Tim

Hasselbeck

He’s still a longshot to win the starting job, but coach Joe Gibbs has been duly impressed. “I’ve been bragging on him all along,” Gibbs said yesterday. “I like Tim. He’s smart. He’s made some good decisions.” Gibbs has a history of using little-known QBs off his bench, but this would be a shocker.

Starting for injured Eli Manning, Hasselbeck did not look very impressive. He’s currently the favorite to win the No. 2 QB job, but didn’t help his cause by throwing an interception and losing two fumbles -- one for a Jets TD.

Purely speculation, but Chicago and Seattle are teams looking for backups. It could be a Hasselbeck party in Seattle if they made an aggressive offer.

There will be no competition with Jesse Palmer, who should fill the number three role. ''The last thing we’re going to worry about with Eli Manning with his family background is that he needs a mentor,’' Giants GM Ernie Accorsi said.

Wright should beat out Tim Hasselbeck for the emergency quarterback job, but is no lock to unseat Lorenzen, who the coaching staff still seems high on.

The veteran QB has been outplayed by Jared Lorenzen in the preseason. He may be an option in Atlanta. Tim Hasselbeck could then stick as the third QB.

That puts his net yardage on 16 passing plays at 16. The New York Post suggests his 12 preseason sacks may have cost him his roster spot, potentially crushing the dreams of 300-pound quarterbacks everywhere.

Hasselbeck was most recently the third string QB with the Giants, but he was inactive all season. He will also be the Cardinals third quarterback behind Tim Rattay and Kurt Warner, who is out for Week 7.

It appears that Anthony Wright has made the team, but the Giants could scour the waiver wire for their No. 3 QB spot.

Hasselbeck would step in as Arizona’s third quarterback, behind Kurt Warner and recently acquired Tim Rattay.