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Thursday's Preseasn Nfl Games Info Etc

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  • Thursday's Preseasn Nfl Games Info Etc

    NY Giants - QB Rotation: Eli Manning (1-2 series), Anthony Wright (will follow), David Carr, rookie Andre Woodson.

    Starters will not go past the first quarter. Eli Manning will start Thursday in Detroit but won't play very long. "We'll probably try to play them all, Eli just a little bit and then play the other guys," said Coughlin, who added Anthony Wright will follow Manning.

    HC Coughlin is concerned with a number of minor but nagging injuries that have cut into the Giants' depth. The newest injury is starting right guard Chris Snee, who sat out with a sore shoulder and will have an MRI to see why he's experiencing discomfort. Kevin Booth replaced Snee with the first unit.

    Several players will not play in Detroit, leaving the receiver corps especially thin with the absences of Plaxico Burress (ankle), Steve Smith (groin), David Tyree (knee) and Mario Manningham (quad). Amani Toomer (leg) will play briefly. Brandon London sat out Tuesday practice with a hip flexor. His status for the game is unknown.

    Backup guard Shane Olivea sat again and will have tests to determine the extent of the injury to his back. After saying he would not get on the field until next week, linebacker Gerris Wilkinson passed his physical, was removed from the physically unable to perform list and finally made his training camp debut, working with the third-team defense.

    Detroit Lions - QB Rotation: Jon Kitna, Drew Stanton, Dan Orlovsky.

    QB Drew Stanton has been the No. 3 quarterback since camp opened and has struggled at times.

    WRs thin. Shaun McDonald (knee) and tight end Dan Campbell (elbow) will be held out until next Monday.

    HC Rod Marinelli's primary objective remains evaluating players. But playing against another team is an important part of the process. "I'll have a better feel when we play somebody else as we go," Marinelli said. "What I do like about them is their hustle. They're working on the details."

    The defense is beginning its third year in the Tampa Two system, and it's the second year under coordinator Joe Barry, while Jim Colletto is the new offensive coordinator.

    Defensive coordinator Joe Barry wants his defense to be aggressive and create turnovers.

    NY Jets - QB Rotation: Chad Pennington, Kellen Clemens, rookie Erik Ainge, Brett Ratliff.

    Secretive Eric Mangini didn't reveal his starting quarterback, saying he hadn't yet picked between Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens.

    "There's a lot of factors that go into that, so I'll get together post-practice, watch the tape," Mangini said. "I'll spend some time with the staff, see what their input is and then make a decision after that. But you've got to also look at who's playing in terms of the offensive line, some of the other things that go into the mix."

    The offense is in the third year of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's high-tech scheme that features an array of shifts and motions.

    Cleveland Browns - QB Rotation: Derek Anderson (1st Q), Brady Quinn (2nd-3rd Qs), Ken Dorsey (4th Q).

    HC Romeo Crennel said he'll play the starters for about a quarter, maybe a little more. Quinn will then play in the second and third quarters and Ken Dorsey will play the fourth.

    Brady Quinn, who's been somewhat in erratic in camp so far, might get an entire half Thursday night to get his rhythm going. "When we take Derek Anderson out, we'll put Brady in, maybe a half," said coach Crennel.

    The change Browns have made a change in defensive coordinators from Todd Grantham to Mel Tucker.

    WR Joe Jurevicius is out until November with an infected knee, while offensive lineman Ryan Tucker is expected back later this month after June hip surgery.

    4-year LB David McMillan -- and not rookie Alex Hall -- gets first crack at replacing injured Antwan Peek as the strong (left) side pass rusher in nickel defenses. McMillan had been working behind the starters at strong and weak outside linebacker until Peek had arthroscopic knee surgery last week. Peek will miss the entire preseason.

    Baltimore Ravens - QB Rotation: Kyle Boller (1st half), Troy Smith (3rd Q), rookie Joe Flacco (4th Q).

    Kyle Boller will be the Ravens' starting quarterback. HC Harbaugh said Boller likely will go most of the first half against the Patriots. Troy Smith and first-round pick Joe Flacco will split time in the second half.

    QB Smith has looked good in camp, Flacco is still up and down. Smith will start the second preseason game.

    John Harbaugh is the new head coach, the former Philadelphia Eagles secondary coach. Harbaugh has never been a head coach during his 24 seasons.

    Harbaugh said no one has taken the lead in the team's quarterback race. Throughout training camp, Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and Joe Flacco have rotated with the starting offense.

    RB Ray Rice will start against New England, with RB Willis McGahee (knee) not 100%.

    Wide receivers thin. Tight end Todd Heap (right calf) and WR Mark Clayton (sprained right shoulder) are ailing, along with WR Demetrius Williams (leg).

    Harbaugh has been running the players hard, a physical practice. One team official estimated that Harbaugh has had more full-contact plays in his first week than Billick had in his entire camp last year.

