Five questions and answers

1 Answer: Yes, he should play. And for those who don't agree, see: San Francisco, Baltimore, Buffalo, Atlanta, Kansas City, Miami, the Jets, St. Louis, the entire NFC North ...

As for where he should play, throw out the NFC North. The Packers have moved on and aren't dumb enough to put themselves in position to play against Favre twice a year.

The view here is Favre should play for Miami or San Francisco.

Assuming there's no "Square Dancing with the Stars," he could fit in with the Dolphins. Yeah, Miami won only one game last season, but new boss Bill Parcells averages seven victories in Year 1 with a new team. No, the Tuna's title isn't head coach this time. But it might as well be.

The 49ers present a more intriguing scenario. The league's most putrid passing offense added Mike Martz as offensive coordinator and receivers Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson during the offseason. The 49ers also have Vernon Davis at tight end, Frank Gore at running back and a better defense than Miami. Throw in Favre, throw out Alex Smith and watch the fireworks, baby.

Who will go further, the Patriots or the Giants?

2 Answer: The Patriots. The Super Bowl loser has missed the playoffs the following year in six of the past seven seasons. But the current Super Bowl runner-up was 18-1 and is riding a 19-game regular-season win streak. It also returns a couple of guys named Tom Brady and Randy Moss from a record-setting offense.

This year, it's the reigning Super Bowl champion that might miss the playoffs. Yes, the Giants are coming off a flawless postseason. Yes, they've won an NFL-record 10 consecutive road games, not to mention the stunning Super Bowl XLIII upset.

But they also haven't won at home since Oct. 21. And while Eli Manning was superb through three road playoff games and the Super Bowl, he also threw 20 picks during the regular season.

Who's No. 1 among the new faces in new places?

3 That's become a tough call recently with the Redskins trading for Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor and the Saints trading for Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey.

From a short-term standpoint, the Redskins' trade for Taylor is better than the Vikings' trade for Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen. The Redskins gave up a second-round draft pick in 2009 and a sixth-round pick in 2010 for Taylor, who had 11 sacks last season and was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year only two years ago. The Vikings, meanwhile, gave up a first-round pick and two third-rounders to get Allen, who led the NFL with 15 1/2 sacks last season.

From a long-term perspective, Allen was more expensive because he's 26 and Taylor is 33.

As for Shockey, he is reunited with Saints head coach and former Giants offensive coordinator Sean Payton. He also plugs the only hole in the Saints' already-potent offense. And he's only 27. And it only cost New Orleans a second-round and a fifth-round pick in 2009.

Other top new faces in new places to consider are cornerback Asante Samuel in Philadelphia and tight end Alge Crumpler in Tennessee.

Answer: For his impact over the next year or two compared to what it cost the Redskins, give Taylor the nod.

Which QB faces the most pressure?

4 Tarvaris Jackson is far from the only young QB who needs to prove himself in 2008. Rex Grossman went to a Super Bowl and still hasn't proven himself in Chicago. Former No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith might not beat out former Vikings clipboard-holder Shaun Hill in San Francisco. Matt Leinart needs to take the job back from Kurt Warner in Arizona. Derek Anderson must keep Brady Quinn from taking it in Cleveland.

Time is running out on Kyle Boller in Baltimore and Brodie Croyle in Kansas City. Trent Edwards is unproven in Buffalo, but so is teammate J.P. Losman. Jake Delhomme is coming off elbow surgery in Carolina, Jeff Garcia is old in Tampa, and Jon Kitna is old in Detroit. The Jets don't know whether to hand the ball to Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens. Donovan McNabb can't afford to give the Eagles an opportunity to turn to Kevin Kolb. Then there's Tony Romo, who has the girl, the stats and the superstar treatment but is still 0-2 in the playoffs.

Answer: Romo. He had an outstanding regular season but then lost to the Giants in a divisional playoff game. At home ... as the No. 1 seed ... with an offense that included seven Pro Bowl players. That's not good enough for someone who makes that kind of money, dates Jessica Simpson and is often referred to as one of the best QBs in the league.

Who is the best bet to make a playoff return?

5 Seven teams that didn't make the playoffs in 2005 made it in 2006. And six that didn't make it in 2006 made it last season.

It's called parity, and the NFL thrives on it. For 12 consecutive seasons, the playoffs have included at least five teams that didn't make the playoffs the year before.

Some of the leading contenders this year include the Eagles, Vikings, Saints and Browns.

Answer: Saints. They were so dominant offensively when they won the NFC South and reached the conference title game in 2006. Adding Shockey will help them get back in after a one-year slump.