It was easy for Denver cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Dre' Bly to develop a strong relationship after the latter was acquired in an off-season trade with Detroit. Previously, Bailey would sometimes hang out with Bly when flying to the Motor City to visit his brother Boss Bailey, who is a Lions linebacker.

During an interview following a recent joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys, I asked Bly and Bailey what was a skill the other had that they wished they possessed.

"The one thing I told Champ is he's just so natural," Bly said. "The game comes so easy to him. He's able to implement his wisdom and knowledge, which is why he's been able to make a lot of plays on the field. But he's just a natural athlete. That's why he's been so successful his whole career.

"I joke with him all the time. I'm out there stretching with my rope and getting into a cold tub. This dude, he's like a cheetah. He just comes out here and runs and it comes naturally to him. I'm really looking forward to playing with him. I feel like we're really going to do a lot of great things together."

Said Bailey: "You get a lot of guys with good days and bad days, but Dre' is so consistent and he makes a lot of plays. I hope some of that can rub off on me. I've made some plays in my career, but I want to score more touchdowns like him. I really admire that."

Bailey and Bly also said they have never played alongside a better cornerback during their eight previous NFL seasons.

"I've played with Deion (Sanders) and Darrell Green, but they were far past their prime," said Bailey, referring to his time in Washington. "Those are some great Hall of Fame corners. But at this point in our careers, I think Dre' is the best I've played with."

Said Bly: "There's no need to ask me that. I played with Aeneas Williams and he was a great corner but he was toward the end of his career. Champ with what he's been able to do his first eight years being a shut-down corner and making all the plays ... He's saying he wants to catch a few things from me and make more plays. This dude has intercepted 39 balls, man. What more plays do you need to make? He's right at the top. He's a Hall of Famer."

Can you feel the love?

Tennessee 27, New England 24

In the long run, maybe it wasn't a big deal that Tennessee quarterback Vince Young was benched from the club's preseason opener because of a violation of team rules. But it sure seemed like Young was a step slower than his teammates who already had gotten their feet wet prior to Friday's game against New England. Young seemed especially rusty when not sensing strong safety Rodney Harrison on what proved a devastating blindside blitz in the second quarter. At one point late in the first half, Young was three of 14 passing for 36 yards.

Conversely, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady looks like he will have a legitimate shot at a 5,000-yard passing season - provided his offensive line can do a better job keeping him upright than then did against Tennessee. Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch looked particularly sharp, which is good news for a player whose sack total fell from 12.5 in 2005 to 6.5 last season.

One of the most pleasant surprises for Tennessee this off-season is Cortland Finnegan, a potential replacement in the starting lineup for the suspended Adam "Pacman" Jones at cornerback and as a punt returner. Finnegan had a 37-yard punt return in the preseason opener against Washington and returned a Tom Brady interception for a touchdown, Trivia on Finnegan: As a seventh-round pick in 2006, Finnegan was the first player drafted from Samford University since 1969.

 Philadelphia 27, Carolina 10

Entering his Friday preseason debut against Carolina, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb had to feel good about the positive response he received from Philadelphia's demanding fans after taking the field for the first time since the serious knee injury he suffered last season. McNabb completed a 27-yard crossing route to Kevin Curtis on his first attempt and showed he can still throw effectively on the run, which should allay fears about his ability to make a full recovery.

After such a lackluster start, I get the feeling there is a looooong week of practices awaiting Carolina players. And if Pathers quarterback Jake Delhomme doesn't play better quickly, David Carr might get a chance to salvage his disappointing NFL career sooner than originally expected when he signed with Carolina this off-season as a backup.

The Eagles may have unearthed another unheralded gem in punter Sav Rocca, an Australian Rules kicker who appears likely to make the 53-man roster and hold for kicker David Akers. If he does stick, Rocca would be a 33-year-old rookie.

Miami 11, Kansas City 10

Miami running back Ronnie Brown is flashing sins of fulfilling the high expectations that come with being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft. Brown ran harder against Kansas City than he has at other times during the past two regular seasons. Still, Dolphins coach Cam Cameron's decision to use Brown on kickoffs doesn't make sense. Brown will be taking enough of a beating as Miami's workhorse running back during the regular season. Plus, wasn't Ted Ginn Jr. selected with the No. 9 pick in April's draft to make an impact in this role?

Ginn has failed to impress as a receiver or punt returner in two preseason games, but most Dolphins fans have stopped grumbling about the club's decision to pass on selecting Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn instead. That's because second-round selection John Beck shows the early earmarks of being a long-term solution at a position that has experienced way too much turnover since Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino's retirement following the 1999 season

I don't have a lot of confidence in Miami's offensive line right now, particularly right tackle Anthony Alabi. But according to a Palm Beach Post blog entry, Miami started the same offensive line (left tackle Vernon Carey, left guard Chris Liwienski, center Samson Satele, right guard Rex Hadnot and Alabi) at Saturday afternoon's practice. Such a lineup speaks volumes about how much veteran tackle/guard L.J. Shelton is entrenched in Cameron's doghouse. Shelton, who hasn't reached a satisfactory playing weight for the Dolphins, could become trade bait by the end of the preseason.