    New England Patriots - QB Rotation: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez, rookie Kevin O'Connell.

    QB Tom Brady was limping in practice this weekend (calf). Cassel, Gutierrez and rookie Kevin O'Connell are all battling for the No. 2 QB job.

    Offensive line thin. The Patriots' signing of veteran free-agent offensive lineman John Welbourn is an indication that the team's decision-makers have concerns with the depth along the line. They have 11 linemen, meaning only two layers of a depth chart could be filled (three layers would be ideal).

    Tackle is the specific trouble spot, with Matt Light, Ryan O'Callaghan and Oliver Ross (PUP) all sidelined -- and Anthony Clement placed on injured reserve Saturday. Guard Stephen Neal is also on PUP. The second line is comprised of Barry Stokes, Dan Connolly, Russ Hochstein, Pete McMahon and Jimmy Martin and rookie free agent Ryan Wendell. Those six are likely to earn the bulk of the playing time Thursday, essentially serving as the second and third string.

    K.C. Chiefs - QB Rotation: Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Damon Huard.

    Coach Herm Edwards said that Brodie Croyle's job is safe and that he will enter training camp as the starter. "It's his team now," Edwards said.

    Last year's starter Damon Huard is now the No. 3 quarterback, behind second-year passer Tyler Thigpen.

    The Chiefs remain impressed by rookie running back Jamaal Charles' speed.

    Rookie defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, the centerpiece of their rebuilding effort, injured his left knee in practice Saturday. Dorsey won't play Thursday but Edwards said he was hopeful Dorsey could play in the against Arizona on Aug. 16. Tank Tyler, a third-round draft pick last year, will replace Dorsey in the starting lineup.

    Chicago Bears - QB Rotation: Kyle Orton (1st Q), Rex Grossman (2nd Q), Caleb Hanie (see below).

    QB Kyle Orton will start Thursday, with Rex Grossman also playing in the first half. HC Lovie Smith plans to play the first team the entire first half so both quarterbacks get plenty of opportunities. The two QBs will flip-flop roles next week at Seattle, with Grossman getting the starting nod.

    Running back depth a concern after cutting loose RB Cedric Benson. Rookie RB Matt Forte will start this game.

    O-line concerns: Rookie 1st round pick left tackle Chris Williams has a back problem and is probably out. His continued absence threatens to alter the Bears' plans for him this season.

    Williams was drafted No. 14 overall in the belief he would step right in at left tackle, with John Tait shifting to the right side. John St. Clair has been working with the first team at left tackle, but odds were he'd start the season at left guard instead of Terrence Metcalf.

    Injuries have hampered the offensive line from the start of camp. Center Olin Kreutz missed some time with a sore Achilles' tendon. Then Williams went down. Now Metcalf has missed the last two practices with a knee injury and wasn't at practice Sunday.

    New Orleans Saints - QB Rotation: Drew Brees (1st Q), Mark Brunell (2nd Q), Tyler Palko (3rd Q).

    Sean Payton said QB Drew Brees will likely play the first quarter, but could take a seat a little earlier depending on how many plays he gets. The second rotation should play sometime after that first quarter, with third-teamers taking over during the third period. Backup QB Mark Brunell may play into the third quarter before Tyler Palko finishes up.

    WR Marques Colston (knee) is questionable, while WR Devery Henderson (hamstring injury) is out.

    RB Deuce McAllister, TE Jeremy Shockey and CB Mike McKenzie are among the players who won't play Thursday.

    To help the defense, the Saints paid particular offseason attention to the line, adding free-agent defensive end Bobby McCray and drafting defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis with the seventh overall pick. They also added cornerback Randall Gay via free agency.

    Offense has new looks, with a healthy RB Deuce McAllister, new TE Jeremy Shockey, and speedy WR Robert Meachem, who was inactive for all 16 games last season.

    Arizona Cardinals - QB Rotation: Matt Leinart (1-2 series), Kurt Warner (1-2 series), Brian St. Pierre, rookie Anthony Morelli.

    QB Matt Leinart will start at quarterback, and Kurt Warner is likely to get some work behind the first-team line, too. That means neither quarterback is likely to play beyond two series.

    Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is handing off most of the offensive play-calling duties for the upcoming season to coordinator Todd Haley.

    WRs thin. WR Anquan Boldin (hamstring) is not 100% and WR Early Doucet (hamstring) could miss the first preseason game.

    O-line concerns: Cardinals starting center Al Johnson underwent surgery on his left knee last week, and the team is hoping he can return by the first or second game of the season. The Cardinals have taken two serious hits at center. Third-team center Scott Peters suffered a severe knee injury and is out for the season.

    Backup Lyle Sendlein is a capable starter, but there isn't much depth. Coaches discussed the possibility of moving guard Elton Brown to center but decided Brown is young and needs the work at guard.
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