TEBOW THE LETTER
Welcome to the NFL. Even if it is the preseason, which means less time for starters and more time for backups. Not necessarily a bad thing, if you're a fan of the Broncos, since that means less Kyle Orton and more Tim Tebow. And it's the new Tim Tebow, who re-worked his delivery to land in Denver in the first place. But in Cincinnati, his old delivery popped up at times in his debut. Mostly on deep balls - for instance, on a (dropped) pass to (the wide open) Matthew Willis. But also in the last moment of the game, when he ran over Bengals safety Kyries Hebert at the goal line after a 7-yard scramble to deliver the touchdown. Sure, it was in garbage time of a meaningless game. But still, it was a delivery that left his orange mouth-guard on the ground.
Recap | Highlights | R.E.M.

More from The Rundown, including why you need to hide your dog, and how you can get an early start on your fall viewing schedule, after the jump.

HIDE YOUR DOG
Because all your rowdy friends are back tonight (8:00 ET, ESPN), working themselves into shape for the regular season with the preseason matchup between the Giants and the Jets. It's the first NFL game at the clubs' new stadium and technically, it's a home game for the Jets. Which means technically, the lights will be green. That's because the lights will be blue when the Giants host the first regular season game there on September 12th against the Panthers. But at least their locker rooms will be the same size. And the name of the place is still available, if you have some spare change to throw at it.
ESPNNewYork.com Preview

EARLY PLAYOFF PAYOFF
The way things are shaping up, the Rangers and Rays could very well meet in the ALDS. And if they do, you'll likely see Cliff Lee face David Price in the series opener. Which is exactly what you'll see in tonight's series opener at the Trop (7:10 ET). Lee has already lost twice to the Rays this season. (But to be fair, those came when he was a Mariner.) Price is looking for an AL-leading 16th win. (But to be fair, he's 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts against the Rangers.)
Preview