Rosters league-wide must be to 75 players by Aug. 31 and rosters go to 53 players on Sept. 4

Thursday Games:

Bills at Lions (-5, 38-)

  • The Bills (2-1 SU/ATS) have had a tough preseason as Bills camp has been far more physical under Chan Gailey, who took over as coach in January. Unlike Dick Jauron, who preferred walkthroughs and little hitting, Gailey has had his players hitting hard.

  • The QB rotation has Trent Edwards and Ryan Fitzpatrick, plus Brian Brohm and rookie Levi Brown. After scoring 34 points in Canada, the Bills flattened the Bengals Saturday, 35-20.

  • Thursday game: The Bills' starters are expected to play at least through the first half, but look for a good rotation of receivers in the game early. The race for the No. 2 quarterback job behind Trent Edwards will come down to the final preseason game. Chan Gailey said Monday he plans on giving Brian Brohm more playing time against Detroit. Brohm played just eight snaps Saturday against Cincinnati and threw just one pass, which fell incomplete.

  • The defense hasn’t been sharp in preseason, but at least the offense has shown life the last two weeks with a new offensive coordinator.
  • Trent Edwards led the Bills' starters to three touchdowns and displayed a level of competence rarely seen in the Dick Jauron era. The offense has been feeding off rookie C.J. Spiller, who continued to justify the Bills' decision to draft him last spring. WR Roscoe Parrish is finally getting involved in the offense more, rather than just being a special team’s ace. Head coach Chan Gailey insists the quarterback job is an open competition, though it’s clear Edwards is the best candidate.

  • WRs young: Besides Lee Evans and Roscoe Parrish, this is a very young group. Only one of the other seven wideouts on the roster has more than two years experience.

  • The Bills' starting defense had trouble with the Bengals' first-team offense while quarterback Carson Palmer was in the game. Palmer completed 9 of 11 passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns on Cincy's first three possessions.
  • Detroit (2-1 SU/ATS) also hasn’t played any defense in preseason, though they have two straight wins at Denver (25-20) and over Cleveland (35-27).
  • The QB rotation has Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton. The offense erupted for 392 yards in Denver (151 rushing) and 347 against Cleveland.

  • In three games Stafford has completed 34 of 46 passes for 332 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception. He has led the offense to scores in 10 of his 14 drives.
  • But the defense allowed two 80-yard scoring drives to the Denver starters and 414 total yards against the Browns. Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme completed 20 of 25 passes for 152 yards and led scoring drives of 62, 79 and 78 yards in the first half.
  • The secondary has been depleted in camp. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz wants this team to play a nasty 4-3 scheme that is rooted in aggressive play upfront, with veteran defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham calling the plays.
  • They are 3-4 ATS their last 7 preseason games.
  • These teams are a combined 10-0 under the total in Week 4 of preseason the last five years.

Patriots at NY Giants (-3, 37-) (weather 83, 3 MPH wind, 20% thunderstorms)

  • The Patriots (2-1 SU/ATS) had two impressive wins, then laid an egg at home last week against the lowly Rams, a 36-35 loss. The offense stumbled early and the first-team defense was terrible all game, even against the St. Louis backups.

  • Coach Bill Belichick was not happy, saying “We have a lot of things to improve.”

  • Bill Belichick expressed his frustration. "I think we're all playing," Brady told WEEI's Dennis & Callahan. "We're all expecting to play. I don't know how long we'll play. But he told everybody yesterday, 'Get ready to play.'"

    OK, we've heard the "everyone needs to be ready" line before, and so the quarterback's words might not translate directly into a lot of playing time for the starters against the Giants. But it's clear that Belichick's message came across loud and clear.   "He gave it to us pretty good on Friday after the game and then again yesterday," Brady said. "There's always a running joke with our team about humble pie, and he was serving it up on Friday. Just what we needed, we didn't go out and play very well. Hopefully we can learn from it and move on."

    Brady got the picture when Belichick declined to go for a fourth-and-short during the game. "I think he was just pissed off at us," Brady said. "At that point I think he was pissed off at everybody. I went over, I said, 'Coach, it's six inches.' He was like, 'Get off the field!!' I said, 'Let's go for it!' I think he wanted to do that just to yell at us, just so he could say these are the things we can't do."

  • QBs Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer, who has been very good, plus rookie Zac Robinson.
  • Belichick is 33-26-4 ATS in preseason.
  • New England beat the Giants 38-27 in last year’s Week 4 in August, despite trailing 21-0. QB Hoyer, who took every offensive snap for the Patriots, completed 18 of 25 passes for 242 yards and no interceptions.
  • The Giants (1-2 SU/ATS) limped through a ton of injuries during a 24-17 home loss to the Steelers and last week’s 24-10 loss to Baltimore.
  • Three weeks into the preseason, there is no evidence of how the Giants’ first-team offense will fare this season. Injuries have crippled every position, so the entire group has yet to play consistently together.
  • The Giants' lone first-half score was a field goal by Lawrence Tynes as time expired. "We've got to have more production than we're having and we've got to play better," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said at halftime last week.
  • The Giants go with QBs Eli Manning and Rhett Bomar, as QB Jim Sorgi remains out with a shoulder injury.

  • CB Terrell Thomas will return to practice this afternoon after missing Saturday’s preseason game with a calf injury. The Giants’ pass defense struggled without Thomas and Aaron Ross on the field.
  • At least the offensive line is finally healthy, though they got stuffed by the Ravens Saturday.
  • Tom Coughlin is 12-11 SU, 11-12 ATS the last five+ years in preseason.

