The Throes Of Battle

Five quarterback competitions that are heating up NFL training camps

Baltimore Ravens
Troy Smith vs. Joe Flacco vs. Kyle Boller
" LeBron James was dominating the NBA at 18," Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron told his QBs in camp. " Michelle Wie was a pro golfer at, what, 13? Let's not go making it so impossible to play quarterback in the NFL as a rookie." While second-year man Smith is the most logical candidate to start in Week 1 because he's polished and confident (and not as inconsistent as former starter Boller), Baltimore's goal is to get Flacco (left, 5), the 2008 first-round pick from Delaware, ready to play sometime this season. He has looked confident but scatter-armed so far in camp. "I need to get faster," Flacco says. "I need to make decisions quicker." Spoken like a rookie.

New York Jets
Kellen Clemens vs. Chad Pennington
Do the Jets go with Pennington (left, 10), the safer, more accurate veteran? Or do they give the job to Clemens (11), the man they drafted in '06 to be their quarterback of the future but who has had only eight starts to prove himself? A scrimmage last Saturday played up each passer's strengths. Pennington was more accurate (8 of 14 to Clemens's 8 of 22) and lofted a perfect timing pass to Jerricho Cotchery for a 27-yard score. Clemens threw the kind of bullet Pennington can't—a 55-yarder to rookie tight end Dustin Keller for a TD. Clemens also had four straight practices without a pick in team competition, so he might be moving ahead.

Chicago Bears
Kyle Orton vs. Rex Grossman
The problem with judging these QBs is that Grossman is world-class—in practice. In all likelihood he'll play better than Orton this month, but coach Lovie Smith must determine whether that's the same mirage he has seen the last two seasons: Once the real games started, Grossman (left, 8) completed a middling 54.5% of his passes, with 27 touchdowns and 27 picks. Both players have been sharp early and say they're not feeling the heat. "It's self-[imposed] pressure between Rex and me," says Orton (18), who started three games last year (43 of 80, three TDs, two INTs). While Smith could go either way, he knows that many of his veteran players prefer Orton.

San Francisco 49ers
Alex Smith vs. Shaun Hill vs. J.T. O'Sullivan
The Niners made Smith (left, 11) the No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft and guaranteed him $24 million. They aren't happy with what they've gotten in return: 19 TD passes, 31 interceptions and an 11--19 record as a starter. Hence the strong looks at career backups Hill (13) and O'Sullivan (14). "You wonder how much they're behind you," says Smith, "but I also look at how I haven't produced consistently." This is the fourth straight year San Francisco has had a new offensive coordinator, a new No. 1 wideout and a revamped line. Still, the focus is on the QBs. "There's nothing to not like about Alex, but his confidence is down a little bit," coordinator Mike Martz says. "He's not as decisive as he has to be."

Miami Dolphins
Josh McCown vs. Chad Henne vs. John Beck
This one's wide open. The Miami brass grew fond of Beck (left, passing) in the off-season, but he hasn't had a very good early camp and might be pressing. Journeyman McCown (4) has the best feel for the offense, but there's still a month to go, which gives the rookie Henne (7), a four-year starter at Michigan, a chance to learn the system and play very early in the season. First-year coach Tony Sparano will likely open with the man who shines brightest in the four preseason games. The tea leaves say that will be McCown, given his experience (31 NFL starts) and veteran offensive coordinator Dan Henning's conservative nature.