Reason number #251 coaches and players dislike a long preseason, as demonstrated here by Matthew Slater who would go out with a hyper-extended elbow.
Patriots 38, Giants 27
After giving up 21 points in the first quarter, including a Eli Manning to Sinorice Moss connection during the Giants first possession, the Patriots made a strong comeback under the guidance of undrafted rookie Brian Hoyer who played the entire game (In the preseason! Impossible!) and threw for 242 yards and one touchdown.
Broncos 19, Cardinals 0
Not to be outdone by the east coast rookies of Sanchez and Hoyer, rookie quarterback Tom Brandstater led the Bronces to score on four of their first five possessions against mostly Cardinal backups. Brandstater could start opening weekend if Kyle Orton and Chris Simms (finger injury and sprained ankle, respectively) do not heal in time for the Sunday opener against Cincinnati.
Steelers 21, Panthers 10
Carolina went four and out on their first possession, kicking away to the special teams rookie running back Stefan Logan who promptly – he is so polite – brought it back for an 80-yard punt return. Fellow rookie running back Isaac Moore capped off his impressive preseason with a ten-yard touchdown run over three Panther defenders in the first quarter, ending the game with 79 yards rushing. The Panthers never seemed to connect on the field, and most of the excitement in Carolina this week seems to be around the sudden departure of owner Jerry Richardson’s sons from the organization.
Bears 26, Browns 23
Notable only due to Eric Mangini’s instance on starting QB Brett Ratliff instead of showing his hand and letting either Brady Quinn or Derek Anderson have any more playing time than the other before naming the Browns starting quarterback. At the team dinner after the game, Mangini was spotted telling Brady, “Derek can cut the slice of cake in half, but you get to pick,” and assuring Anderson he could have the window seat on the plane home since Quinn had it on the way out to Denver.
