There are lingering doubts about the status of Peyton Manning's knee. He's expected to return to the practice field on Tuesday, and we'll certainly be monitoring his progress. Manning is dropping to the fourth slot at the quarterback position in many drafts behind Tony Romo and Drew Brees right now. It's difficult to dismiss 10 years of brilliance, particularly when there's every reason to believe the unflappable veteran will be back under center against Chicago in the opener.

News of Steven Jackson's return must have bolstered the confidence of the St. Louis offense, as they finally put together a couple of sustained drives in the third preseason game. With that said, I'm not bullish on the full-season prospects of Marc Bulger. The offensive line is hurting, and that's a gross understatement. Orlando Pace has a shoulder injury that could force him to the sidelines. The Rams have already lost two key backups in the trenches. Bulger is still a solid No. 2 option, but the ceiling's been lowered.

The Giants also take a hit following the loss of Umenyiora. I suspect the team to aggressively pursue Michael Strahan to help shore up the defensive front, allowing Mathias Kiwanuka to get back to the linebacking corps. In the interim, I'm concerned about the ability to sustain a pass rush early in the season. That's no slight to Kiwanuka, who has the tools to be a beast. It's just a function of depth.

Obviously, Matt Leinart's seen his stock drop over the past 72 hours. He certainly wasn't pleased with Leinart's recent struggles. He performed horribly against the Raiders, throwing off his back foot while making myriad bad decisions. Warner's rising up the rankings now as Leinart slips. Fantasy owners diving in for Warner need to circle back for Leinart, as it's likely the veteran QB will miss one or more games during the year.