EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New England Patriots and New York Giants took no chances with their quarterbacks in a preseason finale on Thursday night that matched February's Super Bowl opponents.
This time there was nothing at stake, except a few jobs before the final roster cutdown on Saturday.
David Carr took advantage of Eli's Manning's rare night off and threw two touchdown passes to lead the Giants to a 19-14 victory against the winless Patriots at Giants Stadium.
Tom Brady missed the entire preseason because of an injury to his right foot, and once again the Patriots (0-4) looked anemic until fourth-string quarterback Kevin O'Connell came on in the fourth quarter.
The good news for New England fans is that Brady, the NFL MVP, says he will be ready for the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 7.
The Super Bowl champion Giants (2-2) certainly looked ready for the NFL kickoff here next Thursday against the Washington Redskins, even with Manning, the Super Bowl MVP, watching from the sideline.
Carr (20-for-29 for 192 yards) threw a 26-yard scoring pass to tight end Darcy Johnson on the Giants' opening possession and he added a 9-yarder to Sinorice Moss late in the second quarter. Carr also engineered second-half drives of 54 and 64 yards that ended in field goals of 20 and 30 yards by Josh Huston. Full story
Jets 27, Eagles 20
PHILADELPHIA -- With Brett Favre sitting out, fourth-string quarterback Erik Ainge led New York, going 10-for-16 for 131 yards and one touchdown.
Like Favre, Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb also had a nice view from the bench, far away from potential danger. Kevin Kolb played the first half, guiding the Eagles to 13 points on their first three possessions.
Jesse Chatman, who ran 29 times for 93 yards and caught six passes for 87 yards, scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Jets (3-1). Hank Poteat intercepted A.J. Feeley's pass at the Jets 10 to end an Eagles' drive with 2:52 remaining.
Feeley had rallied the Eagles (2-2) for the tying score in the fourth quarter after throwing an interception the previous possession. Feeley finished 13-for-25 for 143 yards, one TD and two interceptions. Kolb was 13-for-21 for 138 yards.
Bears 16, Browns 10
CLEVELAND -- Brady Quinn steered Cleveland on two scoring drives as the Browns closed their exhibition schedule 0-4. Quinn finished 7-for-9 for 65 yards in his two series. The second-year quarterback completed mostly short passes and seemed to make all the right reads while leading the Browns to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.
It was Quinn's second successive start in place of Derek Anderson, who has been out since sustaining a concussion 10 days ago against the New York Giants. The Browns have been extremely cautious with their Pro Bowl quarterback, who has yet to practice since he was sacked by Osi Umenyiora.
Browns coach Romeo Crennel expects Anderson, who was on the sideline in street clothes for the preseason finale, to be back Monday as the team continues getting ready for its Sept. 7 opener against Dallas. But if Anderson isn't cleared to play, Quinn appears more ready to take his place.
Kyle Orton, recently picked by Bears coach Lovie Smith to start the season at quarterback over Rex Grossman, went 4-of-7 for 51 yards with one interception in two possessions as the Bears (1-3) avoided their first winless preseason since 1998. Grossman was 5-of-7 for 59 yards and threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Rideau in the second quarter.
Falcons 10, Ravens 9
BALTIMORE -- The top two quarterbacks selected in the 2008 NFL Draft started their team's final preseason game -- for vastly different reasons.
Matt Ryan, the third overall pick, went 2-for-7 for 17 yards in two series before taking a seat for Atlanta (2-2). The former Boston College star finished the preseason 34-for-59 for 294 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Joe Flacco started out of necessity for Baltimore (1-3), and his so-so performance did little to bring any clarity to the Ravens' messy quarterback situation. Flacco, the 18th player selected, was 8-for-13 for 72 yards. He left early in the second quarter after directing a 63-yard drive that produced a field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Flacco started a second consecutive week because Troy Smith was still ailing from a viral infection and Kyle Boller was nursing a serious shoulder injury that could keep him sidelined for several weeks. First-year coach John Harbaugh still hasn't decided upon his starter for the opener against Cincinnati, but Flacco may get the call by default.
Titans 23, Packers 21
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Tennessee's victory came despite continued inconsistent play by quarterback Vince Young, who made a few big plays but failed to capitalize on several scoring chances despite playing with good field position against Green Bay's defensive reserves.
Young, who was 13-for-27 for 134 yards passing and ran three times for 57 yards, stood on the Titans' sideline with a bandage on his right hand in the second half. A Titans spokesman said Young banged his hand during the game. The Titans closed the preseason 3-1.
Rookie backup quarterback Matt Flynn drove the Packers into Titans territory in the final two minutes and threw a 22-yard touchdown to Jake Allen to cut Tennessee's lead to two with no time left on the clock.
The Packers (1-3) had a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion, but receiver Johnny Quinn was out of bounds when he caught Flynn's pass in the corner of the end zone. Starter Aaron Rodgers completed his only pass, a 68-yard TD to Greg Jennings just after the opening kickoff, before resting the remainder of the contest.
Jaguars 24, Redskins 3
LANDOVER, Md. -- Gregg Williams showed up the team that let him go, his Jacksonville defense stopping cold a Washington first-string attack that once again looked far from ready for the regular season. Williams, the Jaguars' defensive coordinator, was the Redskins' top defensive guru for four years. He was considered the favorite to get the head coaching job when Joe Gibbs retired in January. Instead, Williams was fired by owner Dan Snyder, and Jim Zorn got the job.
The Jaguars (3-1) held the Redskins' starters to 14 total yards in three first-quarter drives, and David Garrard, Cleo Lemon and Todd Bouman all threw a touchdown pass in the win. Seventh-round draft pick Chauncey Washington, making a final bid for a spot on the 53-man roster, ran 11 times for 68 yards and caught four passes for 40 yards for Jacksonville.
The game also marked the Jaguars debut of No. 8 overall draft pick Derrick Harvey, who ended his holdout Wednesday and entered the game on the defensive line in the second half despite not having taken part in a single practice.
Rookie Colt Brennan entered the game in the second quarter for Washington, going 13-for-18 for 119 yards. The Redskins (3-2) were outscored 71-6 in their last two preseason games.
Cowboys 16, Vikings 10
IRVING, Texas -- Terrell Owens wore warmup pants and Adam "Pacman" Jones was in shorts while watching from the sideline with the rest of the starters as their Cowboys (2-2) picked up the victory. Aside from the kickers, the Vikings (1-3) didn't play a single starter and the only likely starter for the Cowboys on the field was fullback Deon Anderson.
Rookie running back Tashard Choice, a fourth-round draft pick, solidified his chance of making the Cowboys roster with an 11-yard touchdown run and Nick Folk kicked two 52-yard field goals and a 23-yarder.
John David Booty, the fifth-round draft pick from Southern California competing to be Minnesota's third quarterback, started and threw an interception on his first pass. He played the entire first half, going 8-for-15 for 93 yards.
Brooks Bollinger, the veteran backup who Booty is battling for the roster spot, was 6-of-18 for 62 yards. Vikings starting quarterback Tarvaris Jackson had a baseball cap on before the game even started, and primary backup Gus Frerotte didn't play either.
Bengals 27, Colts 7
INDIANAPOLIS -- Cincinnati didn't need Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson or T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Not against Indianapolis' backups. The Bengals (2-2) scored touchdowns on their first two series and never gave the Colts a chance to rally.
Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was 5-for-8 for 35 yards with one TD pass to lead the Bengals, and Chris Perry, who is trying to supplant Rudi Johnson at running back, ran nine times for 20 yards and one TD.
For Indy (1-4), it was just another typical preseason game. After being ravaged by injuries since training camp opened, the Colts took no chance at losing any more key players.
Two-time league MVP Peyton Manning dressed for the first time in five games but did not take a snap. Bob Sanders, last year's Defensive Player of the Year, and Dwight Freeney, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, were in street clothes. And all 22 listed starters were benched.
Dolphins 14, Saints 10
NEW ORLEANS -- Ronnie Brown rushed 12 times for 47 yards and powered his way into the end zone on a 1-yard run to help Miami (3-1) win its third consecutive preseason contest. Former Michigan quarterback Chad Henne also solidified his backup role behind starter Chad Pennington, completing 16 of 20 passes for 137 yards and an 8-yard touchdown to Sean Ryan, his former New York Jets teammate.
Saints fans hoping to finally see tight end Jeremy Shockey's debut for New Orleans were disappointed as coach Sean Payton made the former Giants star a late scratch for the second week in a row. Trying to work his way back from a broken left leg last December, Shockey will enter the regular season next week without having played a snap for his new team.
The Dolphins' Ricky Williams, who has played in all four Miami preseason games, carried the ball only twice for 2 yards as head coach Tony Sparano sought to give more work to Brown, whose best run went for 15 yards on a draw.