Bengals (-6-) at Colts (36-)

  • The Bengals (2-2 SU/ATS) play their fifth preseason game, a 16-7 no-show loss to Dallas, a blowout of Denver, 33-24 (trailing 14-0 in the first), a 22-9 rout of Philly and last week’s loss at Buffalo, 35-20.

  • Despite the loss, they rolled up 395 yards on the Bills. During the first team offense’s 19 snaps in Saturday’s 35-20 loss to Buffalo, they went no huddle on nine plays and used three wide-receiver sets on 11 plays. The no huddle was brought out of mothballs for the first time in at least three years.
  • They have QBs Carson Palmer, veteran QB J.T. O’Sullivan and Jordan Palmer.
  • First-round tight end Jermaine Gresham, third-round receiver Jordan Shipley and seventh-round center Reggie Stephens made valuable contributions on the first-team offense.
  • The Bengals secondary is going to be shorthanded for Saturday's game at Buffalo: Cornerback Morgan Trent, CB Johnny Sears (muscle pull), and safety Roy Williams are battling ankle injuries along with safety Chinedum Ndukwe.
  • The Bengals are 11-9 SU, 12-8 ATS the last four+ years in preseason under Marvin Lewis.
  • The Colts (0-3 SU/ATS), as usual, don’t care about preseason and come off an embarrassing 59-24 pounding at Green Bay. As usual, the first team offense was great (leading 10-7 after the first quarter) and then the backups mail it in.
  • Colts starters not expected to play Thursday. "If you look at our history," coach Jim Caldwell said Monday, "don't expect anything to deviate much from the norm."
  • "It wasn't 59 points against our starters, it was 59 points overall," Jim Caldwell said.

  • RB Joseph Addai left the game in the third quarter with a concussion and linebacker Gary Brackett hurt his right hand. Adding to the injury problems, cornerback Jacob Lacey left the game with a concussion, offensive tackle Tony Ugoh hurt his toe and defensive tackle Antonio Johnson sustained a groin injury. The Colts also played without center Jeff Saturday and tight end Dallas Clark. All of which means they could care less about this one, too.
  • The rotation has QB Peyton Manning, Curtis Painter and Tom Brandstater. TE Dallas Clark will miss all four preseason games.

  • The Colts could go to Houston without once having everyone together at the same time.
  • The Colts are 1-6 SU, 2-5 ATS in preseason under Coach Jim Caldwell. Amazingly enough, the Colts' record in exhibition games since '05 is now 4-21 SU.
  • The Bengals flattened the Colts in last year’s Week 4, 38-7.
  • The Colts are 0-5 ATS in Week 4 the last five preseasons, the Bengals 5-0 ATS.

Jets at Eagles (-2-, 34) (weather 82, 6 MPH wind, 10% thunderstorms)

  • The Jets (1-2 SU/ATS) have been ugly on offense in preseason, winning at Carolina, 9-3, and then last week’s 16-11 home loss to Washington.

  • The Jets had a late touchdown, only their second in three preseason games. That was the starters’ first touchdown in 16 possessions spanning three preseason games.
  • They have QB Mark Sanchez, veteran Mark Brunell, Kellen Clemens and Kevin O’Connell. The first-team offense gained 151 yards on the ground, so this is still a run-first attack.
  • At least the defense is as good as advertised. Jets LB Calvin Pace suffered a foot injury and Rex Ryan said he will likely miss a few weeks. He’s their best pass rusher.
  • The secondary is still adjusting to being without CB Darrelle Revis (holding out). The first-team offense will see very limited action in the fourth preseason game.
  • Rex Ryan is 3-4 SU/ATS in preseason. In last year’s preseason finale, the Jets beat the Giants, 27-25, with starter Mark Sanches throwing 20 passes for 149 yards in 2½ quarters.
  • Despite a dominant defense, the Jets are 5-2 over the total in August under Ryan.
  • The Eagles (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) have a QB rotation of Kevin Kolb, followed by Mike Vick and rookies Mike Kafka and Joey Elliot.
  • It’s been an uneven preseason for Kolb and the new-look offense. After rolling up 496 yards (285 passing, 211 rushing) in a 28-27 win over the Jaguars, Philly looked lost in a 22-9 defeat at Cincinnati, then struggled in week 3, a 20-17 win at KC. Kolb was 11 for 25 for 103 yards. He got sacked four times and threw an interception and had a rating of just 39.2.
  • In a league of copycats, the Eagles are bound to see blitz-heavy defensive schemes after the Chiefs confounded Kevin Kolb. Kansas City sent wave after wave at the first-year starting quarterback, and whether it was his, the offensive line's or the running back's inability to pick up the blitz, Kolb got caught in the undertow. In three quarters, he was sacked four times, three by a blitzing linebacker. The Eagles will face a similar scheme Thursday against the New York Jets in the preseason finale.
  • Vick, who did not quarterback the second team, saw his most action with the first team this preseason, entering six times. The results were mixed.
  • Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin didn't help matters with several drops. And neither did a porous line that had Kolb running for his health. Andy Reid said wide receiver DeSean Jackson had a neck strain and was taken out "for precautionary measures." He also said defensive end Trent Cole had a sprained ankle.

  • Wideout DeSean Jackson and defensive end Trent Cole won’t play.

  • The Eagles offensive line play has been so inconsistent that you'd like to see the starters play more than a little bit in Thursday's preseason finale with the New York Jets, but that won't happen.  Stacy Andrews is now struggling with the switch from tackle to guard to replace his brother, Shawn. With Jamaal Jackson still recovering from major knee surgery and backup center Nick Cole not playing much because of a knee injury, the Birds have relied almost exclusively on third-year man Mike McGlynn.  Jamaal Jackson, who just returned to practice, took every repetition with the first-team offense yesterday and the Eagles seem intent on pushing the envelope to get him ready for the season opener.

    The Eagles have continued their reliance on passing plays, calling for throws on 63 percent of the first team's snaps in three quarters of play.

  • Coach Andy Reid is 19-28 SU, 20-27 ATS in preseason.

Falcons at Jaguars (-3, 37-) (weather 82, clear)

  • The Falcons (2-1 SU/ATS) played their first two preseason games at home, with a QB rotation of Matt Ryan, Chris Redman and John Parker Wilson.

  • While most of the starters will play briefly against Jacksonville in Thursday's final exhibition, veteran cornerback Brian Williams and defensive tackle Peria Jerry will likely play more than 20 snaps. Both are coming off major knee surgeries. Williams played 29 snaps and Jerry played 23 against the Dolphins last Friday. "They need to get their snaps so that they can be prepared and ready to go for Pittsburgh [in the opener]," Smith said.

  • Despite a 16-6 win at Miami Saturday, the offense hasn’t been sharp in preseason. They had 261 total yards in the win, struggled to protect Ryan in a 20-10 win over Kansas City, then got flattened by the Patriots, 28-10.
  • So the offense had just 244 total yards, 2.7 yards per rush, in the opener, 266 total yards in Week 2 and 261 in Week 3.
  • The Falcons secondary is likely without their top two corners backs: Dunta Robinson has been out with a hamstring injury. Brent Grimes, who’s been working with the first team defense at left cornerback, has a groin injury.

  • The Falcons have been hit hard by injuries at wide receiver; WR Michael Jenkins is out with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss four to six weeks; The Falcons' fifth-round pick Kerry Meier, who was off to a great start in training camp, suffered a knee injury against New England and will miss the 2010 season.
  • Atlanta coach Mike Smith is 8-7 SU, 9-5-1 ATS in preseason and the team is 6-1 under the total in Week 4.
  • Jacksonville (1-2 Su/2-1 ATS) hasn’t played well, giving up 27 and 28 points in two losses, and got just 201 total yards in Saturday’s 16-6 win at Tampa Bay, a team that lost their starting QB.
  • The QB rotation has veterans David Garrard and Luke McCown, plus rookie Trevor Harris. Jack Del Rio also said he wasn't prepared to say if the starters would play Thursday night, but said he thought they probably would play a little bit.
  • Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said he'd like the running game to be more of a focus in the third preseason game, but they were terrible, with 42 yards rushing, just 2.8 ypc. That was even worse when you realize with the return of right tackle Eben Britton, the Jaguars will had their complete offensive line for the first time all preseason. The young defense has mostly struggled in preseason.

  • Del Rio didn't seem concerned that the Jaguars rushed only 11 times for 33 yards in the first half on Saturday night against the Bucs because the offense has been spending so much time working on its passing game.
  • Jack Del Rio is 20-11 SU, 20-10-1 ATS in August.
  • They like to air it out in preseason, going 5-2 over the total the last 7 August games with aggressive OC Dirk Koetter.

Panthers at Steelers (-5-, 36.5) (weather 88, 4 MPH wind, cloudy)

  • Carolina (1-2 SU/ATS) has looked awful, with a 17-12 loss at Baltimore, a 9-3 home loss to the NY Jets and a 15-7 win over Tennessee. That’s 10 ppg and 3-0 under the total.

  • The QB rotation is weak with Matt Moore, rookie Jimmy Clausen, Hunter Cantwell and rookie Tony Pike. WR Steve Smith and RB Jonathan Stewart have missed the whole preseason, after all. Coach John Fox has held all starters out during recent years in Week 4.

    They had a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Mike Goodson last week, so offense has produced exactly zero TDs in three exhibitions. It has had 14 possessions in each of those games, which means it rests in an 0-for-42 TD slump.

  • RB DeAngelo Williams rushed nine times for 13 yards Saturday night – behind 80 percent of the first-string offensive line – and the Panthers have a combined quarterback rating of 51.1 in the preseason.
  • Coach John Fox said about his passing offense: “Two of our three biggest playmakers [Steve Smith and Jonathan Stewart] haven’t played a snap in the preseason, and one of those is a wide receiver. We are a very young team overall, particularly at the wide receiver position. I think we still have a lot of work to do, but I think there was improvement.”
  • On the plus side, the Carolina defense has been outstanding: It has 18 sacks already and has allowed only 184.7 yards per game.

  • The Panthers' defense ranks No.1 in the entire NFL in yards allowed per game (184.7 per game), which is 51 yards better than next-best Minnesota.  The Panthers are also No.1 in the NFL in sacks (18, or an average of 6 per exhibition) and in passing defense. They are No.2 in rushing defense and points allowed per game (11, trailing only Baltimore). If Carolina keeps that torrid pace up throughout the regular season, too, defensive coordinator Ron Meeks is going to be a very hot commodity in 2011 for a possible head-coaching job.

  • Carolina writer: “ I've never seen a faster-looking D in 16 years of watching the Panthers put teams on the field (and Thomas Davis, one of the team's speediest players, isn't even out there).”
  • John Fox has a winning preseason record, but is 1-6 SU/ATS since last August averaging 13.3 ppg.

