by John Czarnecki

I thought of Manny Ramirez when I said that. The Boston Red Sox couldn't wait to get rid of Manny and are even paying his salary as he helps the Los Angeles Dodgers — five RBIs on Saturday — take over first place in the NL West. I'm sure many Dodgers fans think Manny is a great guy and have forgotten past locker-room stories and why he turned off his teammates in Boston.

Manny's great recovery brings me to Brett Favre. I realize many are sick of hearing about Favre, but he will be the subject of conversation on Sunday's FOX NFL Sunday. Favre, always considered a good ol' boy from Mississippi, will be starting for the New York Jets after a Hall of Fame career in Green Bay. No matter how you slice it, the Packers got rid of him, just like the Red Sox dumped Manny.

But don't you think Manny got a better deal than Favre? He's in Los Angeles and smack in the middle of a pennant race. Favre is hoping to last the season and is still struggling with a new playbook in a totally unfamiliar conference.

Favre and Bus Cook, his agent, made many mistakes in their return to football this season. When the Packers passed once again on trying to sign Randy Moss in late February, Favre got emotional and decided to retire. A couple weeks later, he regretted his decision and he really regretted it once he realized training camps were about to open.

"I know Brett," said Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who was once a Packer quarterback, too. "The one thing he loves to do is play on Sundays. He doesn't care much for all the other stuff. So like some hibernating animal, his juices started flowing once June came around. All he knows is playing football."

The Packers can say that Favre became a diva and that his wife, Deanna, was calling the shots on his return to football, but once he returned to Green Bay he should have remained there.

After he was reinstated, Favre should have told the Packers that he wanted to play one more season. He should have said, I'll even be a backup to Aaron Rodgers. And if you think I can't do that, I'll be third string behind Matt Flynn.

Maybe Coach Mike McCarthy wouldn't have played him all summer, but the fans would have seen Favre on the practice field every day, working with the scout team or wherever they banished him. And if the Packers wouldn't allow Favre to practice, he should have become a bad boy and come to practice anyway, even if it meant standing outside the fences with all the other Cheeseheads.

And with Favre on the roster through August, the Packers would have had three choices.

They would have either been forced to release him on cut-down day to the 53-man roster. Or trade him to the team of his choice, just like lovable Manny.

And if the Packers kept him on the roster, does anyone really believe McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson would have had the guts to end Favre's ironman streak and tell him he would be a healthy scratch, sitting on the bench, against the Vikings on Monday night? It would have been like the Orioles benching Cal Ripken the day he would have been tying Lou Gehrig.

GAME: St. Louis at Philadelphia

TIME: 1 ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Without receivers Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb will be zeroing in on Brian Westbrook and TE L.J. Smith. The Linc, which still has natural grass, could be a quagmire after Saturday's rain storm plus a Temple football game. Among players with at least 500 touches since 2004, Westbrook leads the league with 288 touches per every fumble (four fumbles in 1,152 touches). Both defenses figure to try some new blitz schemes and the Rams plan to move around first-round pick Chris Long in nickel situations. Field conditions, however, may negate defensive quickness on both sides. The Rams' offense will focus on RB Steven Jackson, who figures to get more touches than Westbrook. Jackson is the Rams' lone hope this season to have a winning season.

CZAR'S SCOOP: Even with the signing of Baltimore's Gary Stills, the Rams are concerned about their special teams, which have been a problem all preseason. On punt returns, DeSean Jackson could be a huge factor for the Eagles. Jackson will also start at wide receiver for the Eagles. The Rams lead the series and rank fifth in the NFL with 38 season-opening victories. The NFL has removed Rams executive John Shaw from the Management Council executive committee, the league's negotiating arm with the NFL Players Association. Shaw, one of the smartest minds in the league, had been a member of the committee since the first deal with the players that included free agency. The Eagles, who need Lito Sheppard as a third cornerback, seem very reluctant to trade him. Besides, no team has offered a second-round pick for him.

