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']]}Wow..The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs are set to play their final preseason game on Thursday. Both teams are 1-2 so far, trying to hit .500 for the preseason. Neither team is expected to play many starters on the day, despite the fact that one is a Super Bowl contender (Green Bay) and one was the worst team in the league last year (Kansas City).
The Green Bay Packers close out the preseason on Thursday at Kansas City. Starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn’t expected to play much, if at all, so here are some other things to watch for:
It's an important day for players on the bubble, though, as teams will have to cut down from 75 players to the regular season limit of 53.
Meet the Chiefs
The Chiefs aren't necessarily trying to find every starter on their roster at this point, but they are still a two-win team searching for answers. While the fourth preseason game won't hold any significant battles for starting spots -- for the most part -- there are plenty of roster spots and backup roles up for grabs. There are many young players who are fighting to stay on the roster, and are also competing with all of the players who may be cut following this week, given that the Chiefs have waiver priority.
Backup QBs: Coach Mike McCarthy tried to convince anyone who would listen this week that Vince Young is still competing with B.J. Coleman for the backup job. But the Packers cutGraham Harrell last Saturday not because of anything Coleman did but rather because of the impressive touchdown drive Young put together last week against the Seattle Seahawks. It was the first indication that Young has given the Packers since he signed on Aug. 5 that he’s capable of running this offense with some degree of success. Coleman is at least a year away from being ready to play. The Packers will likely give Young the majority of the playing time against the Chiefs because they need to make him as game ready as possible in case anything happened to Rodgers.
Meet the Packers
The only things up for grabs for Green Bay Thursday are backup and final roster spots. Vince Young seems like the primary backup quarterback, but he's also competing with every backup who could possibly be released this week.
There are also roster spots up for grabs for guys such as Andy Mulumba, Brandon Bostick and Chris Banjo. Then there's Tyrone Walker and Jarrett Boykin battling for the No. 4 wide receiver spot, while Myles White and Jeremy Ross are also vying for the No 5 and possibly even No. 6 spot.
Mason Crosby: I wrote on Tuesday that perhaps the best thing that could happen for the kicker is that there are no field goals to even attempt against the Chiefs, and I was only half joking. After the Packers cut two kickers in less than 36 hours earlier this week, it would seem at this point the only thing that Crosby could do is hurt his chances. After struggling last season and again early in training camp this year, Crosby appears to be in a good groove.
James Starks: After fumbling in Week 2 of the preseason at St. Louis, the fourth-year pro dropped to fifth on the running back depth chart. He played only four snaps -- and did not carry the ball -- the next week against the Seahawks. But DuJuan Harris’ season-ending knee injury suddenly put Starks back in play for a roster spot. The best thing that can be said about Starks, who has missed more games (26) than he has played in (22) during his first three NFL seasons, is that he is healthy. He missed only one practice this summer, and that was because of an illness.
Jeremy Ross: The backup receiver helped his chances of winning the return job with a 33-yard kickoff return and an 11-yard punt return against Seattle last week, but he still has work to do in order to convince the Packers that they should take Randall Cobb off returns and let him focus solely on offense. Ross also is not a lock to make the team as a receiver. He could use one more dynamic kick return to secure his spot.
Players on the bubble: Can Chris Banjo hold on to the No. 4 safety spot? Who is the fifth receiver? Or the backup center? Or the tight ends behind Jermichael Finley? With few, if any, starting spots still realistically up for grabs, it’s these final roster spots that will be determined against the Chiefs.
James Starks: After fumbling in Week 2 of the preseason at St. Louis, the fourth-year pro dropped to fifth on the running back depth chart. He played only four snaps -- and did not carry the ball -- the next week against the Seahawks. But DuJuan Harris’ season-ending knee injury suddenly put Starks back in play for a roster spot. The best thing that can be said about Starks, who has missed more games (26) than he has played in (22) during his first three NFL seasons, is that he is healthy. He missed only one practice this summer, and that was because of an illness.
Jeremy Ross: The backup receiver helped his chances of winning the return job with a 33-yard kickoff return and an 11-yard punt return against Seattle last week, but he still has work to do in order to convince the Packers that they should take Randall Cobb off returns and let him focus solely on offense. Ross also is not a lock to make the team as a receiver. He could use one more dynamic kick return to secure his spot.
Players on the bubble: Can Chris Banjo hold on to the No. 4 safety spot? Who is the fifth receiver? Or the backup center? Or the tight ends behind Jermichael Finley? With few, if any, starting spots still realistically up for grabs, it’s these final roster spots that will be determined against the Chiefs.
Local Takes: Chiefs
Joel Thorman of Arrowhead Pride was asked some questions about potential Chiefs cuts and thinks there won't be any big-name players released, regardless of the play on Thursday:
Tony Moeaki just fractured his shoulder so his future is uncertain. Outside of that ... it's going to be a lot of first-year players. But there are always surprises, especially as we continue to get to know the new regime. They may like or dislike certain players that we don't know about yet.
Local Takes: Packers
Brendan Kennedy of Acme Packing Company isn't so optimistic about Mason Crosby, and Crosby's play on Thursday will be important:
Hey, it's Mason Crosby! The guy who single handedly caused more remote controls to be thrown across living rooms in Green Bay since Brett Favre left town. Bottom line is, this game could go a long way in deciding whether or not Ted Thompson looks at the waiver wire this weekend.
Odds
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The Chiefs opened as 2.5-point favorites, and can be had for around 4 points at this point, according to OddsShark.
Next Week
The Packers open their season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 8. The Chiefs open against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the same day.
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