T-minus three days, and counting...

That's how long we have until Eli Manning dazzles us with a 300-yard, three-touchdown season debut against the Redskins, picking up where he left off as Super Bowl MVP in February.

Or, it could be how long we must wait to see him throw for 185 yards and two picks. Alas, those are the demons that surely haunt the minds of Eli's anxious owners, not to mention Giants fans.

More important than Eli's fate is that our long national nightmare is nearly over. Thursday night heralds the opening of the 2008 NFL season, when all will be right in the world again. The early kickoff also means you'd better set your starting lineup on time, or risk leaving Clinton Portis, Plaxico Burress, Brandon Jacobs or another key player on your bench in Week 1.

Assuming you've drafted by now, there's not a lot left to do but sweat over your weekend lineup. But let's take a quick spin around the league to examine some late-breaking news that may prompt you to shuffle the bottom of your roster.

By now you've heard that the Bengals have pushed the eject button on Rudi Johnson. Don't send him to the scrap heap just yet, though, because he won't be unemployed for long. He is scheduled to visit Detroit for a workout today -- not what Kevin Smith's owners wanted to hear -- and I'd be shocked if the Texans don't invite him to drop by for a hoedown as well.

Houston is still claiming that Ahman Green will be their opening day starter, but Chris Taylor and rookie Steve Slaton will join him in a committee backfield that is best avoided altogether. At least we know Chris Brown won't make it a four-headed monster, now that he has been placed on injured reserved due to back problems. Though I believe Slaton may eventually emerge from that motley crew as a bona fide starter, Rudi Johnson could probably walk and take the job by Week 2.

Meanwhile, back in Cincinnati, Chris Perry has been handed the starter's job. But don't celebrate too quickly, Perry owners. There may not be a more brittle collection of bones in the NFL than Perry's. Entering his fourth year, he has played in only 22 games, and spent all of 2007 on injured reserve. You may want to take a gander at the Bengals' schedule, too. Not a pretty picture for the team's rushing prospects. Don't look now, but rumors are swirling that Shaun Alexander is still on Cincinnati's radar as much-needed Perry insurance.

I don't like the look of things in the Great Northwest either. Matt Hasselbeck has been struggling throughout preseason with a back strain, and his receivers are dropping like flies. Ben Obomanu, a second-year wideout pushed into the starting lineup while Deion Branch and Bobby Engram are recuperating, broke his clavicle in the final preseason contest and is now lost for the season. That leaves Seattle with just Nate Burleson (a chronic underachiever) and Courtney Taylor, who caught all of five passes in his rookie season. You'd be wise to keep Hasselbeck on your bench for a week or two until the dust settles and either Branch or Engram returns.

I didn't draft Peyton Manning in any of my leagues, so I won't have to sweat out the start/sit dilemma with him this week. Perhaps it's just a smokescreen, but try as he may to appear positive, Manning doesn't sound like a man convinced he's going to play -- or be 100 percent if he does suit up. He pulls a tough opening assignment against Chicago, so the schedule makers didn't do him any favors. Glad I don't have to make that call...

Good news out of Cleveland: Derek Anderson will start the opener against Dallas, according to ESPN.com. Just how effective he'll be in his first action since suffering a concussion in the second preseason game is another story.

Need a short-term fix at quarterback? Look no further than Arizona, where Kurt Warner must be giddy as a schoolgirl. Not only has he extended Matt Leinart's reign as the Cardinals' "quarterback of the future" into record territory, but he gets to rub it in with starts against the 49ers and Dolphins over the first two weeks. Warner could be the most prolific passer in the league in September.

Those who passed over Willie Parker due to the threat posed by rookie Rashard Mendenhall will soon be kicking themselves. After Mendenhall fumbled again in the team's final preseason game, you can safely cross him off your list of ball-handlers trusted inside the red zone. The rookie will get a fair share of carries to keep Fast Willie fresh, but Parker won't surrender goal-line duties any time soon. In fact, he may match last year's two-touchdown output on Sunday against the Texans.

In Baltimore, Willis McGahee is in jeopardy of missing the opener while he recovers from knee surgery, opening the door to impressive rookie Ray Rice. McGahee is apparently still walking with a limp, so you need to make other plans if you were counting on him. Rice is a viable option, especially considering that Cincinnati is the Week 1 opponent.

It appears that Fred Taylor wasn't arrested after all outside a Miami nightclub this weekend, but rather just "ticketed" for disorderly conduct. Unless word comes out that Chris Henry or Pacman Jones was in the vicinity, this one should blow over quickly.

Count me among those surprised to see New Orleans roll the dice with aging journeyman Martin Gramatica over prized rookie Taylor Mehlhaff. Normally you would consider the Saints' kicker a solid fantasy prospect, but I wouldn't put my team's fate in Gramatica's cleats. He hasn't held onto a job for a complete season since 2003.

Thursday night can't get here soon enough.