The second full weekend of the NFL preseason kicks off Thursday night with the Jacksonville Jaguars playing the Chicago Bears. It’s a game of some interest because the Jaguars will give No. 1 pick Blake Bortles an extended look at quarterback in the second half.

The Jaguars have said they don’t want to rush the rookie along, but they’ll go nowhere with Chad Henne starting. This is the usual conundrum when bad teams draft a quarterback and try to figure out at what point to turn him into a human sacrifice.

Quarterbacks will be a focal point as the games unfold. Here’s what we’re looking at:

SATURDAY NIGHT

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo gets the start for the Cowboys. He had back surgery in December, causing him to miss the final regular-season game, and the team has brought him along slowly through training camp. This will be his first action with new play caller Scott Linehan in his ear.

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are also bringing a rookie quarterback along at a cautious pace, letting Teddy Bridgewater learn under Matt Cassel. The Cardinals got a stunning performance from rookie Logan Thomas against the Houston Texans last week. Thomas, a fourth-round selection, completed 11 of his 12 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. The Cardinals view him as their No. 3 quarterback but they may have unearthed a gem.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers: The Panthers’ Cam Newton has been medically cleared to play in the nationally-televised game. Newton had surgery on his left ankle in March.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .