name to the Brown Sox. Just a thought.) Certainly, NFL fans of all persuasions have to admire Cleveland's talent on offense, beginning with wide receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow, who possess four of the best hands in the league. That pair has been augmented by wideout Donte' Stallworth, who possesses two of the worst hamstrings in the league but can be an explosive factor when healthy. Last year, the addition of top draft pick Joe Thomas seemed to greatly improve the offensive line; this year, the Browns hope that the acquisitions of Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams do the same for the defensive line. Of course, a lot of Cleveland's success in '08 depends on Derek Anderson looking as good as he did for much of '07, but what reason is there to think that won't happen?

Philadelphia Eagles

Sure, they need Donovan McNabb to avoid injury, but what team's fortunes don't depend on the health of their starting QB? (In other news, the Cardinals just announced that Matt Leinart was suffering from "the heartbreak of psoriasis.") If McNabb stays mcnambulatory, the Eagles' have another elite offensive talent in Brian Westbrook and the kind of defensive line and secondary play that can carry a team.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags went 12-6 last season with a playoff win at Pittsburgh, so no one's thinking they're chopped liver. But the AFC rival Patriots, Colts and Chargers comprise much of the league's foie gras, so Jacksonville even reaching the Super Bowl, let alone winning it, would seem to qualify as a surprise of Paul Prudhomme-ish proportions. Of course, with a strong rushing attack and a hard-nosed approach in general, the Jags may have just have the ingredients to pull it off.

Carolina Panthers

It's now been four long seasons since the Panthers' first trip to the Big Game, but we're guessing no one on the Redskins doubts that they can get back, and seal the deal, this time. If the incident that led to Steve Smith's suspension taught this team anything, it is that it's better to administer beatdowns to people on other teams.

Miami Dolphins

Well, it would be a surprise, right? For what it's worth, the last time Bill Parcells took over a 1-15 team (the Jets in 1997), he turned them around immediately to the tune of 9-7 and the doorstep of the playoffs. One thing's for sure: Even if the Dolphins do win the Super Bowl, it'll still be way down the list of mind-blowing experiences for Ricky Williams.