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Preseason Kicks Off Tonight: What to Watch For
Blaine GabbertIcon SMI

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Well tonight is the night we get our first taste of NFL action as five games kick off the preseason. Sure, these games don't count for much and they only offer a glimpse into what the teams are thinking and what their game plan will be week 1 of the regular season, but when you have as many questions as I do, you'll take what you can get.

Here's a taste of the things I'll be looking for tonight and all through the preseason:

Jacksonville @ New England 7:30 PM ET

Blaine Gabbert
The rook is going to get the start thanks to Garrard shutting himself down with a back injury. This will be our first look at him to see how comfortable he is and how close he is to being ready to play in this league.

Mike Thomas / Jason Hill
Thomas should be the #1 WR option, but Hill is looking to challenge. Will we get a taste of what these guys can do and maybe find out if Gabbert has a better connection with one of them?

BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Okay, we'll really be watching the entire backfield for any signs of what the rotation will look like. Of course with Belichick, we know better than to rely on what we see tonight.

Chad Ochocinco
Looking for a connection between 85 and Brady.

Baltimore @ Philadelphia 7:30 PM ET

LeSean McCoy / Ronnie Brown
Will we get any idea of how they will use Ronnie Brown? Will he see more touches than Jerome Harrison saw last season?

Eagles Receiving Corps
This corps needs to shake out. With holdouts and acquisitions we're not sure exactly what to expect, but it should be interesting when we get to see how DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and brand new pickup Steve Smith share the looks.

Ray Rice / Ricky Williams
We're seeing both former Dolphins RB (Brown and Williams) in the same game, both as backups. How many touches will Williams get and will Rice step it up behind Arian Foster's former lead blocker Vonta Leach?

Seattle @ San Diego 8:00 PM ET

Tarvaris Jackson
Seattle says Jackson is their guy at QB. I have my doubts. Any chance he suddenly looks better in this offense? I'm not banking on it.

Sidney Rice
Rice is a beast, but he didn't show us anything until Brett Favre came to Minnesota. Can he be just as good with someone like Jackson at QB or will the move to the Pacific northwest kill his value?

Mike Tolbert / Ryan Mathews
Tolbert recently said that he would be splitting time with 2nd year RB Ryan Mathews. I'm assuming that's true and I'm assuming that Tolbert will get most of the goal lines. Will he back up those assumptions?

Denver @ Dallas 8:30 PM ET

Brady Quinn / Tim Tebow
Kyle Orton is the clear starter in Denver (for now), but if you drafted really early you might have Tim Tebow on your roster. Some of the talk out of camp has Brady Quinn throwing a better ball and pushing for the backup job. Will we see anything tonight to help clear up the backup picture?

Knowshon Moreno / Willis McGahee
Another veteran finds his way onto a team with a young RB so the usual curiosity results. What exactly will be McGahee's role? Will he be poaching goal lines like he used to for Ray Rice?

Torrey Smith
Joe Flacco has a new weapon. They replaced Derrick Mason with a much younger option. I really want to see how this guy looks in this offense alongside Anquan Boldin.

Arizona @ Oakland 10:00 PM ET

Kevin Kolb
This is the first time we'll see him in Cardinals colors and the first time in a long time that we know he'll get serious playing time cemented as the starter. He has a lot of expectations and doubters.

Andre Roberts / Early Doucet
One, or hopefully both, of these guys have to step up for Kolb and the passing game to be successful. Will we see any connection with Kolb?

There is a lot more to look for in these games, but these are the players I am watching the most. It is only preseason week 1 and a lot of these players have barely had enough time to get to know one another, let alone the new systems they have to play in, but I'll be looking for any clues I can get to unlock the 2011 season.

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