Bears lose a threat, Titans find one as preseason ends

Chicago coach Lovie Smith has come under fire from fans before the first snap of the season after rookie tight end Greg Olsen was hurt in the Bears' final exhibition game. AP

We hold these Snap Judgments to be self-evident as the preseason mercifully concludes and the NFL's 88th regular season looms:

• The Bears will be the biggest losers of the preseason's Week 4 if their rookie tight end Greg Olsen suffered a left knee injury Thursday night that costs him any significant playing time. Olsen had barely left the game against Cleveland with a late second-quarter knee sprain when the message board ranters started laying into Bears head coach Lovie Smith for leaving the team's first-round pick in the game that long. Olsen and veteran Desmond Clark are expected to share tight end duties this season.

To repeat, Olsen's a rookie and he played late into the second quarter. That's what it has come to in regards to the joke of an exercise called the NFL preseason. When will the league poobahs learn that it's all about keeping guys healthy for everyone's fantasy football team?

• Titans running back LenDale White apparently does intend to make an NFL career of it after all. White had a second consecutive impressive start in Tennessee's backfield Thursday night, rushing for 58 yards on 15 carries, and adding a 19-yard reception. He threw a nice block on an 8-yard Vince Young touchdown run, and most impressively, rumbled for 21 yards on a second-quarter fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 39.

The Titans' rushing game, expected to be one of the team's weak links in the wake of Travis Henry's departure during free agency, suddenly looks pretty viable. White and Chris Brown have both been very productive the past two weeks, and rookie second-round pick Chris Henry has had his moments.

• With Justin Tuck lining up and playing well this preseason at left defensive end, the Giants are far from desperate for Michael Strahan to end his retirement talk and return to the fold. Even if Strahan reports for regular-season duty, New York is going to make sure Tuck is on the field plenty in 2007. With the Giants originally planning to reduce Strahan's playing time on running downs any way, Tuck could end up seeing significant duty on first and second downs.

• If the NFL gave an MVP award for August, it would have to go to Texans rookie receiver/return man Jacoby Jones, who scored his fourth preseason touchdown (two receptions, two punt returns) Thursday night at Tampa Bay. Jones was taken in the third round out of tiny Lane College in Jackson, Tenn., the school that ex-Carolina Panthers running back Fred Lane helped put on the football map.

• Charlie Frye is reportedly the guy in Cleveland for now, but it's just a matter of time (measure it in weeks, not months) before the Browns make the obvious admission that rookie quarterback Brady Quinn gives them their best shot to win. Quinn already looks like an NFL quarterback. Frye and Derek Anderson look like guys trying to play the position.

By the time October rolls around, I expect to see No. 10 under center in Cleveland.

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