July 23, 2006|By BILL ORDINE | BILL ORDINE,SUN REPORTER
Skinny -- While zooming along the comeback trail, the Bengals hit a rough patch when quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a severe knee injury in the playoffs. Then in the offseason, a spate of player arrests and a reported drug suspension put the franchise under a cloud. The bottom line, though, is that all eyes will be on Palmer on every practice throw, and if he is OK, the Bengals will be, too.
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5)
Veterans report -- Friday
Skinny -- The defending Super Bowl champions' main issue is regaining the chemistry that allowed them to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy after qualifying for the playoffs as the bottom seed in the AFC. Gone are running back Jerome Bettis, the consummate team player and locker room leader, and multidimensional threat Antwaan Randle El. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger - injured in an offseason motorcycle accident - has said he will be ready when the games count.
Ravens (6-10)
Veterans report -- Friday
Skinny -- The Ravens' camp will be watched to see whether there's a renewed sense of mission. Under the microscope will be middle linebacker Ray Lewis, who is coming back from a hamstring injury, and running back Jamal Lewis, who was mired in a season-long funk in 2005. And, of course, Steve McNair is anticipated to be the blue-chip quarterback that's been missing.
Cleveland Browns (6-10)
Veterans report -- Wednesday
Skinny -- Second-year quarterback Charlie Frye will be the man for the Browns with veteran Trent Dilfer gone, and this will be his camp to assert himself as the leader. This summer also will be marked by the potential emergence of tight end Kellen Winslow, whose injuries on the field in 2004 and on a motorcycle in 2005 have delayed any major contribution as a pro.
Division summary
Skinny -- Top to bottom, this is possibly the strongest division in the AFC. The Ravens have improved the most with McNair, but if the Bengals' Palmer is healthy and the Steelers keep their chemistry, those two teams remain the favorites.
AFC West
Denver Broncos (13-3)
Veterans report -- Thursday
Skinny -- After his best season (18 touchdown passes, seven interceptions), quarterback Jake Plummer appeared to revert to his big-mistake past in the AFC title game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with two interceptions and two fumbles. It's hard to imagine coach Mike Shanahan getting so fed up with Plummer that he'd go to rookie Jay Cutler at any point in the season, but if Plummer fails to play smart, things will get tense.
Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
Veterans report -- Thursday
Skinny -- Ex-New York Jets coach Herman Edwards assumes control of the Chiefs after one of his longtime supporters, the retired Dick Vermeil. The challenge for Edwards is getting the defense to support a high-scoring offense. The window of opportunity is closing quickly for the aging Chiefs. Two key offensive linemen are possibly in their final seasons, and quarterback Trent Green, who has started 80 straight games, is in his 14th year.
San Diego Chargers (9-7)
Veterans report -- Friday
Skinny -- The question in San Diego is quite simple: Is quarterback Philip Rivers ready for prime time? He has the job all to himself now that Drew Brees is in New Orleans. Rivers, a first-round pick in 2004 whom the Chargers acquired in a trade with the New York Giants, has thrown just 30 passes. Coach Marty Schottenheimer may be risking his job on Rivers.
Oakland Raiders (4-12)
Veterans report -- Tomorrow
Skinny -- Once a proud and feared franchise, the Raiders have slipped to the point where they have cast their fortunes with former Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks, who is trying to reverse a career slide. More worrisome is whether aging but still autocratic owner Al Davis remains capable of running the club. Hall of Famer Art Shell starts his second tenure as coach of the Raiders.
Division summary
Skinny -- This will come down to Denver and Kansas City because Rivers' inexperience will hurt the Chargers and the Raiders are a non-factor.
NFC East
New York Giants (11-5)
Veterans report -- Thursday
Skinny -- Make no mistake, the Giants believe the future is now. They added linebackers LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short and defensive backs Will Demps, Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters to a defense that was already filled with veterans. But they need quarterback Eli Manning to become more consistent.
Washington Redskins (10-6)
Veterans report -- Next Sunday
Skinny -- There's also a sense of urgency surrounding the Redskins. They needed to win their final five games last year to make the playoffs, but in two postseason games, the offense was horrible. They signed ex-Pittsburgh Steelers receiver-returner Antwaan Randle El to go with receiver Santana Moss and added former St. Louis Rams safety Adam Archuleta and ex-San Francisco 49ers defensive end Andre Carter to a solid defense.
Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
Veterans report -- Friday
