Some teams are keeping their starters out of the fourth preseason entirely.
In Pittsburgh, Charlie Batch will start at quarterback. The Saints and Bucs are going right past their backups and starting their No. 3 quarterbacks. (And they are still charging full price tickets.)
The Panthers are taking a slightly different approach. Coach Ron Rivera said the team will play their starters two series, which is about one more than most teams. That presumably means Cam Newton will give way to Jimmy Clausen by the end of the first quarter or so.
Despite increased talk that Clausen is challenging Newton for the No. 1 job, the Panthers have simply given no real indication that’s the case.