Mark Brunell, who started for New Orleans (2-2), was 6-for-9 for 31 yards and a 2-yard TD toss to Lance Moore, which put New Orleans ahead 10-0 early in the second quarter.
Buccaneers 16, Texans 6
HOUSTON -- Dexter Jackson returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter as Tampa Bay closed out the preseason 3-1. Jackson, a second-round draft pick from Appalachian State, is a dynamic former track star whom the Buccaneers hope to use in a variety of ways. Along with his touchdown, he added 13 yards on a reverse in the first quarter.
Tampa Bay's Jeff Garcia didn't play despite a poor performance in his preseason debut last week. The 38-year-old missed the first two preseason games with a strained right calf and was intercepted twice in limited work against Jacksonville.
Backup quarterback Luke McCown was solid in his limited action, going 5-for-5 for 52 yards before being replaced by Chris Simms. Simms was 9-of-15 for 71 yards in his most extensive action of the preseason.
The Texans (2-2) started second-year running back Darius Walker. The former Notre Dame standout had 18 yards on nine carries. Questions abound for Houston at the position with starter Ahman Green and backup Chris Brown both nursing injuries that have kept them out of most of the preseason.
Steelers 19, Panthers 16
PITTSBURGH -- Jeff Reed kicked his fourth field goal of the game and his eighth in less than a week, a 43-yarder on the last play to lift Pittsburgh (3-1).
Carolina (2-2), holding out its starters, didn't do much offensively except for three John Kasay field goals until No. 3 quarterback Brett Basanez threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hannon with 1:54 remaining. Rather than trying to win in regulation, coach John Fox opted to kick the extra point and try for overtime -- something most coaches look to avoid in games that don't count.
Steelers rookie Dennis Dixon made sure that didn't happen by going 4-for-4 for 32 yards and running 11 yards for a first down on the 47-yard drive that ended with Reed's decisive field goal. Rashard Mendenhall, Pittsburgh's first-round draft pick, gained 79 yards on 21 carries but lost another fumble -- his third in two games.
Carolina's Matt Moore played the first three quarters for starter Jake Delhomme, going 15-for-27 for 164 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, before leaving with an unspecified left leg injury. Steelers safety Anthony Smith rolled into Moore's leg as he was throwing a pass late in the third quarter, and Moore was assisted to the sideline.
Lions 14, Bills 6
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Turned out Detroit's second- and third-stringers were better than Buffalo, winning in a game in which both teams were only interested in resting their starters for the regular season.
The Bills (2-2) played one starter, safety Ko Simpson, and the Lions seven, including Jerome Felton, the starting fullback, who scored on a 9-yard reception from Dan Orlovsky, the backup quarterback, in what proved to be a glorified scrimmage even by preseason standards.
Orlovsky finished 12-for-21 for 114 yards and a touchdown, while recently signed Drew Henson played the Lions' final series, completing the one pass he attempted for 11 yards. The Lions closed the preseason with an NFL-best 4-0 record, the first time they've gone unbeaten since going 4-0-1 in 1993.
Buffalo's Gibran Hamdan finished 18-for-26 for 158 yards, but left the game early in the fourth quarter, when he was shaken up after being sacked by Cliff Avril. Backup J.P. Losman took over on the Bills' final drive, earning the biggest cheer from the few fans that remained. Buffalo, though, ran out the clock with rushing plays.
Chiefs 21, Rams 17
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Brodie Croyle directed two quick touchdown drives against the St. Louis reserves and the Kansas City offense grabbed some much-needed momentum heading into the regular season.
The Chiefs (2-2), coming off a demoralizing 24-0 shutout at the hands of a Miami team that was 1-15 last season, had a more urgent craving. They were looking for confidence and momentum going into their regular-season opener next week at New England.
After the start of the game was delayed 1 hour, 26 minutes by a rain and wind storm, Marcus Riley recovered Dantrell Savage's fumble on the kickoff and the Rams took a 3-0 lead on Josh Brown's 35-yard field goal. But the rest of the quarter belonged to the Chiefs, who snapped off two brisk touchdown drives against the Rams reserves, capped each time by touchdown runs by Kolby Smith.
Trent Green started at quarterback for the Rams (2-2) and played only one series, missing his only pass attempt. Brock Berlin was 13-for-21 for 107 yards, mostly against the Chiefs' reserves.
