Culpepper draws Lions’ first start
Jeff Daniels, an actor and passionate fan of Michigan sports, was at a Detroit Lions practice this week and asked a question heard a lot lately in the Motor City.
“Stafford or Culpepper?” Daniels asked a couple of reporters.
Lions coach Jim Schwartz finally ended the suspense Friday, saying Daunte Culpepper will begin the preseason opener against the Atlanta Falcons and Matthew Stafford would follow at some point in the second quarter.
“Don’t read anything into it,” insisted Schwartz, who said he does not have a timetable for naming a No. 1 quarterback. “It’s not like somebody is ahead of somebody else on the depth chart.”
Schwartz plans to start Stafford next week at Cleveland, but said who the No. 1 QB is in the third exhibition will not necessarily take the first snap in Week 1.
“Don’t try to play that game,” Schwartz said.
Even though Stafford hasn’t thrown a pass against another team as a pro, the former Georgia star and the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft has talked about tonight’s exhibition as if he was discussing the weather.
“I’m not really interested in calling anything my debut,” Stafford said.
Around the league
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is officially the NFL’s highest paid player. A little more than a week after reaching a tentative agreement, Manning signed the six-year extension that will keep him with the team through 2015 and pay him an average salary of $15.3 million starting next season. … Green Bay signed first-round draft pick B.J. Raji, ending the defensive lineman’s nearly two-week training camp holdout. Citing two NFL sources it did not identify, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Raji signed a five-year, $28.5 million deal. … First-round draft pick Eugene Monroe ended a 12-day holdout by signing a five-year contract with Jacksonville. Monroe, a 6-foot-5, 320-pound left tackle taken No. 8 from Virginia, joined his teammates for practice Friday night. The five-year deal is for $25 million, with $19 million guaranteed. … Giants rookie running back Andre Brown tore the Achilles tendon in his left leg and will be lost for the season. The fourth-round draft pick from North Carolina State was running a pass route out of the backfield late in Friday evening’s practice at the University at Albany when the tendon ruptured as he reached for a pass from David Carr.
Preseason games
Rams 23, Jets 20: Mark Sanchez completed a 48-yard pass to David Clowney on his first NFL play, and the New York rookie engineered an early scoring drive in a loss to St. Louis at East Rutherford, N.J.
Thomas Jones’ 1-yard touchdown dive capped Sanchez’s only series of the night, but the Rams rallied in the fourth quarter to make a winner of Steve Spagnuolo in his head coaching debut.
Vikings 13, Colts 3: Sage Rosenfels led Minnesota to scoring drives on the first two series, guiding a win at Indianapolis.
Rosenfels completed 10 of 13 passes for 91 yards to take the early lead in the team’s quarterback duel.
Saints 17, Bengals 7: Playing for the first time since an elbow injury sidelined him early last season, Carson Palmer completed 7 of 11 passes for 133 yards in Cincinnati’s loss at New Orleans.
Jeremy Shockey caught his first touchdown pass as a Saint, a 22-yarder from Drew Brees.
49ers 17, Broncos 16: Kyle Orton threw interceptions in his first three series during his Denver debut, while San Francisco’s two quarterback candidates were steady in a win at home.
The 49ers’ Alex Smith threw a 3-yard TD pass to Brit Miller following Orton’s third first-half pick.
San Francisco starter Shaun Hill completed two crisp passes to tight end Vernon Davis for 41 yards while leading the Niners on a 58-yard scoring drive to start the game, capped by Alex Romero’s 38-yard field goal.