  • A short week for the Steelers, after playing Sunday night in Denver. Tomlin and his staff were meeting this afternoon to decide on which quarterbacks will get playing time and in what order, but there is no firm plan yet as to who would play and for how long against the Carolina Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Heinz Field. "I have no idea," Tomlin said.
  • The Steelers (2-1 SU/ATS) have an excellent QB rotation and have been playing well, beating up the Lions (23-7) and the shorthanded Giants (24-17). They come home after a 34-17 loss at Denver because of three turnovers, but the offense had 355 yards (175 rushing).
  • QB Ben Roethlisberger is expected to start this game, as he will miss the first 4 games of the regular season, and they have QB Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon. Tomlin said his starters will play Thursday, but he did not say for how long or in what order because he had not gone over those details with his staff.
  • Mike Tomlin noted that a number of players did not take advantage of their opportunities against Denver, and while there's still a chance to impress the coaches, the Steelers will take a look at other players as well. "They're going to get another opportunity. But some other guys are going to get an opportunity too," the coach said. "That's what the preseason is all about."
  • The Steelers' offensive line is better than last year, with Flozell Adams at right tackle, the rookie center from Florida and a new commitment to the ground game. The Steelers have run 106 times in 180 plays or 63.3 percent of the time through three preseason games. They ran only 42.2 percent of the time during the 2009 regular season.
  • The Steelers are 11-4 SU, 10-5 ATS in preseason under Mike Tomlin, plus 11-4 under the total.

Saints at Titans (-8, 41) (weather 88, 5 MPH wind, 10% thunderstorms)

  • The defending champion Saints (2-1 SU/ATS) are ready for the regular season after destroying the Texans (38-20) and Chargers (36-21).

  • The Saints will take even more precaution than usual to avoid any new injuries in their preseason finale Thursday night. Since they're playing a regular-season game seven days later, they're going to lighten the workload even more for their starting units and nicked-up players. "We're going to be smart about it," said Payton, adding that if quarterback Drew Brees plays at all, he will be "very limited."

  • They have QBs Drew Brees, veteran QB Patrick Ramsey, followed by youngsters Chase Daniel and Sean Canfield. Ramsey was terrific last week, 10 of 18 for 191 yards, 1 TD and one pick and QB Daniel has impressed with his mobility and decision making. Daniel tossed touchdown passes to three receivers and directed scoring drives of 51, 83, 65 and 60 yards in the win over Houston.

  • QBs Ramsey and Daniel are in a tight battle for the backup job, both having played well in the preseason.
  • They are 3-0 over the total in preseason and Coach Sean Payton is 10-5 Su/ATS the last three+ preseasons.
  • A year ago after blowout wins in Weeks 2 and 3, the Saints packed it in during a 10-7 home loss to Miami with just 234 yards, quarterbacked by Joey Harrington and Mark Brunnel (both gone).
  • Tennessee (1-2 SU/ATS) has done a lot of traveling this preseason, 3,000 miles to Seattle (facing a new coach) and Saturday’s 15-7 loss at desperate Carolina, so it will be nice to finally be home. The Titans were without three offensive starters — receivers Nate Washington (wrist) and Justin Gage (thumb) as well as tight end Bo Scaife (rest) — and were in the middle of a stretch of three games in 11 days.
  • The QB rotation finds veterans Vince Young, Kerry Collins, Chris Simms and rookie Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic).
  • In three preseason games, Vince Young has completed 73 percent of his passes, displayed touch down the field and delivered the ball into tight spaces with zip.
  • The D-line was very good against run-oriented Carolina, allowing 2.6 ypc, 59 yards rushing, though the secondary allowed 269 yards passing.
  • Coach Jeff Fisher is 33-29 SU, 32-28-2 ATS in preseason (17-11 SU, 16-11-1 ATS the last six+ years in August).
  • Tennessee is on a 6-2 run over the total in preseason.
  • A year ago Tennessee played 5 preseason games and flattened the Packers in the finale at home, 27-13. They are also 4-0 over the total in preseason Week 4 the last 4 years.

Bucs at Texans (-3, 36-)

  • The Tampa Bay (1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS) offense is young and evolving. They got bad news last week as QB Josh Freeman fractured the tip of his right thumb and won’t play the rest of preseason. Backup QB Josh Johnson is the new starter, with Rudy Carpenter and recently signed rookie Jevan Snead in reserve.

  • The offense was terrible in Saturday’s 16-6 home loss to the Jaguars, with only 201 total yards, 2 for 11 on third down. "It's a huge setback, obviously, when you lose your first quarterback," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said.
  • Bucs offensive coordinator Greg Olson runs a West Coast attack that will run the football and look for short, safe passes.
  • The Bucs opened with a 10-7 loss in the mud at Miami, running the ball effectively (139 yards) and holding it for over 34 minutes, then a 20-15 win over KC.
  • The Bucs are 2-5 SU/3-4 ATS in their last 7 preseason games.
  • Houston (1-2 SU/ATS) has not played well the first two games, so Coach Gary Kubiak pretty much read the team the riot act in practice last week. All that yelling paid off in a 23-7 rout of Dallas, rolling up 381 yards.
  • After Matt Schaub, the QB rotation drops off, though, with Dan Orlovsky and John David Booty.

  • Coach Gary Kubiak will rest a lot of starters for Thursday's game against Tampa Bay. That means Dan Orlovskywill start at quarterback, and John David Booty will replace him. "There's going to be a number of players we probably won't see in the game, but I don't know exactly who those guys are going to be," Kubiak said. "We've got a lot of tough decisions to make, a lot of young players that are going to make this team. I want to make sure they play a great deal."

  • The defense has been banged up. The Texans expected to use camp and the preseason to determine which outside linebacker would replace Brian Cushing, who is suspended for the first four games, as the starter on the strong side. Gary Kubiak wants to play Cushing as much as possible, but he also wants to play whoever will take his place. The problem is the coaches aren't sure who that will be. Xavier Adibi (groin) and Danny Clark (knee) were expected to compete for Cushing's job. The interior offensive line, a weak point last season because of injuries and inconsistent play, is still unsettled.
  • The Texans are 1-6 ATS in Week 4.

Packers at Chiefs (-6, 40) (weather 79, 6 MPH wind)

  • The Packers (2-1 SU/ATS) are 3-0 over the total with an unstoppable offense, consecutive 27-24 games, losing at home to the Browns, then winning at Seattle, then last week’s 59-24 pounding of the Colts.

  • Green Bay has QBs Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn and Graham Harrell. The Packers rolled up 174 yards rushing (421 in all) in taking apart the Seahawks, then 430 yards (337 passing) on the Colts. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn't going to play much Thursday.
  • Rodgers pushed his three-game exhibition aggregate to 141.2. In 13 possessions, the No. 1 offense has seven touchdowns, three punts and two lost fumbles.
  • But once again, the injury-depleted starting defense that the Packers have sent out in the three games was a sieve. In the first half, the Colts scored 17 points and amassed 258 yards. In 12 possessions, the No. 1 defense has allowed six touchdowns and a field goal.
  • "Defensively, we haven't played the game with everybody on the field yet," Mike McCarthy said. Cornerback Al Harris will be out all of preseason and Packers safety Atari Bigby will miss at least four weeks after having ankle surgery earlier this month.
  • Coach Mike McCarthy is 6-3 SU/ATS his last 9 August games.
  • Rebuilding Kansas City has really been out of sync in preseason under Coach Todd Haley, 0-7 SU/ATS while averaging 14 ppg (6-1 under the total) the last two years.
  • They opened with a 20-10 loss at Atlanta with 3 turnovers, a 20-15 loss at Tampa Bay and a 20-17 home loss to Philly.
  • They have a new offensive coordinator in Charlie Weis (Notre Dame), and a new defensive coordinator (Romeo Crennel).
  • The QB rotation has Matt Cassell, Tyler Palk, Brodie Croyle. Chiefs backup quarterback Brodie Croyle returned to practice last week.

    The Chiefs sacked Philadelphia quarterbacks five times and played aggressively on defense, a big plus. The Chiefs’ defense received a blow when rookie linebacker Cameron Sheffield was strapped to a board and carted off the field in the third quarter because of what the Chiefs called a neck injury.

  • The run defense has struggled, giving up 130 yards in the opener, 4.6 ypc, and 99 yards to the Bucs, and 106 to pass-oriented Philly.

Bears (-3) at Browns (37-) (weather 84, 6 MPH wind, 10% thunderstorms)

  • The Bears (0-3 SU/ATS) have had a bad August, losing 25-10 at San Diego, a 32-17 home loss to Oakland and Saturday’s 14-9 defeat at home to Arizona.

  • The Bears have a new offensive coordinator in Mike Martz, working with QBs Cutler, Brett Basanez, Todd Collins, Caleb Hanie and rookie Dan LeFevour. Hanie is injured and will miss the rest of preseason, so they signed 38-year old Todd Collins last week. The first team will get one, maybe two possessions Thursday at Cleveland.

  • LB Brian Urlacher wants to play against the Browns, but Smith is sure to hold him out, considering the limited time the starters will play.  The Bears signed Todd Collins as insurance following Hanie's injury. Expect to see Collins make his Bears debut Thursday.
  • Cutler was sacked five times against the Raiders and 4 more against Arizona! "Our offensive line needs to look at the tape, I need to look at the tape," Cutler said.
  • QB Jay Cutler was sacked 35 times in 2009, and he'll have deeper drops now, putting more pressure on the O-line, which clearly needs work.

  • In what amounts to an overtime game's worth of action, Cutler has had 16 possessions and led two touchdown drives. He has completed 19 of 37 passes for 275 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and 10 sacks, four pinned to left tackle Chris Williams.His passer rating of 62.4.

  • Chicago's Lance Briggs sustained a sprained ankle early in the second quarter and sat out the rest of the game, another blow to a linebacking corps already missing Brian Urlacher because of a strained left calf.
  • Coach Lovie Smith is 15-13 SU, 14-14 ATS in August.
  • The Cleveland (1-2 SU/ATS) QB rotation has Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, Colt McCoy and Brett Ratliff.
  • The Browns are playing competitive football under Eric Mangini, a 27-24 win over Green Bay, a 19-17 loss to the Rams in the rain and a 35-27 home loss to Detroit. The offense had 414 yards against the depleted Lions defense, but the run defense got gouged for 154 yards.
  • Saturday, the Browns lost three more fumbles -- giving them eight turnovers over their last two games.
  • Delhomme had his third straight 100-plus passer rating performance, completing 20 of 25 passes for 152 yards. "I thought Jake was outstanding tonight and he's been outstanding all preseason," said Mangini.
  • Mangini and coordinator Rob Ryan are concealing their true intentions on defense. Linebackers Eric Barton and David Bowens received a lot of time with the first team. There was little blitzing. Defensively, the Browns have a revamped unit, one that features new starters in linebackers Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong, rookie safety T.J. Ward and cornerback Sheldon Brown.

  • Browns safety Nick Sorensen suffered a concussion in Detroit Saturday night and will sit out the final preseason game Thursday night against the Bears.
  • Coach Eric Mangini is 10-9 SU/ATS in preseason.

Dolphins at Cowboys (-3, 37-)

  • Miami (2-1 SU/1-2 ATS) has a deep QB rotation with QBs Chad Henne, Chad Pennington, Tyler Thigpen.

  • Injuries to center Jake Grove and left guard Nate Garner have hampered the offensive line's progress. There seems to be a lack of cohesion on the line, with three new starters between tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey.
  • They had just 241 total yards (2.6 yards per rush) in Saturday’s 16-6 home loss to Atlanta. For the second week in a row, quarterback Chad Henne forced a throw when inside the opponents' 10. The Dolphins have an average of 2.63 yards per carry this preseason.
  • The Dolphins have one sack in the past two preseason games, despite new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's elaborate blitz packages. On the plus side, the attacking defense has forced 8 turnovers in 3 games.
  • Miami is 9-2 under the total in preseason under Coach Tony Sparano, and a sizzling 9-2 SU, 7-3-1 ATS.
  • This is the fifth game for Dallas (2-2 SU/ATS), having played in the Hall of Fame game.
  • Veteran team with a QB rotation of Tony Romo, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee and rookie Matt Nichols.
  • They looked disinterested Saturday, a 23-7 loss at Houston, getting 239 total yards, getting out-rushed 173-13! The Cowboys allowed scoring drives of nine, 12 and 17 plays. The run defense vanished,as the Texans averaged 4.8 yards per carry.
  • The mistake-ridden performance moved Wade Phillips to consider something he has not done in his previous three seasons in this job. He could give the first-teamers some playing time in Thursday's final exhibition, at home against Miami. "I'm not ruling out that we won't play our guys," Phillips said. "We have to evaluate this." In the locker room, Wade was mad: He kept the room closed longer to scold his team, telling it it's not ready for the regular-season opener Sept. 12 at Washington.
  • "He made some valid coaching points," said Alex Barron, the third starter at right offensive tackle in the exhibition season. "He said some things that we needed to hear." "Emotion is a lot of the game," Phillips said. "Flying around is a lot of the game. I didn't see a lot of that."
  • One concern is that the Cowboys have virtually no depth on their offensive line. Cowboys quarterbacks have been sacked 15 times in four preseason games and averaging 2.60 yards per rush.
  • He said rookie receiver Dez Bryant, linebacker Keith Brooking, defensive end Marcus Spears and safety Gerald Sensabaugh have been cleared to practice but may not play Thursday. They're expected to be ready for the opener Sept. 12 at Washington. Right tackle Marc Colombo is expected to practice next week and could play against the Redskins.
  • The Cowboys also haven't cared about preseason with Coach Wade Phillips, 6-9 SU, 5-10 ATS in his three+ years here in August.

Ravens at Rams (-3, 38-)

  • The Ravens (3-0 Su/ATS) have dominated preseason, especially on defense, allowing 12, 3 and 10 points.

  • The QB rotation is very good, with Joe Flacco, veteran Marc Bulger and mobile Troy Smith.
  • The offensive line has been banged up, so they took to the air Saturday with 313 passing yards in a 24-10 rout of the surprised Giants. They went with a no-huddle offense, as OC Cam Cameron is very good at keeping the opposition guessing. Going without a huddle and often throwing on first down, the Ravens (3-0) scored 17 points over three straight possessions in the first half.

  • WRS thin. Ravens WR Donte' Stallworth broke his foot in Saturday night's game and will likely be out for two months. WR Mark Clayton (concussion) is hurting.
  • The Ravens are 8-3 SU, 6-4-1 ATS in preseason under Coach John Harbaugh.
  • Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth will miss the 2010 season with a knee injury, further weakening a secondary already depleted by injuries. Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed is unsure of when he will return, LB Sergio Kindle, the Baltimore Ravens' first pick in the 2010 draft, will miss preseason.
  • Baltimore is 7-0 SU, 6-1 ATS its last 7 August games.
  • The Rams (2-1 SU/ATS) have a QB rotation of rookie QB Sam Bradford, 10-year veteran A.J. Feeley, Keith Null and rookie Thaddeus Lewis. Both Lewis and Null are expected to see significant action Thursday night, when the Rams close their preseason schedule against Baltimore at the Edward Jones Dome.
  • The Rams have been mostly anemic on offense the last two years, including preseason, so last week was a stunner: a 36-35 win at the Patriots, rolling up 462 yards behind a rookie QB. Are the Rams that much improved with Bradford? Or was the young Patriots defense just awful?
  • Bradford completed his first six passes, finished 15-of-22 for 189 yards and was sacked just once. He rarely got flustered and quickly located open receivers.
  • QB Sam Bradford will start again. A.J. Feeley has a sprained right thumb and won’t play.

  • WR Donnie Avery is out for the season. The coaches now have to find a replacement opposite the other starter, WR Laurent Robinson. "Probably between Danny (Amendola) and Mardy Gilyard, and a couple of the guys we could flip over there (such as) Keenan Burton," Steve Spagnuolo said.
  • St. Louis outgained New England 462 yards to 288. St. Louis also got flattened at home by the Vikings, 28-7, and had a 19-17 win at Cleveland. The Rams managed 178 total yards, one week after gaining only 150 in a loss to Minnesota.
  • Baltimore is 5-0 under the total in Week 4 the last 5 years.

Broncos at Vikings (-4, 34)

  • Short week for Denver. The Broncos (1-2 SU/ATS) have been hit by more than a dozen injuries so far, but they got up off the carpet on national TV Sunday night, stuffing the Steelers, 34-17.

  • QBs Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn and Tim Tebow really didn’t play that well (2 combined picks), as the offense had just 268 total yards, but the ground game had 128 and they forced 3 TOs.
  • The running backs have been banged up all preseason along with the wideouts. Rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas still hasn’t played and is out; WR Brandon Stokley is recovering from a groin injury that is expected to keep him out for the remainder of the preseason.
  • The run defense has been terrible and allowed the Steelers 175 yards, 5.8 yards per attempt.
  • Coach Josh McDaniels is 2-5 SU, 3-4 ATS in preseason.
  • Minnesota (2-1 SU/ATS) has QB Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, Sage Rosenfels and mobile rookie QB Joe Webb (UAB). Brad Childress admitted that he's considering playing the Vikings' first team in Thursday night's preseason finale against the Denver Broncos at the Metrodome. Childress, like most NFL head coaches, prefers to rest his starters in the final preseason game, but he realizes that any opportunity to get this unit work together is probably best utilized. "I'm going to look at this tape and determine that," Childress said."
  • They come off a 24-13 victory over Seattle on Saturday night.
  • The receiving corps is a problem, with Percy Harvin battling migraines and Sidney Rice getting hip surgery this week. Rice will miss the first half of the regular season. Wide receiver Greg Camarillo, who arrived last week in a trade with the Dolphins, caught a 12-yard pass from Brett Favre, and they also added Javon Walker.
  • Starting center, John Sullivan, remains sidelined by a calf injury and the starting right guard, Anthony Herrera, was shifted to center and a rookie, Chris DeGeare, is playing guard.
  • The Vikings are 5-2 SU/4-3 ATS in preseason the last two years.

Chargers at 49ers (-3-, 36) (weather: 73, Clear)

  • San Diego (1-2 SU/ATS) Coach Norv Turner likes to have fun and open up the playbook in preseason, unlike most coaches. They are 2-1 over the total after a 36-21 loss at New Orleans.

  • Most starters will play just one series, but there are several young players who are expected to contribute this season, a few trying to take the final steps toward securing a roster spot and others working on making the practice squad.
  • “It is just the final part of their body of work, and there are decisions that are made with guys,” Turner said. “This is … the most extensive playing time they are going to get. They will get 45 plays, 50 plays, and when you get that many reps, a lot more can happen where we are able to evaluate him … A lot will happen in the kicking game that will help sway those decisions.

  • The offense is averaging 20 points, after averaging 23 last preseason.
  • The QB rotation has a terrific one-two punch in Philip Rivers and Billy Volek, with rookie Jonathan Crompton (Tennessee).
  • The Chargers find themselves experimenting on the O-line due to the continued contract stalemate with T Marcus McNeill. The Chargers' offensive line suffered another blow when left tackle Tra Thomas had arthroscopic knee surgery, likely out of action for another week.
  • Rookie running back Ryan Mathews has been strong, with 146 yards in three games on 25 carries.
  • Blitzing DBs: The Chargers had a defensive back blitz on four of Chicago’s first seven passing plays.

  • “We’re not ready to go,” said Turner. “We’re fortunate to have a couple weeks before we play. That (New Orleans) was a good example of what we can be. That was as close to a regular-season game as you can get through the first two and a half quarters. I thought we were sharp, but I think there’s some things we can clean up.”
  • Norv Turner wins in preseason (8-6 SU), but can be overvalued (5-8-1 ATS) because of their flashy offense. In last year’s preseason finale, they rolled over the 49ers at home, 26-7.
  • The 49ers (3-0 SU/ATS) have been known to play well in preseason under fiery coach Mike Singletary, and they are doing it again, blasting the Colts (37-17), shutting down the Vikings (15-10) and topping Oakland (28-24).
  • QB rotation: Alex Smith, David Carr, Nate Davis and rookie Jarrett Brown.
  • San Francisco's first defense allowed three touchdowns Saturday and the team committed 10 penalties but the Niners still managed to squeak out their third straight preseason win. "We did not play very smart, and a little bit sloppy," Singletary said. "Winning the game was nice, but it also was a reminder to our guys of all the work we still have to do. Mistakes, miscommunication, we've got to clean that up. I was going to send our first-team defense back out there."
  • The starting secondary allowed 236 passing yards. Niners LT Joe Staley(sprained knee) and Westbrook (hamstring) are day to day. WR WRMichael Crabtree did not play because of a stiff neck.

  • On the injury front, T Joe Staley (knee) and RB Brian Westbrook (hamstring) are fine. He hopes TE Vernon Davis (knee) and WR Michael Crabtree (neck) play Thursday against the visiting Chargers, and he sees progress with WR Kyle Williams (toe) and Ahmad Brooks (lacerated kidney) -NT Aubrayo Franklin could get his feet wet Thursday.
  • Coach Singletary is 6-1 SU, 4-3 ATS in preseason.

Redskins at Cardinals (-4-, 37)

  • Washington (2-1 Su/ATS) has been up and down, with a 42-17 pasting of hapless Buffalo, a frustrating 23-3 home loss to Baltimore, and Saturday’s 16-11 win at the Jets.  At Arizona this week: It's the longest distance the team is scheduled to travel this season.

