NFL preseason action continues tonight with four games on the schedule. Below are six quick-hit thoughts and things to watch for during tonight’s slate of games.

1. Are the reports true about Palmer?
All indications from Bengals camp is that Carson Palmer is in the best shape of his career after missing virtually the entire 2008 season with a right elbow injury. Palmer is expected to get 12-15 snaps tonight when the Bengals travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. Just as the Patriots were hoping for a strong showing from Tom Brady last night (he threw for 100 yards and 2 TDs, by the way), Cincinnati is hoping that Palmer flashes the arm strength that once made him the top overall pick. Another thing to keep an eye on is how the young Cincinnati offensive line looks in protecting Palmer. The Bengals have a physical unit in Andrew Whitworth, Anthony Collins, Kyle Cook, Nate Livings and Bobbie Williams, but they’re an inexperienced unit on a whole and Cincy would love to see some cohesion from the group tonight.

2. The starting quarterback battle for the Vikings begins tonight.
Head coach Brad Childress reported that Sage Rosenfels will get the start Friday night against the Colts, which isn’t a huge surprise considering Tarvaris Jackson missed some time in camp with a sprained knee. Still, Rosenfels getting the starting nod tonight may be an indication that he’s pulled ahead in the race for the Vikes’ starting quarterback job. Rosenfels doesn’t have a high ceiling in terms of potential, but he’s steady and could be a good game manager for a Minnesota team that is expected to keep the ball on the ground a lot with Adrian Peterson. While Jackson will certainly get his opportunity to start in preseason, a strong first impression tonight would go a long way for Rosenfels.

3. It’ll be a light debut for Sanchez.
Mark Sanchez is expected to play in the Jets’ preseason opener against the Rams, but with O-linemen Nick Mangold, Damien Woody and Alan Faneca all sidelined with various injuries, New York isn’t going to risk playing their rookie quarterback extensively on Friday night. Instead, Erik Ainge will probably get the bulk of the work, while Kellen Clemens (who is competing with Sanchez for the starting job) will also see some action as well. Sanchez reportedly has a decent lead over Clemens in the starting quarterback race, which is even more reason for the Jets not to risk a potential injury in their first preseason game.

4. Keep an eye on Moreno.
Former Georgia Bulldog Knowshon Moreno has turned heads so far in Broncos camp and will get the start tonight against the 49ers. While he wasn’t the most explosive running back prospect in April’s draft, Moreno has excellent vision and could turn out to be a future NFL star. These aren’t your father’s Denver Broncos, where Mike Shanahan used a slew of backs to get the job done in his rushing offense. With Josh McDaniels now in charge, if Moreno dazzles in preseason, he’ll win Denver’s starting running back job and receive the bulk of the carries this season. He’ll benefit from running behind one of the best offensive lines in football and could be in for a big season. Outside of Sanchez and maybe the Vikings’ Percy Harvin, Moreno is easily the most intriguing rookie to watch tonight.

5. Will this be the year that the Saints put it all together defensively?
While the threat of losing defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant for four games at the start of the season is a major concern, the Saints defense finally has the makings of a productive unit thanks to a couple of key offeason moves. New Orleans signed veterans Paul Spicer, Darren Sharper and Jabari Greer this winter, and also re-signed Jonathan Vilma and selected cornerback Malcolm Jenkins in the first round of April’s draft. Those moves, coupled with the ongoing development of young players like Sedrick Ellis and Tracy Porter, have seemingly set the Saints’ defense up for a good season. And with the offense expected to once again be highly explosive, New Orleans could be a sleeper Super Bowl contender if the defense is finally up for the challenge.