GAME: Tampa Bay at New Orleans

TIME: 1 ET

Meet Drew Brees' new secret weapon: Jeremy Shockey (Sean Gardner / Getty Images)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Saints returned after practicing all week in Indianapolis and they may have power RB Deuce McAllister available, which should help Drew Brees and his play-action penchant. Don't forget that Brees has a new weapon in ex-Giant TE Jeremy Shockey. McAllister is a game-time decision. The Bucs are a little concerned about QB Jeff Garcia, who hasn't looked sharp this summer and now has a bad pinky on his throwing hand. If Garcia plays poorly or gets knocked out, look for Brian Griese. WR Joey Galloway (groin) and RB Warrick Dunn are ready to go despite their lack of playing time this summer. Saints CB Mike McKenzie is a game-time decision, meaning Randall Gay and Tracy Porter will be the starters. Saints Coach Sean Payton is truly excited about his offense's capabilities.

CZAR'S SCOOP: Don't forget that the Bucs won the South last season and swept the Saints in the process. In his last four games against New Orleans, Galloway has 19 catches for 501 yards and five TDs. Even though the Gulf Coast and New Orleans dodged Gustav, Hurricane Ike could be headed that way later this week. No one knows what the NFL would do if New Orleans ever suffered damage similar to Katrina. It would be difficult to keep the franchise there if that ever happened. San Antonio would become another option, considering no one really knows whether Los Angeles will ever be prepared to relocate a NFL team. The Saints stayed at a four-star hotel this past week in Indianapolis and loved the experience.

GAME: Detroit at Atlanta

TIME: 1 ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: New Lions offensive coordinator Jim Colletto has vowed to run the ball, and the team loves the cut-back style of rookie RB Kevin Smith. Newly-signed RB Rudi Johnson should get only a few carries in Detroit's zone-blocking scheme. The Falcons didn't upgrade their front seven much, and Detroit plans to attack Atlanta's under-six-feet cornerbacks in rookie Chevis Jackson and Chris Houston with Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson. No. 1 pick QB Matt Ryan makes his first career start for the Falcons, and will have his blind side protected by fellow rookie LT Sam Baker. The Falcons need to get new featured back RB Michael Turner untracked. Overall, five rookies will play major roles for the Falcons.

CZAR'S SCOOP: Seven of the Lions' eight draft picks made the final roster, including starters Smith and FB Jerome Felton. The Falcons are 2-0 in their only two season openers at the Georgia Dome. Domonique Foxworth, acquired in a trade with Denver Tuesday, went through his first practice with the Falcons Wednesday and will play. Falcons kicker Jason Elam played with Foxworth in Denver. "I'm surprised Denver let him get away," Elam said. "He's a very versatile player. He can play corner, safety and he's a great special-teams player. A good guy in the locker room. We definitely got better as a team when we picked him up." The Lions refused to share the video evidence of released RB Tatum Bell stealing Rudi Johnson's bags when he visited the team last Tuesday. Bell is now fearful, rightfully so, of being blackballed by other NFL teams.

GAME: Seattle at Buffalo

TIME: 1 ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: First, it should be interesting to see which quarterback finds his rhythm first. Because of back spasms, Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck played in just two series in the preseason and he's minus his two best receivers in Bobby Engram and Deion Branch, whose knee may be weeks away from 100 percent. Bills QB Trent Edwards missed the final two preseason games with a bruised thigh and J.P. Losman played well in reserve. RB Maurice Morris will start ahead of high-priced Julius Jones, although both should play a lot. The key for Seattle is how well Hasselbeck can time his throws to second-year receivers Courtney Taylor, Jordan Kent and Logan Payne. Veteran Nate Burleson is primarily a deep threat. Kirk Chambers makes only his second career start at tackle, replacing Jason Peters, who just ended his summer holdout without a new contract. The Bills need RB Marshawn Lynch to have a big day against the undersized but extremely quick Seattle front seven. Rookie TE John Carlson could be an early-game target for Hasselbeck.

CZAR'S SCOOP: Former tight end Kevin Everett, who suffered a career-ending neck injury in last year's opening game, is scheduled to return to Buffalo on Sunday to receive the George Halas Award from the Professional Football Writers of America. He is the first Bills player to get the award in its 39-year history. It is given to the player who overcomes the most adversity from the previous season. Don't forget that Seattle is minus DT Rocky Bernard and Jason Babineaux, who were suspended for this game. Peters would have lost $191,000 a week in game checks if he didn't report; the Bills have held a hard line in this regard. LB Angelo Crowell will undergo surgery to fix a chronic left-knee problem that will sideline him two to four weeks. Not wanting to wait that long for his return, the team placed the veteran starter on season-ending IR. Keith Ellison starts in his place. LB Paul Posluszny sat out practice with a sore ankle but should be fine for Sunday's opener against Seattle.

GAME: Dallas at Cleveland

TIME: 4:15 ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: It took John Elway, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, 15 years and 20 playoff games before he won a Super Bowl. But that is the pressure on Tony Romo, who has lost two playoff games and is beginning his second full season as a starter. Romo is fine with it, and with the receiving corps a little thin, the Cowboys will use a lot of double-tight-end formations because they like both Tony Curtis and rookie Martellus Bennett to go with Pro Bowler Jason Witten. Keep an eye on special teams with two of the best returners in Joe Cribbs for the Browns and Pacman Jones for the Cowboys. Cleveland's No. 1 offense played together for a total of nine plays in the whole preseason, a touchdown drive in Game 1 vs. the Jets. To stay in this game, Jamal Lewis, who will start, must be able to run into the second half. Cleveland's offensive line, a strength last season, has been shaky this summer. Still, the key matchup will be Joe Thomas against DeMarcus Ware, who had 14 sacks last season. Browns QB Derek Anderson suffered a concussion on Aug. 18 vs. the Giants and hasn't played since.

CZAR'S SCOOP: Pacman Jones will start for CB Terence Newman, and he could have his hands full against Braylon Edwards. This is the 10th consecutive season the Browns have opened at home and they are 1-8 in season openers while being outscored, 211-112. However, after losing to Pittsburgh in the season opener, Cleveland won seven straight at home to set a franchise record. The Cowboys haven't won a playoff game since the 1996 season, so there is enormous pressure on Wade Phillips and the players to break the streak this season after failing against the Giants in last year's playoffs. There will be a chance of big plays in the passing game for Dallas rookie RB Felix Jones.

GAME: Arizona at San Francisco

TIME: 4:15 ET

J.T. O'Sullivan will make his first NFL start as he leads the 49ers against the Cardinals. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Basically, Matt Leinart lost the job in training camp with his play this summer and that's why Kurt Warner is Arizona's starting quarterback. The Cardinals have worked all summer with Warner, making him keep both hands on the ball when he's dropping back and moving in the pocket in hopes of negating his many turnovers. RB Edgerrin James (11,607 rush yards) remains the featured back, but watch for rookie Tim Hightower, a fifth-round pick who has a great burst. With the 49ers, Mike Martz is their new offensive coordinator and he immediately latched onto J.T. O'Sullivan, whom he worked with last season in Detroit. This will be Sullivan's first NFL start and he'll need a strong running game from Frank Gore to be successful. Lyle Sendlein will start for injured Arizona center Al Johnson, now on injured reserve. Martz got old Ram Ike Bruce (942 receptions) to sign with the 49ers.

CZAR'S SCOOP: Arizona WR Anquan Boldin has calmed down since his early summer rant that the team lied to him about a contract extension. He still sounds like a player who would love to be traded, but admitted that he's planning on playing hard and helping his team reach the playoffs. "The thing is, we've got to work together — no matter what the situation is," Boldin said. "I'm here. I'm not going to make it a negative situation for nobody. That's never been my intent. It never will be. The season is here now, my teammates have worked hard and I know I've worked my butt off, so there's no need to let things linger over into the season." Alex Smith, the former No. 1 pick, has re-injured his throwing shoulder and plans to visit Dr. James Andrews in Alabama. Smith had surgery this past January. If he's lost for the season, he will be playing somewhere else next year.

GAME: Carolina at San Diego

TIME: 4:15 ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Panthers figure to be much improved on offense this season, especially with their running game, but they will be minus suspended WR Steve Smith and their record is 7-13 without him. D.J. Hackett starts in his place, opposite Mushin Muhammad. The good news is that QB Jake Delhomme is back and his right arm looks stronger than ever following Tommy John elbow surgery. The Chargers are eager to see how OLB Shawne Merriman (knee) plays and how long he can last. San Diego's offensive line will be minus Nick Hardwick and Marcus McNeill and that should be good news for Panthers DE Julius Peppers, who has switched to the right side this season. TE Antonio Gates (toe) will start and Philip Rivers has at least three deep threats to go with LaDainian Tomlinson's running.

CZAR'S SCOOP: The Panthers claim they are not that close to signing Peppers to a long-term contract, one that would include at least $30 million in guaranteed money. The Panthers plan to rotate RBs DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart, but will stay with the hot hand. San Diego's secondary may be one of the league's best and the Panthers plan to stay away from Antonio Cromartie (10 INTs last season) as much as possible. "He's a freak," Carolina GM Marty Hurney said of Cromartie. The Chargers' lease runs out after this season and the rumors have already started that they could be leaving town for Los Angeles, where the franchise was born. The team needed a local TV station to purchase the remaining tickets to ensure a sellout.

