https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHb60K2RLx0

Well, there’s a couple of “games” tonight, featuring “starters” that will “play” almost an entire quarter. Except for the guys who are hurt or facing suspension, which eats up most blog coverage.

Game preview: Colts at Cowboys

Peeling back the layers of congealed gravy over at Stampede Blue, you find a fan base worried about their franchise QB and an owner who cares more about freebase than fanbase. The lead story is about how Stephen Morris is a better choice for starter in Luck’s absence than Scott Tolzien, based on only last week plus last year’s preseason. The beautiful part of this logic is that the analysis comes from watching Tolzien take on first-string starters versus Morris who’s only ever seen second- & third-string reps in preseason. To keep things depressed, they’re keeping a separate Andrew Luck injury beat.

As for the Cowboys, Blogging The Boys fortunately isn’t “All Zeke, Fuck Roger” all the time. They have a story about Ryan “Yes, They’re Related” Switzer and how – well, I’m going to let this finely-worded sentence say it for me:

Switzer will theoretically be what Lucky Whitehead was for the Cowboys, plus a lot more (you know like of actual use).

Hard-hitting analysis from a website with lips firmly implanted on Jones anatomy.

So, aside from a story outlining possible issues the Cowboys could face this season – oh look, there’s the Elliott coverage (no slut shaming) – it’s all “Dez looks great!”, “Dak looks great”, and “Look – Jerry bought a new hat!”

Translation: We’re going to get a lot of looks at the Cowboys backup QBs, as they try to nail down who gets to hold the clipboard during 2017. The Colts will be trying to figure out whom to sacrifice to an angry god in order to get HODOR back under center.

Game preview: Broncos at Cardinals

Mile High Report is VERY concerned about the Broncos starting QB situation:

• Why second-year starting quarterbacks improve when they do improve
• Is it too late for Paxton Lynch to become the starter?
• QB Comparison – Raw Data Vomit

So be warned before watching this game – there’s going to be lots of talk about Siemian & Lynch that if you don’t hear it correctly will make it sound like your TV has switched to a gay snuff film.

On the 49ers side, Niners Nation doesn’t have anything to say because it doesn’t know what people want to hear. There’s two stories on the number of scrimmage fights there’s been in their joint practices with the Broncos, a rationale about how many snaps the starters will get on Saturday night (20), an injury breakdown, and a story about how bad Blake Bortles is. The sidebar is full of stories about how bad other teams are, plus a shot at Jim Harbaugh three years too late.

So, they are clearly expecting big things from the game. The future may look bright, but only because they don’t want to talk about how sad the present actually is.

I figure the Broncos QB contest plays havoc with the 49ers ever-depleting secondary.

Tonight’s sports:

• NFL:
  • Colts at Cowboys – 7:00PM | NFL Network
  • Broncos at Niners – 10:00PM | NFL Network
• Baseball:
  • MLB:
    • Yankees at Red Sox – 7:00PM | Sportsnet
  • Little League World Series:
    • US Elimination game – 8:00PM | ESPN
• MLS:
  • Chicago vs. Toronto FC – 8:00Pm | TSN
  • Whitecaps FC vs. Houston – 10:00PM | TSN

HAVE A GOOD EVENING!