News; Friday's NFL preseason schedule is all about the quarterbacks

Friday's NFL preseason schedule is all about the quarterbacks. Three teams with serious uncertainty at the position will take the field, while a well-known star makes his official return from an injury that ruined his and his team's 2008 season.



Not only that, but another team debuts a new starting quarterback Friday night.


St. Louis at N.Y. Jets, 7:00 p.m. Eastern



St. Louis



For new Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo, this will be his first look at the team in a live setting. Yes, Spagnuolo has run a lively and physical training camp so far, but it's always different when you start trying to hit guys on a different team. One of the areas to watch is wide receiver. Second-year man Donnie Avery is hurt and unavailable Friday, so the Rams will go with a rather pedestrian group. Laurent Robinson and Tim Carter should both get a serious look as the main targets for Marc Bulger.Pittsburgh Pirates



N.Y. Jets



After trading up in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Jets selected former USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. While it's true that Kellen Clemens will start for the Jets on Friday night, many would be surprised if he was still ahead of Sanchez on the depth chart Sept. 13. The word going around is that Sanchez has the better physical tools, but Clemens is ahead when it comes to understanding the offense. This battle continues, and the coaching debut of Rex Ryan takes a back seat to it.



Minnesota at Indianapolis, 7:30 p.m.



Minnesota



Only Friday morning did anyone get word on head coach Brad Childress' decision to start Sage Rosenfels in this game. It's not a huge story, if only because Childress has stated that both Rosenfels and Tarvaris Jackson will get snaps with the first-team offense during the preseason. By the Vikings' third preseason game, Aug. 31 against Houston, the team should be much closer to a starter. While this might remove some of the immediate drama, it does ratchet up the pressure on Rosenfels to play well in his opportunity Friday. It might not be the sole basis for judgment on his ability, but it will likely go a long way.



Indianapolis



It's been a while since the Colts had someone besides Tony Dungy running the show. Longtime assistant Jim Caldwell is the new man in charge, and fans should expect things to be run smoothly. On the field, running backs Joseph Addai and Donald Brown should both get a few touches, as the coaching staff tries to sort out who will be the alpha dog behind Peyton Manning.



Cincinnati at New Orleans, 8:00 p.m.



Cincinnati



The return of Carson Palmer is front and center. After missing the majority of last season with shoulder problems, Palmer is healthy and ready to play. He'll start for the Bengals Friday, and his job as starting quarterback is the only certainty at the position. J.T. O'Sullivan was signed as a backup, and he's struggling to beat out Jordan Palmer -- Carson's younger brother -- for the gig. Every night of the preseason will be important for Palmer, as he tries to fully regain his timing and rhythm before the games start to count.



New Orleans



There are some question marks with this Saints team, but the most interesting one is in the offensive backfield. Deuce McAllister's departure means Reggie Bush is (maybe) the feature back. Bush was banged-up in camp, but is expected to start Friday. It remains to be seen how head coach Sean Payton will ultimately decide to use Bush and Pierre Thomas. While Thomas is not nearly as well-known, his play in 2008 merits a serious look as a threat to Bush's status as the top guy.



Denver at San Francisco, 10:00 p.m.



Denver



Head coach Josh McDaniels got off to a rocky start. After replacing longtime coach Mike Shanahan, McDaniels immediately had trouble with star quarterback Jay Cutler. The Broncos traded Cutler to Chicago. Former Bears starter Kyle Orton is now in Denver, and he is the unquestioned starter. McDaniels has already shown great confidence in Orton, who has never been a big-time player in the NFL. Now, it'll be up to Orton to prove the new boss right. If McDaniels has a fraction of the personnel acumen his mentor in New England does, things will probably go very well for him.



San Francisco



While Shaun Hill will start this game for the 49ers, there is no certainty yet that he will start the regular-season opener. Head coach Mike Singletary has already said that fans shouldn't read a ton into Hill's start Friday night. Alex Smith should get a shot during the game, though it's likely to be with the second string. Singletary wouldn't commit to starting Smith next week, but did say Smith would get work with the starters. Similarly to the situation in Minnesota, Hill had better perform in this game.