It’s finally here. Tonight’s game against the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers marks a long-awaited opening to an NFL season that promises to be action-packed and fun-filled.

At least that’s what sports writers and the NFL are saying, so I’ll go along with that for the time being.

As I wander through the electronic world of TV and computer to gander at what teams will be good and who has chosen what teams to win it all, I realized that every so-called “professional” sports writer has left out a very important detail.

The sleeper.

The NFL has shown, above all other professional sports, that it can produce the most surprise contenders and champions in a matter of one year.

Teams that you would normally laugh at if someone said they would be in the playoffs at the end of the season are coming from the depths of the league.

In 1999, it was the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams. The following year it was the Baltimore Ravens and its pounding defense.

Last year Tom Brady emerged from nowhere and the New England Patriots won every game they weren’t supposed to all the way up to the Super Bowl.

So I’ve done my best to try and figure out who will be this season’s sleepers and some of this season’s creepers – those that will lay solid groundwork for possible success stories in the future.

Let’s start with the Detroit Lions as a possible sleeper.

Last season the Lions were the best worst team the NFL has ever seen, losing seven games by five points or less and three more by ten points or less.

The key to the Lions will be the quarterback position. Mike McMahon came in late last season and put forth some impressive performances, throwing three touchdowns to just one interception while getting his rookie jitters out of the way en route to winning two of the Lions last four games.

Head coach Marty Mornhinweg has put his confidence into McMahon as he has continued to build on the player’s key attributes, which include the mobility of Seneca Wallace and the arm of Steve Young.

If McMahon can’t get the job done, backup rookie Joey Harrington from Oregon, the number two pick in the draft, can fill the shoes nicely.

The quarterbacks aren’t alone as they will be throwing to two new accomplished receivers in former Ram Az Hakim and Bill Schroeder, a former Green Bay Packer.

Veteran defensive players such as Luther Elliss, Todd Lyght, Robert Porcher and Kelvin Pritchett can hold together the young guys to make the defense solid enough.

The Cleveland Browns remind me a lot of the Super Bowl Ravens from a few years back as the team is anchored by its solid defense. After leading the NFL in takeaways last season, the young defense is basically waiting for the offense to catch up.

Quarterback Tim Couch has steadily improved since his rookie year and receiver Kevin Johnson was quite the hook-up last season catching 84 passes for over a thousand yards receiving and nine touchdowns.

Don’t count out the Minnesota Vikings, as they still have two of the league’s brightest stars in Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss. The team was most hurt by its offensive line and defense last season, along with a lack of team chemistry.

New head coach Mike Tice should take care of the chemistry problem, and the franchise did some work in strengthening the other weaknesses, including bringing in linebacker Greg Biekert from the Raiders.

If Daunte gets the protection, look for Moss and new acquisition receiver Derrick Alexander, as well as fast running-back Michael Bennett, to make an impact.

Other teams with high impact players and a chance to make some big waves if they stay healthy and play smart football include the Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars and perhaps the Dallas Cowboys.

Scratch that last one. When you’re giving the ball to crappy Emmitt Smith 25 times a game so he can beat the rushing record, you don’t deserve to be a sleeper.

Kyle Moss is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale.