Posted by Will Brinson

Despite the fact that Ryan Grant is both overrated and average (he is, seriously), and despite the fact that the Packers pass a whole lot (and seemingly even more the red zone, signed disgruntled Grant fantasy owners), Green Bay still needs him in their offensive gameplan.

Which makes it slightly disconcerting that he left the Packers' preseason game with an apparent head injury, which could possibly be considered a concussion.

Grant suffered the injury on a helmet-to-helmet hit from the Browns' Sheldon Brown and walked quite woozily to the sidelines, where he was attended to by trainers.

The Packers obviously haven't classified the injury as anything in particular, but it would be surprising if there wasn't at least a discussion of "concussion-like symptoms," which force Grant to miss some extended preseason action.

At the time he left, it was considered unlikely he would return to Satuday's game.

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Posted by Will Brinson

Jake Delhomme's been a running joke for interception funny-makers ever since his playoff meltdown against the Cardinals in 2008. The level of attention his failures received only increased when he joined the Cleveland Browns, an organization not exactly associated with success.

Throw the "Come on, it's the preseason!" flags at me all you want, but he looked really sharp on the Browns' first possession against the Packers Saturday night, going 6/7 for 66 yards as the Browns marched down the field before Jerome Harrison punched the ball in for Cleveland's first touchdown of 2010.

Delhomme's only incompletion was a pass intended for Brian Robiskie -- and it was only incomplete because Nick Collins made a very nice play on it. Otherwise, Delhomme spread the ball around, hitting Evan Moore and Mohamed Massaquoi twice each.

He worked once out of the gun and once out of an empty-back set (on fourth down no less) and generally looked as comfortable as he did during his heyday with the Panthers.

That's not to say that Carolina should immediately regret their decision, but based on (very) early returns, it seems like Cleveland won't regret theirs. At the very least, he's an upgrade over the Derek Anderson - Brady Quinn debacle that was 2009.

Saturday features a pretty good slate of preseason games, each with some interesting storylines. You can follow all the action on our NFL Scoreboard, but for now, let's take a quick walk through the schedule and let you know what we're looking for; hit us with what you're watching in the comments or on Twitter (@CBSSportsNFL) .

• Miami v. Tampa Bay : Easily the biggest story here will be the performance of the Bucs' youngsters. While it's unlikely Tampa Bay will be contending for anything in 2010, how Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn, Josh Freeman, Gerald McCoy and Brian Price perform during the season will probably determine the length that Raheem Morris keeps his job. For the Dolphins, seeing how Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne click will be interesting -- their being on the same page is paramount for the Fins success.

• Pittsburgh v. Detroit : It's all about Ben Roethlisberger. (Will he start? Will he get booed?) At least for Pittsburgh, anyway. For Detroit, I'm focusing on how Jahvid Best runs and what kind of coverage Calvin Johnson sees with additional weapons on the offensive side of the ball, as well as how much disruption Ndamukong Suh can cause.

• Arizona v. Houston : For the Cardinals, the passing game is going to be crucial -- how will Matt Leinart perform in his first opportunity to make an in-game impression following the Kurt Warner era? The Texans are set as far as the passing game goes, but the running game is a whole different issue: out of Arian Foster, Ben Tate and Steve Slaton, someone has to emerge who can carry the load.

• Green Bay v. Cleveland : Yikes -- the Packers are fun and all, but this shouldn't be a thriller. I suppose it's worth checking out my man Jake Delhomme to see if he can make Cleveland relevant. Rookie Joe Haden will start too, and he gets quite the test against Aaron Rodgers. Andy and I discussed the man-crushing on Jermichael Finley Friday as well, so it'll be interesting to see if Rodgers looks his way first chance he gets. Bryan Bulaga's probably the only other potentially big surprise for the Pack.

