Dan Pompei

The second half of the NFL season is sure to spring a few surprises, just as the first half did. There will be zigs when we expect zags, precipitous falls and improbable climbs. New stars will emerge and old ones will fade.

How Act II of the NFL season will play out, then, is not easy to foresee, but here are some possibilities.

Tom Brady and the Pats will peak late in the year
There is good reason that since 2001, the Patriots have won 83.9 percent of their games after Thanksgiving. The possibility of a strong finish makes sense this season because Brady’s surgically repaired knee keeps getting strong and stronger as time passes.

The Colts’ one-dimensional offense will not play well in the postseason
They rank first in passing yards but 30th in rushing yards — and that has not hurt the team yet. But if the Colts have to play outside in January (hello, New England), it sure might.

Dan Marino’s yards record falls
Drew Brees won’t be denied this time. And while he’s at it, he’ll help the Saints break the Patriots’ all-time scoring record, too.

The NFC East will be a dogfight
This could be the league's most closely contested division, as the Eagles, Giants and Cowboys all have a chance to finish first or make the playoffs.

The Giants have gone south at midseason, but they have the time and talent to correct their flight pattern. The Cowboys have come on strong after a slow start. And the Eagles have the advantage of being undefeated in the division and 4-1 in the conference.

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The Cowboys have the easiest road ahead, as the Giants and Eagles each have only two games remaining against teams that are not currently above .500

Vick will show some old magic
And that will set up Vick to be traded in the offseason, possibly as a starting quarterback.

The Bucs will win a game
Or maybe two. In which case, they will cost themselves the opportunity to be the first team to pass over Tim Tebow in April. They will be fighting the Chiefs, Browns, Lions and Rams for that honor.

Reality sets in
The most logical candidate could be the Broncos. Not to take anything away from the resourcefulness and grit of this surprising team, but there is little doubt they have been kissed by lady luck a few times this season. Some of the Broncos’ flaws are likely to be magnified as opponents get a better handle on just what Denver can and can’t do.

Late bloomers come on
Prime candidates are the Panthers and Chargers. The Panthers look like they finally are establishing an identity and some of their key performers like Julius Peppers and Jake Delhomme are playing more up to their standards. The Chargers finally are getting healthy and starting to play like the team everyone thought they would be.

Parity will return

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In Week 7, six of 13 games were decided by 28 or more points. In Week 8, eight of the games were decided by 12 or more points. But as the season goes on, there are likely to be fewer blowouts. Some of the teams that have been doing the blowing out are likely to come back to the pack. Other teams will catch up to their strategies, and injuries will be an equalizer. And some of the bottom feeders are likely to find the right combinations of players and strategies as time passes.

Redskins will want a new coach
Mike Shanahan, Mike Holmgren, Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher will be on Dan Snyder’s speed dial. And poor Jim Zorn will show up to work on Jan. 4 to find his belongings in a box at the front gate.

Brett Favre wins his fourth MVP award
After which, Favre will announce his retirement. Until he announces his unretirement ... Maybe … Unless he changes his mind ... But then again …