Now that the first quarter of the National Football League season is over, it’s time to find out what to look for as the season progresses until the Super Bowl takes place in February 2012.

What to look for:

1. Indianapolis Colts

For Colts fans, this was the year Indy was supposed to contend for another Super Bowl, instead this campaign could be a total washout with 4-time MVP Peyton Manning sidelined after undergoing knee surgery. neck a few weeks ago. He’s supposed to miss 2-3 months, so in the meantime, the Colts signed veteran QB Kerry Collins. But the results so far haven’t been good because the Colts are 0-3. They have Curtis Painter as their backup quarterback, but they could also sign another veteran quarterback like Carson Palmer (see below) or David Gerrard (see below). On the other hand, Indy could say “forget it” about this season and wait. April 2012 for the Andrew Luck draft in the NFL Draft.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

It will be interesting to see how the Cincinnati Bengals fare this season. The team has made some big changes to their roster: The triplets are gone. Earlier this year, the team decided not to renew wide receiver Terrell Owens’ contract, making him a free agent; In July, the team traded All-Pro Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco to the New England Patriots; and starting quarterback Carson Palmer requested that the Bengals trade him (the team turned down the request) because they are not committed to winning (since he appeared in the AFC Championship Game against Pittsburgh, the team has gone downhill), he also said he would rather retire than play for the Bengals this season. His number one pick in the NFL Draft, Andy Dalton, has taken over the quarterback duties this season. Despite the ongoing drama, coach Marvin Lewis was able to keep his job and, in fact, signed a new contract during the offseason.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Just before the season began, the Jags decided to release David Gerrard, their starting quarterback for the past 4 years, in favor of Luke McCown. Ironically, the Jaguars did the same thing in 2006, when the team traded starting quarterback Byron Leftwich for Gerrard. The Jaguars are currently 1-2, but have switched quarterbacks: McCown is out and the team’s first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Blaine Gabbert, is in. We’ll see how the quarterback change pans out this season.

4. Denver Broncos

During training camp, the Broncos had a quarterback controversy on their hands. Starting quarterback Kyle Orton was vying for the starting job against second-year backup Tim Tebow and third member Brady Quinn. For a while, Tebow was rumored to have the odds in favor of taking the job, however, it was reported that the team wanted to trade Tebow or even make him a wide receiver. New coach John Fox decided to keep Orton, but the team is 1-2 right now. We have to see if this controversy spills over into the regular season.

Teams to watch this season

1. Detroit Lions

After finishing the 2008 season with an 0-16 record, the Lions began making smarter picks in the NFL Draft and now it’s paying off. The team is 3-0 in both offense and defense playing very well. Now, it would be great if the Lions could make the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, but it all hinges on keeping Matthew Stafford injury-free. The past two seasons, Stafford missed significant playing time due to shoulder injuries. The resurgence of the Lions coincides with the Tigers’ victory in the American League Central Division and the possible odds of being favorites to win the American League pennant in this year’s baseball postseason show that the city of Detroit is coming back. Side note: the story would be even better once jobs return to motor city.

2. St. Louis Rams

The Rams lost in January’s NFC West Division Championship game against Seattle and the idea was that St. Louis has quarterback Sam Bradford, running back Stephen Jackson and an improved defense that the team can improve despite. of the 7-9 record. Well, right now it doesn’t look good with an 0-3 record. Look for the team to change course and start winning again.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Despite being beaten at home by the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, the Falcons are a team people should pay attention to right now. It’s been a slow build, but every year since 2007, the team has become a title contender. Atlanta is currently 1-2, but it’s like the old football saying “No one wins the championship in September,” so we’ll see if the team can turn it around in December.

Head coaches in the hot seat

1. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

In 2007, the Dolphins made it to the NFL playoffs, and although they lost the game against Baltimore, they felt they had both the offense and defense to become a promising team that they didn’t want to play for. Since then, the team has gone 7-9 in the last two seasons. So far, the Dolphins are 0-3 and there is talk that the team could replace Sparano at some point this season. Hopefully he can turn it around or another coach brings his talents to South Beach and revives the Dolphins franchise.

2. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

Once upon a time, the Jaguars were a playoff contender, now they’ve regressed and missed the playoffs three seasons in a row. This year, the Jags have a new starting quarterback and they drafted another last April. It hasn’t worked out yet because the team is 1-2 so far. The Jaguars have to come back this year or else coach Del Rio could be out of a job.

3. Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans

From their inception in 2002 through 2008, the Texans were an easy win for any team that played them. Since then, Houston has built a strong defense led by Mario Williams and a very good offense with quarterback Matt Schuab, running back Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Williams. The problem the team has is that Coach Kubiak has led Houston to an 8-8 record two years in a row and a 9-7 mark last season, but no playoff appearances. The Texans crossed a hurdle last year and finally beat Indianapolis in Houston two years in a row and the team could possibly beat the Colts in Indy (there’s a very good chance of that happening) when the two teams meet later this year. . For Kubiak to keep his job, Houston must make the playoffs or someone else will take over as head coach and make the Texans a serious NFL contender.

Who is going to win the Super Bowl?

Your guess is as good as mine. No one saw the Arizona Cardinals, a perennial losing team, make it to the NFL championship game in February 2009 against Pittsburgh, or the New Orleans Saints, a team known as the “Aints” for their 1-15 season in 1980, he won all in February 2010, almost years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city and the Gulf Coast. The title is on the line and anyone can win it on any Super Bowl Sunday.