These guys want to become the dominant force of NFL football again and forget the mess that transpired in Super Bowl XLII in Glendale.

With the 2008 NFL football season only a hiccup away, teams from the AFC have begun their road in recapturing the title ‘’dominant conference'’ after losing it when the Giants shocked the then undefeated Patriots to become Super Bowl XLII champions.

Of course, there’s no team more eager in recapturing that dominance than the New England Patriots. After finishing the regular season undefeated to reach the Super Bowl only to lose to New York, the Patriots will be out for blood this year.

Randy Moss is on board, Tom Brady is still there and they still have their coach Bill Belichick, who will win games for you by any means necessary. Besides, these guys have unfinished business with history and I won’t be surprised if they flirt with perfection again.

Also a team to look out in the AFC is the Indianapolis Colts. Extremely talented and well-coached, the Colts should still be serious contenders for the Super Bowl title.

With Peyton Manning at the helm and Tony Dungy in the sidelines, this team can beat anybody and just might have enough to challenge the Patriots for a perfect regular season record. But first, they will have to figure out how to keep their main guys healthy with Peyton, Marvin Harrison and Dwight Freeney all sidelined with injuries.

The San Diego Chargers are also expected to make some noise this year. With LaDainian Tomlinson, a player who could almost single-handedly put his team in the playoffs, anything is possible.

Quarterback Phillip Rivers has added another year of experience and with this San Diego Chargers team still having the advantage of playing with a decent receiving corps, the Chargers playing in Super Bowl XLIII is more than just a possibility.

Next up, we have the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and company will be looking for their 2nd championship ring this decade, featuring a solid lineup of Willie Parker, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are explosive on offense, controls the clock well and punishes the opposition on the defense that paved the way for their moniker ‘’Steel Curtain.'’ To be a serious contender, the Steelers will need to average at least 20-22 points per game. Their defense will handle the rest.

The Jacksonville Jaguars, on the other hand, are just going to have to win a Super Bowl and finally break free from the Colts’ shadow. After key moves they made in the offseason, it certainly looks like they’re ready to take the AFC South title away from Indianapolis and get to the big dance.

The Jaguars made good use of the $30-plus million they had in cap space. They spent a lot of that money in locking up David Garrard. Then, they bought Garrard some receivers. Porter is an OK addition. Sure, his attitude is questionable, but he’s better than anyone they’ve had here since Jimmy Smith.

Trading for Williamson shows wishful thinking, though Jacksonville only gave up a sixth-round pick to get him. Lemon is an upgrade over Gray, and Florence is an improvement over Cousin. It was a big move to trade Stroud, symbolic if nothing else.

Who will win Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida? Bodog sportsbook has the odds on that one people.

New York Giants 17.00

New England Patriots 4.50

Dallas Cowboys 7.00

Indianapolis Colts 8.50

Want more odds? Visit Bodog sportsbook for more football betting odds and the best betting lines on some of today’s biggest sporting events.

2008 NFL Season AFC Conference