It seems Chiefs coach Herman Edwards wants to pull the trigger on making Brodie Croyle his starting quarterback, but two sloppy interceptions in the past two preseason games could be reason for hesitation. It's also becoming clear the Chiefs won't win more than five games if running back Larry Johnson continues his holdout. From what Chiefs General Manager Carl Peterson said during Thursday night's telecast, a deal with Johnson isn't imminent despite media reports to the contrary earlier this week. Should make for good drama on Hard Knocks.

I'll be co-hosting with Adam Caplan of the Pro Football News and Injury Report tomorrow from 8 to 12 a.m. on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 124. Among our scheduled guests are future Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson, former Dallas Cowboys fullback and FOX NFL analyst Darryl "Moose" Johnston (who is one of the Cowboys announcers for tonight's Dallas-Denver game) and Philadelphia Daily News NFL writer Paul Domowich.

I'll also be making an 8 a.m. E.S.T. morning appearance Monday on Miami Dolphins flagship station WQAM (560-AM) in Miami. I'll be on the station at 9 a.m. from Tuesday through Friday (And I apologize in advance if I sound groggy: I'll be waking up awfully early while on the West Coast).

Check back later tonight and I'll have some thoughts on some of Thursday and Friday's preseason games. - Alex

Some thoughts on tonight's 37-20 Minnesota preseason victory over the host New York Jets that was telecast on FOX.

X: A rough preseason got even worse for Jets guard Pete Kendall, whose shotgun snap sailed over the head of quarterback Kellen Clemens in the third quarter and was recovered and returned for a touchdown by Vikings defensive end Brian Robinson.

Kendall then botched another snap on a fourth down midway through the fourth quarter, killing a Jets scoring opportunity deep inside Vikings territory.

Kendall has lost his starting spot at left guard to Adrien Clark after engaging in a battle over his contract with Jets management. Kendall, who feels he is entitled to a $1 million raise from his slated $1.7 million salary for 2007, is hoping for his release well aware that there are teams - including the Miami Dolphins - who would pay far more for his services. But the Newark Star-Ledger has quoted an anonymous team source saying the Jets plan on keeping Kendall on their roster, which makes sense considering the impact he could make elsewhere. Kendall also could prove to be valuable trade bait for an out-of-division team that develops a severe need for an interior lineman.

I don't know whether the situation is taking its toll on the psyche of one of the NFL's most well-respected linemen, but this marks the second consecutive preseason game in which he made a major error. In New York's preseason opener against Atlanta, Kendall appeared to misread a defensive front by helping the center block down on a defensive lineman. That created a crease for a Falcons linebacker to clobber a Jets running back at the line of scrimmage.

Kendall was given snaps at center against Minnesota in hopes he could be groomed for a potential role as a swingman back-up.

X: Jets coach Eric Mangini looks great after losing a bunch of weight this off-season. Let's hope he doesn't start binge-eating as comfort for all of his team's turnovers against the Vikings.

X: The dangers of in-game blogging: After looking sharp early, Jets backup quarterback Kellen Clemens had his play tail off as the game progressed. Unless Clemens shows he is something special this preseason, I wouldn't be surprised if Brad Smith would be the first player called upon if something happened to starter Chad Pennington.

Smith must intrigue Mangini as a quarterback prospect for him to receive preseason playing tine at the position late in the third quarter. The former Missouri signal-caller made an impact contributing as a receiver and runner as a rookie in 2006.

Smith played ahead of Marquis Tuiasosopo, whose roster spot appears in jeopardy considering the former can contribute in other areas while also serving as a second- or third-string quarterback. Tuiasosopo did loft a nice touchdown pass in the seam to reserve tight end Jason Pociask in the game's waning moments.

FOX announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman speculated the Vikings could have potential interest in acquiring Tuiasosopo considering the club's suspect depth at quarterback. But after sending a draft pick to the Jets last preseason for current backup Brooks Bollinger, it seems unlikely that Minnesota would try to prime that same pump. Plus, Philadelphia fourth-stringer Kelly Holcomb seems a much better fit considering he is currently playing in a similar offensive system to what current Vikings coach Brad Childress ran as the Eagles' offensive coordinator.

X: There was another questionable "spike" penalty in the third quarter. Paging Mike Periera for a clarification ...

X: The Jets wasted no time putting cornerback Darrelle Revis in uniform less than two days after inking their 2007 first-round draft pick to a six-year contract. It will take Revis some time to catch up after missing the first three-plus weeks of training camp. But if he's as good as advertised, Revis should soon be pushing to start opposite cornerback Andre Dyson in New York's secondary.

X: Thank goodness my wife Sherry was asleep on our coach when a calico cat ran onto the field during the fourth quarter. We might have been adopting Kitty No. 5 ...

X: True confession: I suffered heat exhaustion while having lunch with Vikings coach Brad Childress recently at Vikings training camp. I want to thank Brad, Vikings trainer Eric Sugarman, Dr. David Olson and public relations director Bob Hagan for helping me through a scary moment (Just remember, kids, these words of wisdom from Dolphins trainer Kevin O'Neill: If you're thirsty, it's already too late).

I also would be remiss without mentioning the compassion expressed by my FOX Sports cohort Jay Glazer, who also was visiting Mankato. While I recouped on a couch, Glazer approached me and asked, 'So are you going to die or what?' When it was clear that I wasn't, Jay quickly took his Glaze Across America tour to another stop. No mercy, indeed.

Some thoughts on the first half of tonight's Minnesota-New York Jets preseason game being telecast by FOX (Vikings lead at halftime, 24-13, BTW):

 X: Jets quarterback Chad Pennington can't play any worse, can he? For those who aren't watching, the Vikings had two interception returns for touchdowns in the first half before Pennington was replaced by backup Kellen Clemens. 

X: Some good news for Jets fans, though: After some rough off-season practices, the Jets should feel better about Clemens' prospects as Pennington's backup as he led New York to a touchdown. 

X: Greenway missed all of his rookie campaign after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament during the 2006 preseason. But you could never tell by the savvy play of the No. 17 selection in his draft class. Greenway made a great read to intercept a sloppy Pennington pass that he returned for a touchdown and is settling comfortably into the Derrick Brooks role in a Tampa Bay-style cover-two defensive scheme.

X: That being said, Peterson is an absolute LOAD as a runner blessed with the foot speed of a smaller runner.

X: If officials are going to enforce the new "spike" rule as strictly as in tonight's contest, expect a lot of five-yard penalties.

X: After reaching the Vikings 1-yard line on a 10-yard reception, Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery slammed the football to the turf in what seemed more a reaction of frustration after having failed to score than a celebration. Yet Cotchery was flagged for a delay-of-game penalty anyway and the Jets were ultimately forced to settle for a 19-yard Mike Nugent field goal.

X: Hopefully, the NFL will provide stricter guidelines on what constitutes a deliberate spike - which can delay games as officials run after the football - and a natural reaction like what Cotchery exhibited.

X: The Jets appear to have unearthed a special teams demon from a school known more in the pros for producing basketball talent. Spotlighted by FOX cameras, safety Raymond Ventrone was in on two special teams tackles early in the game after showing skill at avoiding blocks running downfield. Ventrone spent his rookie season in 2006 on injured reserve with New England but recovered in time to start 10 games for Cologne in NFL Europa this spring.

By the way: Where will promising youngsters like Ventrone have a chance to hone their skills now that NFL Europa has folded?

X: Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway could quickly emerge as one of the NFL's top weak-side linebackers.

X: To avoid unnecessary wear and tear, Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson should learn not to challenge defenders near the sideline like he did when driving his helmet into Jets cornerback David Barrett on a second-quarter run. Message to Adrian: You were injury prone in college. Don't put yourself at unnecessary risk IN A PRESEASON GAME.

X: Speaking of which, FOX analyst Troy Aikman made a great point when saying that Jets running back Leon Washington is a strong runner between the tackles despite standing just 5-foot-8 and 202 pounds. Washington -- who can be considered a poor man's Maurice Jones-Drew -- started tonight's game with Thomas Jones (calf) sidelined.

X: More physicality: Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams lit up Jets left tackle D'Brickshaw Ferguson with a blindside block as Vikings safety Darren Sharper scored on a 40-yard interception return. Somewhere, Chad Clifton is wincing.

X: Great FOX telecast stat: Sharper has more interceptions (44) than any NFL player since 2000. Still, Sharper doesn't seem to get his due as being among the tops at his position. If asked the best safety in the NFL, the first players that cross my mind are Troy Polamalu are Ed Reed. With Sharper's kind of productivity, it's time to add him to my list.

No wonder the Cowboys held their camp in different spots besides Dallas for as long as anyone can remember. The heat index for Wednesday morning's practice was in the triple digits and not much better for the afternoon session. Mercifully for the players, the Broncos and Cowboys decided to cut their joint morning work about 30 minutes short.

The Cowboys returned to their Valley Ranch headquarters after opening camp in San Antonio at the air-conditioned Alamodome.

One benefit of being back in Dallas is that it gives legendary NFL figures who live in the area the chance to attend. Roger Staubach, Lee Roy Jordan and Pat Summerall were among those who passed by Valley Ranch during Wednesday's sessions.