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JACKSONVILLE - Mark Brunell never doubted he'd open the regular season as the Jaguars' starting quarterback. He was surprised to learn that Jack Del Rio fashioned himself as more than a coach, but a psychologist, too.
Brunell threw a touchdown to help Jacksonville to a 17-15 win over Washington in the preseason finale Thursday night.
Del Rio then ended speculation about Brunell's possible departure, naming him the starter for the Sept. 7 opener against Carolina.
Del Rio said Brunell's 5-for-7 performance over two drives "solidified" what he already knew - that Brunell was better than David Garrard and Byron Leftwich. The coach waited until now to announce it, however, to get the 11-year veteran mentally ready for the season to come.
Brunell felt the mental games his coach was playing with him were probably unnecessary.
"I'm going into my 11th season, I've been through the onslaught," he said. "It was difficult. It certainly was a distraction."
Redskins coach Steve Spurrier gave many veterans the night off, including LaVar Arrington, Lavernaues Coles and Trung Canidate.
JETS 17, EAGLES 9: Former South Florida star Marquel Blackwell threw two touchdowns, leading New York's backups to a win. Neither team used many starters.
Blackwell, the Jets' No.4 quarterback, was 7-of-12 for 111 yards. He had TDs of 8 yards to B.J. Askew and 39 to Jonathan Carter.
"I just prepared to play early," Blackwell said. "I didn't know it would come as early as it did."
Vinny Testaverde was supposed to see about 10 plays, but coach Herman Edwards chose not to risk an injury to the 39-year-old one game after starter Chad Pennington went down with a major wrist injury, and went with Blackwell and Todd Husak.
DOLPHINS 24, SAINTS 10: Jay Fiedler only threw five times and connected twice. Then, like most starters for both teams, he took the rest of the night off. Fiedler hit Chris Chambers for a 38-yard gain to the Saints 14-yard line and followed with a touchdown toss to Derrius Thompson. For New Orleans, Ki-Jana Carter, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 draft by Cincinnati, gained 94 yards in 25 carries as he tried to lock up the backup running back spot behind Deuce McAlister.
CARDINALS 31, VIKINGS 27: Arizona's reserves played well enough to give the team its first 4-0 preseason in 12 years. Third-string quarterback Preston Parsons ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead the Cardinals. He went 13-for-16 for 156 yards. Problems with the Metrodome's turf prompted the Cardinals to ask the league to consider postponing the game, which went on after minor repairs. Workers fixed at least three gaps between sections of the turf around the south end zone, which sits over the infield when the stadium is used for baseball.
BILLS 22, LIONS 16: Olandis Gary had the go-ahead score three minutes into the fourth quarter with a 1-yard run for visiting Detroit, followed by a two-point conversion by holder Brian Moorman, who ran it in off a bobbled snap. Antonio Brown returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and Josh Reed had a 34-yard touchdown reception for the Bills.
GIANTS 30, RAVENS 24: Kyle Boller turned in a spectacular performance in his final audition for the role as starting quarterback for host Baltimore. The rookie threw two touchdowns to stake the Ravens to a 17-point lead before New York rallied. Boller, dueling with four-year veteran Chris Redman, went 7-for-9 for 99 yards before leaving in the second quarter with Baltimore up 17-0.
COWBOYS 52, RAIDERS 13: Quincy Carter gave coach Bill Parcells reason to believe he picked the right starting quarterback. Carter led host Dallas to four touchdowns and a field goal on five drives. He was 11-of-16 for 239 yards and Parcells took him out one series into the second half. Parcells had said Carter would go deep into the half because he needed all the work he could get.
BROWNS 20, FALCONS 9: Kelly Holcomb passed for 126 yards in two series and William Green had a touchdown run for host Cleveland. Holcomb, who beat Tim Couch for the starting job, completed a 68-yard pass on his first throw. Couch replaced Holcomb in the second quarter and threw a 57-yard score to Dennis Northcutt. Atlanta's Doug Johnson, filling in at QB as Michael Vick recovers from a broken leg, passed for 147 yards and Jay Feely kicked a 51-yard field goal for the Falcons.
CHIEFS 22, RAMS 6: Two days after Orlando Pace ended his holdout, St. Louis put the All-Pro offensive tackle to the test. Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk didn't start in the annual Governor's Cup game but Pace played most of the first half to shake off rust. Visiting Kansas City limited its star players' exposure or held them out altogether.
TITANS-PACKERS DELAY: Play stopped for 2 hours, 33 minutes in the preseason game at Green Bay because of lightning. The Titans led 14-0 with 2:05 left in the second quarter.