Other games:

Cincinnati at Baltimore: This is the debut of Ocho Cinco and possibly ex-Bengal Willie Anderson as an offensive tackle for the Ravens. The Bengals have won six of the last seven against the Ravens, sweeping them last season. It is the first game for Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, who will be starting rookie QB Joe Flacco. Baltimore RB Willis McGahee isn't 100 percent, so look for a lot of carries for rookie Ray Rice from Rutgers.

N.Y. Jets at Miami: All eyes are on Favre, who has had less than a month to learn a new playbook, which includes much more motion than he is accustomed to, and get on the same page with WRs Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery. The Dolphins sound extremely pleased with ex-Jet QB Chad Pennington and believe he's an excellent fit for their team, which has 27 new faces from last season.

Kansas City at New England: The Chiefs have lost nine straight regular-season games and, considering they have 15 rookies on their final 53-man roster, figure to be no match for the Patriots, one of the league's elite teams. The Patriots are in the process of re-tooling their secondary following the loss of Asante Samuel. They have already discarded two veteran hopefuls and now must rely on cornerbacks Ellis Hobbs, rookie Terrence Wheatley and new acquisition Deltha O'Neal. It's a good thing they are facing Brodie Croyle, who has only two weapons in TE Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe, who led all rookies last season in receptions and yards. Patriots QB Tom Brady doesn't have a broken bone in his foot, but he may have bones under extreme stress that required rest.

Houston at Pittsburgh: Ben Roethlisberger was sacked 47 times last season, tops in the AFC, and he must deal with Mario Williams, who had 14 sacks last season. The Steelers worked all summer on improving their offensive line and also getting Big Ben to get rid of the ball quickly. The newest starter on the offensive line is LG Chris Kemoeatu, who replaces Pro Bowler Alan Faneca, now with the Jets. The Texans, who were 8-8 last season, need a big game from QB Matt Schaub and RB Ahman Green, who was pretty ineffective last season.

Jacksonville at Tennessee: These are two teams with similar styles; they both prefer to run the ball. The Jaguars attempted to upgrade their receiving corps, but ex-Raider Jerry Porter won't play. Just this week, Jaguars OT Richard Collier was shot several times by an unknown assailant and remains hospitalized. "It is what it is. It's reality," said Jags coach Jack Del Rio. "When you face adversity, when you deal with situations that come up, you've got to handle them. Sometimes it can pull teams together, make them closer."

Chicago at Indianapolis: I honestly didn't think Peyton Manning, who had am infected bursa sac removed from his left knee in July, was going to make the opener. But he will, and now he must worry about Jamey Richard replacing center Jeff Saturday. In fact, the Colts could have three different starters on the offensive line, not a good thing with the Bears still much better on defense than offense. Second-round pick Matt Forte becomes the first rookie back to start for the Bears since Walter Payton in 1975. Bears QB Kyle Orton will have to worry about LT John St. Clair protecting him from Dwight Freeney. It could be a long night.

Minnesota at Green Bay: Without Brett Favre, many think that the Packers won't be quite the same. Well, this will be the first major test for the Vikings, the team many predicted will win the North. Based on opening-day rosters, the Packers may again be the youngest team in the NFL for the third consecutive season at 25.57 years-old average. "We're not young for young's sake," GM Ted Thompson said. "We have a fair number of guys that are juniors and sophomores and this year's freshman class, and it kind of skews it a little bit." The best thing Aaron Rodgers has going for him is a solid offensive line, including two of the best offensive tackles in the league available to deal with sackmaster Jared Allen.

Denver at Oakland: These two teams split last season and the Raiders are catching the Broncos minus WR Brandon Marshall, Jay Cutler's main playmaker. The Broncos looked good this summer, but they will need Keary Colbert and Darrell Jackson to pick up the slack for Marshall. The Raiders are very good in the back seven on defense and they will have ex-Bronco Javon Walker in the lineup. Oakland's offensive line was disappointing in the preseason, but the Raiders appear to have two very good runners in Justin Vargas and No. 1 pick Darren McFadden. JaMarcus Russell also looks comfortable in the offense.