32, well 31, can win it all

By Tom Pelissero • tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com

In the spirit of summertime optimism, here's one reason each of the 32 teams will win the Super Bowl:

1. Age and their Super Bowl slipup notwithstanding, the New England Patriots remain the most complete team.

2. The Dallas Cowboys won't miss starting running back Julius Jones' 3.6 yards per carry, with rookie first-round pick Felix Jones backing up Marion Barber.

3. Re-signing safety Bob Sanders, tight end Dallas Clark and guard Ryan Lilja kept the Indianapolis Colts' core intact.

4. Entering his fifth NFL season and third as a starter, this could be the year San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers takes the next step.

5. The New York Giants have had their share of bad news recently — Michael Strahan is retired, Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey are unhappy and Ahmad Bradshaw is in jail — but last year's Super Bowl run proved what Eli Manning and company are made of.

6. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's return to form last season might have carried the Pittsburgh Steelers further had a late injury not sidelined wingman Willie Parker.

7. Throwing a record deal at cornerback Asante Samuel showed the Philadelphia Eagles believe they're ready to contend.

8. The Green Bay Packers found ways to win several games last season in which quarterback Brett Favre played poorly, and teammates have more faith in Aaron Rodgers than many outsiders believe.

9. Losing defensive coordinator Mike Smith and a handful of key contributors won't help the Jacksonville Jaguars catch the Colts in the AFC South, but quarterback David Garrard proved last year he's the real deal.

10. The Cleveland Browns' pass-catch combo of Derek Anderson and Braylon Edwards looks like one to watch for years to come.

11. The additions of end Jared Allen, receiver Bernard Berrian and safety Madieu Williams were costly, but they helped make the Minnesota Vikings a dangerous team — at least on paper.

12. The New Orleans Saints have too much offensive talent to go 7-9 again.

13. Bringing back veteran quarterback Todd Collins, who took the reins with authority after Jason Campbell's injury last season, should help ease the Washington Redskins' transition to new coach and quarterbacks guru Jim Zorn's philosophy.

14. After wasting so many great performances by its playmaker-filled defense in recent years, the Baltimore Ravens can only benefit from having a new franchise quarterback-in-training (Joe Flacco) and new voice on the sideline (coach John Harbaugh).

15. If star receiver Chad Johnson continues to put on a happy face — and take out frustration about his contract on opponents — the Cincinnati Bengals return one of the league's better receiver combination's in he and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

16. The Carolina Panthers' injury-driven quarterback circus derailed its hopes in 2007, but Jake Delhomme returns to an offense that's added D.J. Hackett to line up opposite Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith.

17. The combination of Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett shouldn't have trouble filling the void of released running back Shaun Alexander's pussyfooting 3.5 yards per carry with a Seattle Seahawks team that reached the divisional playoffs.

18. Jeff Garcia didn't play like a quarterback in his late 30s last season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

19. Giving linebacker Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris new contracts will do almost as much to minimize discontent in the Chicago Bears' locker room as dumping Cedric Benson.

20. Adding guard Jake Scott was a key countermove after the Tennessee Titans lost Jacob Bell, giving quarterback Vince Young support up front as he tries to recover from a nightmarish sophomore campaign.

21. No team was hit harder by injuries last season than the St. Louis Rams, who have one of the game's most dynamic players in running back Steven Jackson and should get an immediate contribution from top draft pick Chris Long at defensive end.

22. Receiver Keary Colbert has new life and Jay Cutler has a new target to complement Brandon Marshall in the Denver Broncos' passing game.

23. Sooner or later, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart is bound to make the leap when throwing to the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

24. The additions of defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and Spencer Johnson, cornerback William James and linebacker Kawika Mitchell provides support for the Buffalo Bills' defense in a quarterback controversy-free 2008.

25. End Mario Williams' 14 sacks last season made the Houston Texans look awfully smart for passing on Reggie Bush.

26. The Detroit Lions remade their awful defense with a bunch of players who made coach Rod Marinelli's scheme successful in Tampa Bay.

27. Pro Bowl fullback Tony Richardson should aid the New York Jets' middling ground game.

28. With even a decent passing game to relieve some pressure, San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore is capable of topping the 1,695 yards he gained rushing in 2006.

29. The Kansas City Chiefs addressed weak spots on both fronts by adding defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and guard Branden Albert in the draft's first 15 picks, then got a bargain on physical cornerback Brandon Flowers in Round 2.

30. If $70 million proves enough to keep DeAngelo Hall happy, his talent might be enough to keep Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin employed.

31. The Miami Dolphins dumped everyone they could from last year's 1-15 team and have a proven winner in Bill Parcells in command.

32. The Atlanta Falcons … uh … well …

Let's be honest. Even in June, optimism only goes so far.

OK, so the Falcons are the only team with no shot???

I call BS right here and now..

Here are 10 more teams that have no shot and there are more to add to the list if we want to get techinical.

Dolphins
Ravens
Bills
49`ers
Cardinals
Loins
Rams
Raiders
Chiefs
Jets