National Football League

Ten lingering quarterback questions

Published Aug. 30, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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Alex Marvez

Josh Freeman’s ongoing maturation into an elite quarterback is no shock to Tampa Bay general manager Mark Dominik.

Dominik, though, admits he is surprised by the overall preseason performance of the league’s other quality starters considering how much practice time was missed this year because of the NFL player lockout.

“The QB play is pretty strong for most clubs,” Dominik told FOXSports.com on Tuesday during a telephone interview. “The guys who are established as starters are playing well at the game’s most important position.”

Unfortunately for some clubs, the starting or backup positions aren’t nearly as settled as in Tampa Bay. Here is a look at the Top 10 quarterback questions heading into Thursday and Friday’s final slate of preseason games:

1. Who will be the starter in Washington?

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said he has never presided over a closer quarterback competition than the one between Rex Grossman and John Beck. That also means neither has played well enough to create separation from the other. Whichever journeyman does get the nod Sept. 11 against the New York Giants may not keep the spot for long if the Redskins don’t start the regular season fast. One positive for the Redskins: Beck or Grossman should benefit from a much-improved offensive line and revamped running game spearheaded by newcomer Tim Hightower.

2. How rusty is Kerry Collins?

We’ll get our first 2011 look at the 17-year NFL veteran on Thursday night when Indianapolis plays at Cincinnati. Colts general manager Chris Polian told FOXSports.com last week that the team will play its offensive starters longer than usual so Collins can get up to speed learning a new system.

While the Colts and the recuperating Peyton Manning continue to say they aren’t sure about his availability for the Sept. 11 season opener at Houston, Indianapolis must realistically make a decision by this weekend about whether to play him or Collins. Since both have missed so much preseason time – Manning because of offseason neck surgery; Collins wasn’t signed until mid-August – whoever is the starter needs the maximum amount of reps with the first-team offense during next week’s practices.

3. Will Tarvaris Jackson play an entire preseason game Friday against Oakland?

At this point, nothing would be surprising in Seattle. The Seahawks took the rare step of playing Jackson into the fourth quarter of a preseason contest during last Saturday’s 23-20 loss to Denver. The Seahawks are desperate to try and generate cohesion in new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell’s system. Jackson’s final series did end with a touchdown but it came against Denver’s reserve defenders. Seattle’s first-team offense was horrific, with the line deserving most of the blame. In particular, Seattle right tackle James Carpenter made fellow rookie Von Miller (four tackles, two sacks, four quarterback hurries) look like Lawrence Taylor in a Broncos uniform.

4. How ready is Cam Newton to start?

In a perfect world, Newton would be sitting for Carolina’s season opener at Arizona. But with no better alternative on the roster (i.e. Jimmy Clausen and Derek Anderson), Newton and the Panthers may as well take their lumps now in hopes of improvement down the road. Newton has struggled to connect with his wide receivers — he was 1 for 9 on throws to Steve Smith in last Thursday’s 24-13 loss at Cincinnati — and needs plenty of work on his accuracy and throwing mechanics. On the bright side, Newton’s potential to become a franchise quarterback is already shining through with some nifty passes and scrambles.

5. Can Tim Tebow become Denver’s second-string quarterback?

Tebow remains an enigma. His practice struggles and scattershot passing have landed Tebow in a battle with the improved Brady Quinn for the backup spot behind Kyle Orton. Tebow, though, orchestrated the game-winning drive against Seattle and completed 6-of-7 passes two weeks earlier versus Dallas. This much we do know: The new Broncos regime isn’t making the same long-term investment in Tebow that former head coach Josh McDaniels had planned when making him a 2010 first-round pick. Tebow won’t have the chance to grow into a starting position like on other teams (see Cam Newton above). That will stymie Tebow’s chances to improve his deficiencies. It’s also why his NFL future after the 2011 campaign probably won’t be in Denver.

6. Can Matthew Stafford make it out of the preseason unscathed?

If he does, Detroit’s opponents have reason to worry. Limited to 13 games over the past two seasons because of shoulder injuries, Stafford has shown this preseason why he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. Stafford had a perfect quarterback rating and two touchdown throws in last Saturday’s 34-10 rout of New England. He was just as sharp in earlier Lions wins against Cincinnati and Cleveland. While defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh has grabbed the preseason headlines because of his controversial antics, Stafford’s play and ability to stay healthy is the key to whether Detroit becomes a legitimate playoff contender.

7. Is Colt McCoy the real deal in Cleveland?

A rough outing in last Thursday’s 24-14 loss to Philadelphia threw a wet blanket on what was a surprisingly solid preseason. Expectations should be just as tempered for the Browns in McCoy’s second NFL season under new head coach Pat Shurmur. McCoy, though, has quickly excelled in Shurmur’s West Coast-style offense. The next step Cleveland must take in the 2012 offseason: finding more top-flight receiving options for McCoy to connect with (although rookie wide receiver Greg Little could quickly emerge as McCoy’s favorite target for years to come).

8. Why are the Oakland Raiders planning to play Terrelle Pryor on Friday in Seattle?

There is logic in wanting to get Pryor’s feet wet during the preseason. Pryor is facing a five-game suspension to start the regular season and may not be ready to contribute much when he does return. But for Pryor’s sake, let’s hope the Raiders keep it simple and not try to overload an early-entry rookie who won’t even have a full week of practice before making his NFL debut.

9. Will the Pittsburgh Steelers trade Dennis Dixon?

It’s believed the Steelers had hoped to showcase Dixon for interested suitors, but that plan might be scrapped now that second-stringer Byron Leftwich is out indefinitely with a broken arm suffered last Saturday night against Atlanta. Charlie Batch is the likely backup for Ben Roethlisberger because of his clutch regular-season play through the years. Batch, though, is 36 and has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. Dixon, a star quarterback at Oregon, is getting antsy to play after spending most of the past three seasons on the bench. The Batch-Dixon duel is the most intriguing storyline for Thursday night’s Pittsburgh vs. Carolina matchup.

10. Will Matt Cassel enjoy success with Kansas City head coach Todd Haley as his play-caller?

Not even leading an overachieving team to an AFC West title in 2010 has gotten Haley any slack from his critics. He is being lambasted for everything from his team’s 0-3 preseason record to briefly attending a Lil' Wayne concert during training camp (seriously). Enough already. Haley is a good coach and person who will pull through this just like he did during a tumultuous 4-12 first season as Kansas City’s head coach in 2009. As ragged as the Chiefs have looked early, wide receiver Dwayne Bowe and tight end Tony Moeaki are set for standout seasons as Cassel’s top two targets. The Jamaal Charles-led rushing game should be fine as well. The bigger obstacle for Kansas City is trying to improve a 10-6 record with a much harder schedule than in 2010.

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