  • Against the Cardinals, most starters won't see a single snap and some might not even make the long trip west. Coach Mike Shanahan ruled out quarterback Donovan McNabb, who suffered an ankle sprain Aug. 21 against Baltimore, and said running back Clinton Portis (ankle) and fullback Mike Sellers (knee) are also still recovering from their injuries.

  • The offense hasn’t been able to run the football, turning it over 4 times against the Ravens and just 2.8 yards per rush against NY.

  • Donovan McNabb (left leg and ankle) won’t play. The QBs are Rex Grossman, John Beck and Richard Bartel. The starters are expected to see very little action.
  • Grossman has been very good: 33 of 55 passes for 446 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for a 97.7 rating, the sixth-best of any quarterback this preseason. Grossman, who played in the system of current Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan last year in Houston, has started only one regular season game in the last two seasons. Beck, acquired in a training camp trade with Baltimore, went 7 of 11 for 76 yards against the Jets. Bartel, who has never taken a regular season snap, missed the Buffalo game with a groin strain and hasn't yet appeared in the preseason.
  • The Redskins' offensive line has three new starters, including left tackle and No. 1 pick Trent Williams.
  • Washington's wide receivers are either unproven, coming off injuries or past their primes. They have a No. 1 WR in Santana Moss, but there is a battle for the No. 2 and 3 slots.
  • Shanahan is still terrific, even in August, with a 44-27 SU, 39-27-3 ATS mark (18-10 SU, 16-11-1 ATS his last three+ preseasons).
  • The Cardinals (2-1 SU/ATS) have been road warriors, at Tennessee in Week 2 and at Chicago Saturday (14-9 win), so it will be nice to be home.
  • The rotation has QBs Matt Leinart, Derek Anderson, and rookies Max Hall and John Skelton.
  • Coach Ken Whisenhunt announced that Anderson was replacing Leinart as the starter in Saturday's preseason game against the Bears. Both QBs did very well and their numbers were about even, so there is clearly a battle for the No. 1 job still at stake.

Asked if he would name his starter after Thursday night's final preseason game against Washington, the coach replied, "Who knows? Maybe we'll keep them guessing." It's a situation Whisenhunt created with his surprising decision to start Derek Anderson in last Saturday night's game at Chicago ahead of Matt Leinart, who had been the No. 1 quarterback throughout training camp. While Anderson expressed gratitude for the opportunity on Monday, Leinart said he believes he has outplayed his competition.

  • The maligned Leinart was 9 of 10 for 84 yards and a TD, while Anderson was 7 of 12 for 94 yards and a TD. Still, this offense has been weak, scoring 19, 10 and 14 points.
  • The Cardinals are optimistic that receiver Larry Fitzgerald will recover from a sprained knee ligament in time to play in the season opener at St. Louis on Sept. 12, but he won’t play in preseason.
  • WRS thin: WR Andre Roberts, the third-round pick, suffered a sprained right shoulder and is out. WR Early Doucet didn’t play last week and Steve Williams, an undrafted rookie from Toledo, started along with Steve Breaston.
  • Arizona is 6-9 SU/ATS in preseason under Coach Ken Whisenhunt.

Seahawks at Raiders (-3-, 37-) (weather 73 clear)

  • Seattle (1-2 SU, 0-3 ATS) has been banged up for new coach Pete Caroll. The QB rotation has veterans Matt Hasselbeck, newcomer J.P. Losman and Charlie Whitehurst.

  • The offensive line has lost 2 starts, including top draft pick Russell Okung (high ankle sprain). The offense had only 44 yards rushing (2.9 ypc) in Saturday’s 24-13 loss at Minnesota Hasselbeck and Whitehurst carried the offense with 242 passing yards, but few points.
  • The starters have just two sacks, which is a painful reminder of last season when Seattle accumulated just two sacks in the final five games.
  • This is the second straight road game for the Seahawks.
  • The Raiders (2-1 SU/ATS) are playing hard in preseason, winning at Dallas (17-9), blowing out the Bears (32-17) on the road and losing to the 49ers (28-24).
  • QB Jason Campbell is the starter, but left Saturday’s game with a stinger and hurt wrist, carted off the field. Raiders coach Tom Cable said he expects Campbell to be ready for the season opener on Sept. 12 at Tennessee, but not this week.
  • Bruce Gradkowski replaced Campbell to make his first appearance of the preseason, playing well (14 of 22, 202 yards). They also have QBs Kyle Boller and Colt Brennan, with Charlie Frye out for preseason.
  • Wide receiver Chaz Schilens (knee) is out 3 to 6 weeks, but the Raiders say they have no interest in bringing aboard free agents like Antonio Bryant. Schilens, projected to be the team's No. 1 receiver, had arthroscopic knee surgery last week, and the Raiders had hoped he might be back for the season opener Sept. 12 in Tennessee. Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy are now the starters. Running back Michael Bush, meanwhile, will have surgery on his broken left thumb
  • The Raiders new offense coordinator Hue Jackson wants offensive balance, though they had only 55 yards rushing Saturday. He was the Baltimore quarterbacks coach (2008-09), Atlanta offensive coordinator (2007).
  • Coach Tom Cable was upset about poor tackling on defense and special teams and an offense that stalled for a long stretch in the first half.
  • Raiders WR Chaz Schilens is out indefinitely after he had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee (out 2 to 3 more weeks).
  • Cable is 3-4 SU, 4-3 ATS in preseason.