• St. Louis v. Minnesota : I, for one, am stoked to see how Sam Bradford and A.J. Feeley compare. Also, Mardy Gilyard is stupid good on Madden '11 (I know, I know) but unfortunately, he's not supposed to play. For Minnesota, the focus is going to be on the quarterback position as well -- if Brett Favre doesn't come back, can Tavaris Jackson at least look good against what shouldn't be dangerous defense? (Or, alternately, can the Rams' D manage to make the Favre-less Vikes O look bad?)

• San Diego v. Chicago : With Shawn Merriman now in camp, the biggest issue facing the Chargers is the absence of Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeil -- can Malcolm Floyd/Buster Davis and a patchwork group of left tackles fill the respective holes on the offense? For the Bears, Julius Peppers' performance will be interesting to watch, but more important will be the offensive line play and Jay Cutler's ability to adapt to Mike Martz' system.

• Seattle v. Tennessee : I'll be scoping out Golden Tate's action, as I think he could be a difference maker this year. I also happen to love Justin Forsett for some reason -- Charlie Whitehurst will get some action to prove why he's such a highly paid backup. Vince Young's ability to perform at the same level he maintained during the second half is imperative for the Titans to succeed. Tonight we get to see if he can get off on the right foot.

So, what about you -- what are you looking for tonight?

(Ed. Note: Sorry, we published an un-saved version that didn't have the SD/CHI and SEA/TEN games on there. Our bad.)

Posted by Andy Benoit

Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar is one of the best interviews in all of sports. Kosar is intelligent, honest, deep-thinking and, frankly, emotional. This in mind, it’s no wonder Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer was able to write a fantastic feature piece on the Cleveland star’s trials and tribulations.

In Pluto’s article, Kosar talks about mending the fences with Art Modell. You may recall, in 1993 Browns head coach Bill Belichick callously cut the beloved quarterback in the middle of the season in order to turn the offense over to Vinny Testaverde. Modell allowed the move to happen, which led to the first of what would turn out to be many spits of venom from the Cleveland faithful towards the Browns owner.

Pluto’s article also focuses on Kosar’s challenging life after football:

"When I was playing, I never thought it would end," he said. "I knew it would happen, but I never thought it would, you know what I mean? I didn't think I'd get hurt. I didn't think I'd get divorced. I didn't think I'd go bankrupt. I thought the money would always be there. No athlete when he's young or in his prime ever thinks it will end."

But end it did.

The divorce was very public, very ugly.

The money disappeared because of some family issues and some poor investments. Kosar also forgot he was an honor student with a finance degree from the University of Miami. He allowed some people to handle his money, and he simply didn't pay attention to where it went.

"I know how to make money, and I know how to spend money," he said. "The saving part never worked for me. My dad was a steelworker. My brother's company closed. Things happen, people needed help."

He paused.

"I was into a lot of Florida real estate," he added. "Anyone who had a lot of Florida real estate and says they didn't get killed [financially] in the last few years is lying."

Kosar is big on personal growth and development. He goes in-depth about his life as a father and his relationships with those in the game (including Belichick) and away from the game (including his new girlfriend). If you have a minute, it’s worth reading.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Browns linebacker D’Qwell Jackson may have suffered another pectoral injury. Jackson sat out practice Tuesday night and, reportedly, was being consoled by teammates. The Browns are yet to comment.

Jackson missed the final 10 games last season with a pectoral injury. He is playing for a new contract in 2010.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

With Cleveland CB Eric Wright injuring himself in practice today – his status is unclear, but it appears he hurt his right hamstring – first-round pick Joe Haden now could get a chance to prove to the Browns he can handle a starting position.
 
As James Walker of ESPN.com points out, Haden, the team's first-round pick, has been a backup since he arrived in Berea, Ohio, but that could change, depending on the severity of Wright’s injury.

"I'm real excited," Haden said when asked about the possibility of starting Saturday’s preseason opener against Green Bay. "It definitely means a whole lot more playing time, and that's just more time to make plays."

