Ryan Tannehill will get his first start of the preseason tonight against Carolina. A few months ago, when there were reports that he would be third string behind David Garrard and Matt Moore, I talked about how it would not be a good sign if he could not beat out those two in camp. David Garrard is injured again, and Tannehill has been outperforming Moore so far. Now he gets a chance against first team competition for almost a half.

Other games tonight:

Tennessee at Tampa Bay (7:30): Jake Locker has taken the lead in the quarterback battle in Tennessee, and could make a big statement tonight. The Bucs have lots of new pieces on offense, and this will be a more extended look at the Vincent Jackson and Doug Martin additions.

Detroit at Baltimore (8:00): Two playoff teams so that don’t have anything to prove, but the Lions will be working on their defensive secondary in the wake of offseason turmoil including the release of projected starter Aaron Berry. For Baltimore, let’s see if Torrey Smith continues to emerge as the top target (besides Ray Rice) in the offense.

Buffalo at Minnesota (8:00): No chance we’ll see Adrian Peterson tonight, though it could happen next week. How does Cordy Glenn hold up against Jared Allen or Brian Robison if given the opportunity? That’s an early test to see if the rookie is ready.

Jacksonville at New Orleans (8:00): Missouri quarterbacks in the house! Blaine Gabbert showed more flashes in the first preseason game than at almost any point last year. Drew Brees should get his shirt a little dirtier this week (proverbially speaking, no dirt on the field in the Superdome)

Oakland at Arizona (10:00): Oakland will try to top their point total in the opener. Can Carson Palmer get it going? Denarius Moore is still out at wide receiver, so Jacoby Ford needs to step up. Arizona looked pretty bad in the opener against Kansas City, getting gouged in the run against the Chiefs first teamers. They need a better defensive effort tonight.

[photo via US Presswire]