One: More likely than not, Peyton Manning will follow up his 4th league MVP with a Super Bowl MVP. After engineering that comeback against the league’s best defense to get into the Super Bowl, how could you bet against it? He called all of his own plays in the second half. Stunning. The Colts would’ve been 6-10 at best without him. With him, they’re heavy favorites to win it all. What Manning does out there is incredibly creative; hopefully, he’ll develop a wild streak and a mild case of alcoholism so that I can feel comfortable calling him an artist.

Two: And he’ll get two more MVPs before it’s all said and done. Yeah, Manning’s 33 years old, but he’s taken less total hits than short-term starters like David Carr. He’s only had one major injury (the infected knee that hobbled him during the first half of ‘08). There’s no reason Peyton can’t play until he’s forty, and until he retires, I’d take him over any other QB in the league.

Three: Braylon Edwards will be on the Jets next season. Sure, there are more dropped balls around Braylon Edwards than during a middle school slow dance, but he’s earned a first-round restricted free agency tender with his play this season. And since no one in their right minds would give up a first-round pick for Braylon Edwards, he’s staying in the Big Apple. And you know what? I expect a 1,000-yard season from him next year (even if he does drop 20 balls).

Four: Favre may retire for a little while, but he’ll be back next year. I just can’t trust any reports that Favre is going to retire. I can’t see that son of a bitch retiring on a Super Bowl-birth killing interception.  He couldn’t accept it after the 2008 NFC Championship Game, he won’t be able to accept it now.

New drinking game for the off-season: take a shot every time you see a Brett Favre retirement headline. If you don’t get alcohol poisoning by spring, I’ll be shocked.

Five: This is going to be the dullest free agency period ever. No players with less than six years of NFL experience are allowed on the open market. One-fourth of the league (the final eight teams that made it to the divisional round) pretty much can’t sign free agents this off-season. They can only sign a high-salary player if they lose one themselves, and no teams are letting any of their quality, high-salary guys walk.

Six: So, there’s a good chance the good teams from this year will stay good, and the bad teams will stay bad. Will there be significant fluctuation in the haves and have nots next year? Of course, the draft and player development are still the most important factors in NFL success, but free agency does matter, and so there may be not as much fluctuation as usual. Instead of six out of twelve new teams in the playoffs next year, don’t be surprised if that dwindles to three or four.

Seven: Fumbles are going to haunt Adrian Peterson’s legacy. Twenty three fumbles in three years. That’s not a concern-that’s a serious problem. Peterson will give you 300 more yards than an average back per season based on his skills, but when he’s giving away five or six more possessions per year than a normal back, it really negates his success. One thing I’ve learned in life: when someone continually makes mistakes, it’s not likely that they’re going to change. Peterson’s fumbling problem will leave him playing second-fiddle to Chris Johnson.

Eight: The Saints will be the best team that the Colts have faced all season. The Colts are still the favorite to win this Super Bowl, but the Saints will be their biggest challenge. The Colts played a pretty easy regular season: the Pats and Texans were their only serious challenges. The Jets and Ravens both don’t stack up to the Saints. The Saints-Colts line is at 6 right now. If that line continues to climb, seriously rethink just automatically betting on Peyton in your office pool.

Nine: Pepper Johnson will be the next defensive coordinator in New England. Chances are, Belichick hires the loyal guy whom he can control.

Ten: Nothing except a Peyton injury will stop the Colts from being the Super Bowl Favorite for the 2010-2011 season. Their odds are 6-1 already, and will only get shorter. Bets I do like for next year’s winner? Panthers 40-1. Dolphins 40-1. Giants 30-1. Falcons/Cardinals 30-1. If you want to bet it, bet it now. They’ll all shrink after the Super Bowl.