"Brett Favre won't be the only Vikings quarterback with plenty of eyes on him tonight in Houston. Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels also will be a focus of attention, as they are expected to split time in the second half.

Jackson and Rosenfels have gone from competing for the starting job to vying for the No. 2 spot behind Favre -- or perhaps a spot on another NFL roster. Unless the Vikings go with the unusual step of keeping four quarterbacks, either Jackson, Rosenfels or John David Booty is going to be the odd man out.

Favre is scheduled to play the entire first half tonight; Jackson is expected to play the third quarter and Rosenfels the fourth.

The Vikings could attempt to showcase Jackson, who is coming off a strong performance in the Vikings' victory over Kansas City on Aug. 21. This makes sense, given that Jackson stands to be a free agent after this season -- whether he's restricted or unrestricted depends on what happens with the league's collective bargaining agreement -- and could be looking to get a fresh start.

The Vikings almost certainly would consider taking a late-round draft pick in exchange for Jackson.

Rosenfels signed a three-year, $9 million deal upon his arrival with the Vikings last February, making him the most logical guy to stick behind Favre. Rosenfels' contract is very reasonable for a backup quarterback, and keeping Rosenfels on the roster means the Vikings would have a set backup plan for next season if Favre did not return for a 20th season.

Rosenfels played well in two series of the Vikings' preseason opener at Indianapolis -- he led the team to 10 points -- but did not play against the Chiefs after injuring his ankle.

As for Booty, even if he does not play tonight, he figures to see time in Friday's preseason finale against Dallas, when many of the starters will see either limited action or no time at all. Booty remains a work in progress, but he still is playing under his rookie contract, and the Vikings might not want to jettison a guy whom they see as developing. There is an off chance the Vikings could try to sneak Booty through to their practice squad -- he is eligible -- but it seems likely he would be claimed.

The roster cutdown from 80 to 75, which should not impact the quarterback position, will come Tuesday, and the final cuts to the regular-season limit of 53 will be Saturday."