Sportsfrog.com

14 professional football preseason contests were conducted on Thursday night and a surprising number (to me) of starters saw action in this final tune up for the regular season.

There were a few snooze games played, but still enough news has come out of the NFL’s final week of preparation to warrant a full frog wrap-up.

• Larry Johnson did indeed carry the ball for KC. He had 3 attempts for 12 yards and lots of laughs on the sideline.
• The battle for the Raiders’ starting QB job seems to be going in the direction of Daunte Culpepper. Both he and Josh McCown had nearly identical numbers this preseason, but Daunte’s 4 TDs topped McCown’s 0.
• Kevin Jones stays on the PUP list and will miss at least the first 5 games of the season.
• Nate Burleson isn’t worried about being a starter just yet, but he’s looked as good this preseason as he’s ever looked in the league. Look for Nate to continue to make an impact returning punts for the Seahawks and steal time from D.J. Hackett as Seattle’s #2 WR.
• Bears’ top pick and rookie tight end Greg Olsen sprained his knee and is likely out for a few weeks.
• Alex Smith struggled again for the 49ers. He hasn’t looked horrible, but he hasn’t been good either. Rookie running back Thomas Clayton has had good numbers running the ball this preseason, however, and he could creep up the depth chart to eventually become Frank Gore’s backup.
• The Browns will likely start the season with Charlie Frye at QB, but most agree that Brady Quinn will be in there soon enough. He’s been good enough and would probably be starting if he hadn’t held out of the start of camp.
• Saints undrafted rookie RB Pierre Thomas has run the ball very well for New Orleans, and is making a strong case for a roster spot on the Saints or some other NFL team. New Orleans already has Stecker, McAlllister, Bush and Pittman at the position, so keep an eye on Thomas if the Saints have to let him go.
• The Bucs most productive receiver this preseason, Paris Warren, caught 7 more passes for 110 yards and 2 TDs last night. But on his final catch, Warren dislocated his ankle and is gone for the season.
• Texans stud rookie WR Jacoby Jones is more than just a returner. He’s a protypical deep threat who judges the ball in the air very well and has the leaping skills to go up and get it. His presence in the Houston lineup will help turn around a young offense on the rise this season.
• Vince Young and LenDale White showcased their talents for the Titans against Green Bay. Young played into the third quarter and has displayed better accuracy this preseason when throwing the football. White was a bulldozer against the Packers defense, but there are still doubts as to how effective he’ll be versus first team opposition.
• Jason Campbell went 5-5 and looked strong on Thursday but Clinton Portis did not dress for Washington. Mark Brunnel may be a Seahawk soon.
• Trent Edwards capped a very solid preseason with a 18-24, 182 yard performance against the Lions. Edwards finished the preseason with a combined 48 for 61 (79%) for 432 yards, 1 TD and 0 INT. If the Bills start slow - and who’s betting they won’t - watch for a QB controversy upstate.
• Another QB of the future who’s looked great is Philly’s Kevin Kolb. Like Edwards, Kolb comes out of college with a lot of starting experience and could probably step in this season for the Eagles and play better than AJ Feeley if McNabb gets hurt again.
• Finally, finishing up this quarterback roll call, Eli Manning has quietly put together a very good series of preseason games. He went 5/8 Thursday night and finished the preseason with an un-Eli like 69% completion rate (35/51). He’s tossed 3 TDs, no INTs and is finding Jeremy Shockey across the middle more and more. Better yet for Eli, he’s seems to finally be consistent with his footwork in the pocket and stepping into the rush and into his throws downfield.