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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Three quarterbacks will be in the spotlight on Thursday night when the Saints and Patriots open their preseason schedules.It will be just another tuneup for two of the leagues most productive veteran signal callers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. For the other, it will serve as an important prelude to an opportunity hes prepped for just over two years.New Englands Jimmy Garoppolo has known since the abrupt conclusion of Deflategate last month that he would get the first regular-season starts of his career when Bradys league-imposed, four-game suspension begins next month. What remains unclear is if that new status will also translate into Garoppolo starting during the preseason and taking the majority of the snaps.Its always different on game day. Its a different feel and everything, Garoppolo said. You get those butterflies in your stomach and all that. Its awesome. Football is back now.It will also be the first peek this season at the 39-year-old Brady and 37-year-old Saints quarterback Drew Brees as they continue to progress toward the conclusion of their respective NFL runs -- though both plan on playing for a few more seasons.While the teams have held joint preseason practices three times in the last five years, this latest edition brought about more reminiscences for the former Big Ten rivals.Brees said the steady rain that fell during Wednesdays practice took them both back to when Bradys Michigan team faced Brees Purdue squad in 1999.The weather today the exact same as it was for that game, Brees said. Tom actually threw it out there. He said, `Hey, remember that game, Michigan-Purdue in the Big House? It was just like it. They kind of smoked us that day, though.From college kids to veteran pros, Brees said there is an appreciation for the longevity that both have had in the league.I think were thankful for the opportunities that weve been given, Brees said. Obviously, he is a part of a great organization, and has been for a long time. Im part of a great organization and have been for a long time.From knowing him and his approach, I think we both understand we gotta prove it each and every time out. Were in the business of winning. I think we both have high expectations as to how long we can play. But we dont take it for granted.Brees said he has been told he would play a series or so on Thursday, leaving ample time for backups Luke McCown and Garrett Grayson to get snaps.Garoppolo and Brady have each had equal time working alongside players that will likely make up the Patriots first-team offense. Garoppolo said after Wednesdays rain soaked practice he hadnt yet received any indication from the coaching staff on who would start Thursday.I dont know. Your guess is as good as mine, he said.Game notes Patriots WR Julian Edelman was back on the field Wednesday after leaving practice early Tuesday with an unspecified lower left leg injury. Edelman was in uniform, but did not participate in live pass-catching drills. He instead worked on conditioning with a small group of other players. ... Saints RB Mark Ingram, who missed a couple of practices recently, also said he isnt sure how much playing time he will get Thursday. But he said his time off was nothing major. Yeah, Im fine, he said. They were taking care of me a little bit. So, Im good. ...Former Rutgers football player turned motivational speaker Eric LeGrand was at practice Wednesday, and addressed players afterward. LeGrand, who was paralyzed while attempting a tackle during a 2010 Rutgers game, was in town working on a new web series. Patriots Logan Ryan and Duron Harmon both played alongside LeGrand at the school.---AP NFL website: Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! and Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! Kyle Hightower on Twitter at Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . -- Timbers coach Caleb Porter didnt stray from his business-like approach to the season even after Portland downed the two-time defending league champion Los Angeles Galaxy to gain crucial playoff position. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . PETERSBURG, Fla. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы увидеть ссылку! . - Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is not a fan of his teams use of the wildcat formation, saying "it makes you look like a high school offence. Editors note: Charlie Creme, Graham Hays and Mechelle Voepel each vote to determine espnWs national player of the week, which is awarded every week of the womens college basketball season.For seven quarters of basketball over the past seven days, Temples Feyonda Fitzgerald put together a really good week. It was the eighth quarter she played that set her apart.From DePaul. And from the rest of the country.Temples Fitzgerald is espnWs player of the week after the senior guard totaled 44 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and seven steals in victories against No. 17 DePaul and at Rutgers. Temples win over the Blue Demons was its first against a ranked nonconference opponent in nearly a decade, since a win against Purdue in 2007 when Fitzgerald was in middle school.Add those results to a win the previous weekend against Villanova, a game in which Fitzgerald scored 20 points, and the Owls have three consecutive victories against teams from traditionally bigger leagues. That is one fewer than they earned the past three seasons combined.But if Fitzgerald was a lonely source of offensive optimism in Saturdays somewhat dour 48-37 win at Rutgers -- she scored 19 points in 40 minutes to help the Owls move to 7-3 -- her fourth quarter against DePaul made the week.Fitzgerald led all scorers with 25 points in the 84-74 victory over the Blue Demons, with both the scoring distinction and the result impressive enough against the likes of Jessica January. Each was made all the more remarkable by the fact Fitzgerald entered the final quarter with just 10 points.She scored seven points in the first half as teammate Alliya Butts shot the Owls into contention when the teams traded big quarters. Then a lot of work from Donnaizhaa Fountain and Ruth Sherrill turned a one-point halftime deficit into a small third-quarter advantage.dddddddddddd But with that lead at just two points, Fitzgerald hit a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left in the third quarter to put the Owls up 55-50. She was just getting started.Fitzgerald engineered a 5-0 run all of her own early in the fourth quarter, capped by a three-point play that pushed the lead to 12 points. When the Blue Demons made one attempt to rally, Fitzgerald hit a 3-pointer that wiped out the push. When a late surge by DePaul cut the deficit to single digits, she hit two free throws to push it back to double digits. When Temples lead twice dipped to seven points, she again knocked down free throws. She attempted nine free throws in the quarter and hit eight.It was just over a year ago that Fitzgerald scored a career-best 32 points in a win against Florida. Yet she was reminded that points are relative earlier this month when it took her 27 field goal attempts to produce 29 points in a loss at Hampton. Against the Blue Demons, and never more than with each fraught possession in the final quarter, she scored the most meaningful of points.DePaul scored 24 points in the fourth quarter and didnt make up any ground.It picked the wrong game to test Temples leading scorer.Also considered: Alaina Coates, South Carolina; Ashley Deary, Northwestern; Diamond DeShields, Tennessee; Chanette Hicks, Virginia Tech; Victoria Vivians, Mississippi StatePrevious winners: Notre Dames Ogunbowale (Nov. 21) | Virginia Techs Hicks (Nov. 28) | Dukes Greenwell (Dec. 5) | UConns Williams (Dec. 12) ' ' '