O'Sullivan era to begin in San Fran?

A leader in the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback battle appears to be emerging, and it's not Alex Smith. Or Shaun Hill.

Neither the former No. 1 overall pick nor the guy who filled in quite capably for an injured Smith late last season has emerged as the early preseason front-runner to run Mike Martz's intricate offense. Right now that distinction belongs to J.T. O'Sullivan, a quintessential journeyman with 26 career pass attempts over the course of his nomadic six-year professional career.

A report from Matt Maiocco from our friends at the Santa Rosa Press Democrat on Tuesday stated Niners head coach Mike Nolan confirmed O'Sullivan's No. 1 status during an interview on a local radio show. The 28-year-old had been receiving the lion's share of snaps with the first-team offense over the past couple of weeks and started Friday's exhibition opener against the Raiders.

O'Sullivan, who's been on the active roster or in camp with nine teams since entering the league in 2002, didn't exactly distinguish himself in Friday's game, going 5-of-8 for 71 yards and an interception and producing zero points over four offensive series. Smith completed 5-of-9 throws for just 51 yards with the second unit.

O'Sullivan's primary advantage in the competition is his familiarity with Martz's system, not to mention the obvious faith the offensive guru has in the well-traveled quarterback. He spent last season as Jon Kitna's primary backup in Detroit, where Martz previously served as offensive coordinator.

Hill seems to be virtually eliminated from the race, as Maiocco pointed out earlier in the week that the one-time contender hasn't received any practice reps since August 6.

Here's a peek at the early returns at some of the other heated QB camp battles:

Miami: Looks like recently-signed Chad Pennington is the present and Chad Henne is the future. The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero noted on Tuesday that Pennington took 33 of the team's 58 practice snaps in Tuesday's session, with the rookie Henne getting the remainder of the reps. The Dolphins aren't going to keep four quarterbacks on the roster, so either vet Josh McCown or 2007 second-rounder John Beck are going to be somewhere else come September. Beck played a lot in Saturday's preseason game, which lends me to believe the team is showcasing him for a hopeful trade.

You're all probably aware of this by now, but Miami's Week 1 opponent is none other than Pennington's former club, the New York Jets.

Atlanta: Matt Ryan made a strong case to be the Falcons' opening-week starter with a highly-impressive NFL debut over the weekend. The ballyhooed and well-paid rookie hit on 9-of-15 attempts for 113 yards in Saturday's 20-17 loss to Jacksonville, and directed an 11-play, 74-drive that he culminated with a 25-yard touchdown strike to standout receiver Roddy White. That showing has got to be music to the ears of Arthur Blank and the rest of the Falcons' brass that are desperately seeking a new franchise face and image makeover in the wake of last year's Michael Vick saga.

Ryan's status for Atlanta's regular-season opener may hinge on the performance of a shaky offensive line that yielded five sacks to the Jaguars on Saturday. The Falcons aren't about to send their $72 million investment out on the field in a real game without assurances the front wall isn't at least reasonably sound.

Baltimore: Former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith began camp with the inside track on the Week 1 starting job, but the more experienced Kyle Boller seems to be closing the gap. Boller received the opening nod in Thursday's game with New England and was reasonably sharp, while Smith was an erratic 5-for-12 for 74 yards. Boller played most of the first half and completed 11-of-15 passes for 102 yards, but also had two turnovers (one interception, one fumble). Rookie Joe Flacco, the team's first-round selection back in April, is running way behind the top two.

Smith will get a chance to redeem himself this weekend, as head coach John Harbaugh announced after the New England game that the second-year pro will start this Saturday's test with Minnesota.

Chicago: No clear-cut favorite has yet to emerge in the Kyle Orton-Rex Grossman showdown. Orton got the start in Thursday's preseason lid-lifter against Kansas City and was a decent 7-of-10 for 56 yards. Grossman made good on only 4-of-8 throws for 44 yards but did toss a touchdown pass, although it was a dump-off that reserve running back Garrett Wolfe took 25 yards to paydirt.

Grossman will get his crack with the ones when he starts at Seattle this coming Saturday.

Lastly, I'll follow the lead of my compatriots and offer my take on Springsteen's top five albums. As an '80's child, there's arguably a bit of bias from that era on my part, but hey, beauty's in the eye of the beholder.

1. Nebraska -- An understated masterpiece. I like my coffee black and my music dark, and the haunting title track and "State Trooper" are two of the spookiest pieces in the Springsteen catalog. "Atlantic City" and "Highway Patrolman" make my list of all-time favs as well.
2. Darkness on the Edge of Town -- The predecessor of The Boss' melancholy trilogy, this one's so good that some of the unused songs ("Because the Night", "Fire") were turned into big hits by other artists.
3. Born to Run - The definitive Springsteen album, a perfect blend of fist-pumping anthems and somber tales of defeat.
4. Born In the U.S.A. -- Some may dismiss it as a pop album. I tend to view it more as Nebraska with catchier hooks and a lot more sheen.
5. The River -- The title track alone puts this in my top five. Would be higher, but I think there's a little too much filler.