6. It’s now or never for Alex Smith
Some within the Niners organization still have high hopes for former first overall pick Alex Smith. But others believe that Smith will never be able to make the throws necessary in the passing game in order to take the next step as a pro quarterback. With Shaun Hill breathing down his neck, this appears to be Smith’s last chance to prove he isn’t a bust. He’ll need a solid preseason to stave off Hill and ensure he’s a starter this season. Of course, it would help if he had first round pick Michael Crabtree to throw to in the passing game, but the receiver and his agent are entrenched in an ongoing battle with the team over his contract and it’s uncertain when he’ll sign. Either way, Smith will have no excuses this preseason – he must shine.

Friday night’s NFL preseason lineup (all times EST):
Rams at Jets, 7:00PM NFL Network
Vikings at Colts, 7:30PM
Bengals at Saints, 8:00PM
Broncos at 49ers, 10:00PM NFL Network

Four games are on the Week 1 NFL preseason schedule tonight and there are some interesting headlines to follow. Below are six quick-hit thoughts on tonight’s action.

1. Brady returns to live action
The last time Tom Brady took a snap in a live NFL game, he tore both his MCL and ACL after suffering a season-ending hit in Week 1 of the 2008 season. Brady returns to action tonight and will start against the Eagles in Philadelphia. He probably won’t get more than a series or two, but if everything goes well, it’ll be yet another promising sign that Brady has recovered from the devastating knee injury that almost ruined his career.

2. Is Flacco in store for a major sophomore slump?
Reports out of Baltimore haven’t been promising for second-year quarterback Joe Flacco, who has struggled in the passing game thus far in training camp. He apparently has struggled reading defenses, is missing open receivers and has thrown a high number of interceptions. The Ravens would like to open the playbook more in Flacco’s second year, but if his struggles carry into the preseason, then the team might have to scale back his responsibilities and once again make him more of a game-manager like he was as a rookie.

3. How will the T.O.-less Cowboys look?
During the offseason, one of the main reasons the Cowboys cut toxic (but highly productive) receiver Terrell Owens was so that quarterback Tony Romo wouldn’t have any distractions entering the 2009 season. Dallas wants Romo to step up and be more of a leader both in the locker room and on the field and it would appear that the 29-year-old’s career is at a crossroads. One preseason game in Oakland isn’t going to answer whether or not Romo is ready to become the leader that Dallas wants him to be, but it’ll be interesting to see how well he gels with his receivers without T.O. commanding his attention. Apparently Romo and Roy Williams are finally starting to get their timing down.

4. Don’t expect to see much of Big Ben
Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a tumultuous offseason, one in which he was accused of sexually assaulting a hotel employee in Las Vegas. Big Ben has also admitted that he has gotten off to a slow start in training camp because his arm isn’t feeling strong yet. Even so, he isn’t expected to play much in the preseason anyway, as the Steelers want to see more of second-year quarterback Dennis Dixon and whether or not he can unseat Charlie Batch as Roethlisberger’s backup.

5. Will Russell continue to struggle in his development?
If this is supposed to be the year that JaMarcus Russell takes the next step and turns the corner as a quarterback, he’s off to a lackluster start. He apparently showed up to camp in less than ideal physical condition and reportedly continues to struggle with consistency as a passer and timing with his receivers. His attitude remains a huge question mark as well, as does his leadership. With Jeff Garcia out with a calf injury, the Raiders are probably going to give Russell plenty of snaps this preseason but there’s no guarantee that the extra work will help the former No. 1 overall pick’s development.

6. How will the rookies fair?
There are a couple of intriguing rookies that will be worth keeping an eye on tonight including LeSean McCoy (Eagles), Darrius Heyward-Bey (Raiders) and Brian Orakpo (Redskins). McCoy has apparently been very impressive in camp, while Heyward-Bey has climbed into the Raiders’ starting lineup and Orakpo has adjusted well to his new OLB position after playing DE at Texas.

Thursday Nigh NFL Preseason Schedule (all times are EST):

Patriots at Eagles, 7:30PM
Redskins at Ravens, 7:30PM
Cardinals at Steelers, 8:00PM ESPN
Cowboys at Raiders, 10:00PM