It’s a bit of good news after Haden found himself in trouble with coach Eric Mangini after he Tweeted the news about a player facing a fine because a cell phone went off in a meeting. Here’s what Haden wrote on his page : “These fines ain't no joke! Somebody phone alarm went off in the meeting and all Coach Mangini said was " that will b $1760! #damnfines”

Mangini was asked about it today, and he laughed when he said, “I think our social media is a work in progress.” Mind you, Haden wrote that AFTER Mangini warned the team about being careful with social media.

UPDATE: Cleveland Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot says that Wright is riding the exercise bike during tonight's practice. That suggests he's banged up but not seriously injured.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

Got a link for the Hot Routes? Follow us on Twitter or email josh.katzowitz@cbs.com.

--The Steelers don’t have much depth at outside linebacker. Which is why they drafted Jason Worilds in the second round and Thaddeus Gibson in the fourth round. Still, through a combination of problems , Pittsburgh isn’t getting much production from those two.

--Ravens safety Dawan Landry has been flat-out hurting people in training camp. He busted Willis McGahee’s lip and he smashed Derrick Mason so hard that Mason sprained his ankle. Without crazy-man FS Ed Reed in the lineup for the time being, Landry is exactly what Baltimore needs in its shredded defensive back corps. 

--The Dolphins released a preseason depth chart, and there a couple of interesting decisions on there. For one, Joe Berger is ahead of Jake Grove for starting center. Brian Hartline is listed as a starting WR. Chad Pennington is fourth-string QB behind Tyler Thigpen and Pat White. ESPN.com cautions none of this means much of anything yet.

--Jets coach Rex Ryan admits he made a mistake last year placing Vernon Gholston at outside linebacker. Gholston has been an absolute bust since New York took him in the first round of the 2008 draft – come to think of it, maybe we should wait at least one more year before giving him the big ol’ bust label, though Gholston has been pretty bad – but Ryan says he’s really excited about Gholston’s prospects this season. 

--Dolphins CEO Mike Dee wrote a letter to Miami’s fans and posted it on the team’s web site , apologizing for canceling Monday’s practice at Sun Life Stadium. Take it easy, Mike. I don’t think fans will blame you for the weather. Still, a class move from Dee.

--What will it be like when the Patriots and Saints hold a joint practice today? The Boston Herald has the FAQ and the answers . There won’t be a scrimmage, but the two teams will work together in individual drills and some down-and-distance situations. 

--The Browns players have 17 active Twitter accounts, but after Brandon McDonald’s crude Tweets in the past, the Cleveland organization will be paying a watchful eye at how the rest of the Browns participate in the social media world. Mangini, though, admits that he doesn’t expect his players to stop using Twitter

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Browns cornerback Brandon McDonald’s vulgar Tweet after the Terrell Owens signing irked coaches and team executives – and rightfully so. The Tweet was outlandishly crude and has been removed from McDonald’s account. If you’re so inclined, you can read the bold italicized text (if you’re not up for vulgarity, just skip ahead).

"TO to da Bengals huh??? Yessss, another piece of p**** fa da Browns secondary to (slang term referring to either group sex or gang rape) ... Let's Goooo!!!! ITS TRU"

Monday, McDonald talked about the Tweet in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"It started out as a joke and it's escalated to what it is now," he said after Monday's Browns practice. "I really didn't mean anything by it. It was a bad decision on my part.

"One thing I don't want to do is cause a distraction to this team and I think that's what it has become. The way it was taken is not really how it was meant.  I take full responsibility for it and it won't happen again."

Eric Mangini has spoken to his players about the dangers of Tweeting. He said McDonald could face consequences for his actions. It should be noted that McDonald has already lost his starting job (his behavior was not a factor – his atrocious play in 2009 was). He is fighting for the No. 4 cornerback duties. His showboating in a recent practice (an unnecessary dive into the end zone after an interception return) didn’t go over well. We could be watching a decent but inconsistent young athlete digging his own grave.

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