Favre’s decision to retire, unretire and then seek a new team after 16 seasons in Green Bay was a running soap opera the last few months. After unsuccessfully trying to negotiate his release, which would have allowed him to sign with the Packers’ NFC North rival in Minnesota, he was traded to the Jets and has been taking a crash course in a new offense with new terminology.

His arrival in New York seemed to energize the Jets, who spent a lot of money in the offseason in an attempt to become relevant again — both in the New York area, where the spotlight was on the Super Bowl champion Giants, and in the AFC East, where New England has been the dominant team since 2001.

The Patriots enter this season seeking redemption for the loss in that Super Bowl when they were trying to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history. Instead, the Giants upset them despite being double-digit underdogs, capping a run of three playoff upsets on the road with the biggest of them all.

New England also is trying to put “Spygate” behind it — the turmoil in which coach Bill Belichick and the Patriots were fined a total of $750,000 and forfeited a first-round draft pick after a team employee was caught taping the Jets’ defensive signals during the opening game of the season.

As usual, they say they are thinking only in the “now.”

And, as usual, they are saying as little as possible about injuries, notably the one to Brady’s foot. It’s similar to their silence about his ankle injury before the Super Bowl that was revealed only when he was caught by a video camera with a walking boot. It may have hampered him in the loss to the Giants, when he was sacked five times and hit 17 times.

Manning’s surgery to remove a small inflammation “an illness, not an injury.” He has started all 160 games since entering the league in 1998 and it’s still a question whether it will become 161 in the season opener against Chicago, when the Colts will play in their new stadium.

“This has been a new process for me, and it’s not been the most enjoyable process,” Manning said. “I can throw. I have been able to keep my arm in shape. I can certainly lift weights with my upper body, and my lower body, so I feel I’ve been able to stay with my strength level. As far as when, and how much time I need, we’ll just have to kind of wait and see.”

Actually, Manning and the Colts have been lucky. They’ve been out of the media spotlight during training camp because of the Favre circus. So have the Patriots, and Dallas, the NFC favorites with its crew of attention-getting stars (owner Jerry Jones, Tony Romo and Terrell Owens) and former miscreants (Adam “Pacman” Jones and Tank Johnson).

And the defending champions?

Well, the Giants have been ignored and written off despite their title. And, they love it because it’s the perfect incentive. In fact, despite the retirement of defensive end Michael Strahan after 15 seasons and the trade of discontented Jeremy Shockey to New Orleans, they look better this year than last.

Eli Manning appears ready to continue his sudden emergence and the Giants could unveil some surprise young stars, as they did last season with six rookies making major contributions late in the year and in the playoffs.

But this is the NFL. With a new season comes new winners, part of the legislated parity of the NFL. At this time last year, few figured the Giants to be better than a .500 team.

Maybe Jacksonville, hidden in a small market but a playoff team in two of the last three seasons, can break the Colts’ string of five straight titles in the AFC South. Minnesota looks ready to leap over Green Bay in the NFC North because the Packers figure to slip with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback in Favre’s stead.

And Cleveland, which jumped from 4-12 to 10-6 last season, has high hopes in the AFC North, although the Browns have a killer schedule.

Change can also help. Bill Parcells is now in overall charge of Miami, which was 1-15 last season. Tony Sparano, one of his assistants in Dallas, is the new head coach. Chad Pennington, dumped by the Jets when Favre arrived, is the most accomplished quarterback the Dolphins have had since Dan Marino retired a decade ago.

The Dolphins even have Ricky Williams, who in 1999 was the New Orleans Saints’ entire draft, back at running back after being banished multiple times for marijuana use. He’s been the star of training camp, mixing his personal redemption with team redemption.

“When the dust settles, hopefully people will be pleasantly surprised,” he said.

That’s what 32 teams like to think every September.

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