The preseason games are about to begin, and this is the time when many players will begin fighting for playing time. A strong impression could go a long way towards proving to the coaches that certain guys who are on the bubble will make the team, or even take on a larger role than originally planned. Here are a couple of positional battles to watch tonight and over the next few weeks.

Second and third receivers:

Plaxico Burress, barring his ankle becoming a more serious problem than it is, will be expected to be the big weapon in the Giants receiving core. The secondary receiver position should be held down by a combination of Amani Toomer and Steve Smith, but there are a number of players trying to earn a bigger share of the pie.

Domenik Hixon has been outstanding thus far in camp and already is making a strong case for additional receptions. He’ll certainly have a chance to strut his stuff tonight with so many receivers on the mend. Sinorice Moss hasn’t had nearly the camp Hixon has had but he still has plenty of opportunities to turn heads. If injuries persist, he may wind up finding himself in the mix, but he needs to pick up his game as we enter tonight’s match up. Coach Tom Coughlin has an affinity for Michael Jennings, but that won’t go far enough if he doesn’t produce.

Linebacker:

Danny Clark is hungry to play a key role on this team, and he’s done a good job in camp thus far to show he’s up to the task. Gerris Wilkinson will be inactive tonight, so it will give Clark another opportunity to win the starting job at weak side linebacker. Chase Blackburn and Bryan Kehl will get their reps, but Wilkinson will be playing from behind until he’s healthy. Mike Garafolo at the Star Ledger has a nice profile on Clark and how his simple approach fits well into Steve Spagnuolo‘s scheme.

Safety:

Don’t look now folks, but Kenny Phillips could be the Giants starting free safety sooner rather than later. He’s been tremendous in camp, so much so that coaches have asked him to tone it down in fear he will hurt his teammates. Phillips seems driven by the fact that he was picked so low in the draft, and the Giants are ecstatic that he happened to fall to them. He shouldn’t have too much trouble unseating James Butler for the starting job, if not out of camp then shortly thereafter.

Tight end:

Kevin Boss grabbed the attention and the headlines with his excellent play down the stretch last season when Jeremy Shockey went down, and had a pivotal catch in the Giants Super Bowl win. However, he isn’t assured the tight end job. He’s likely to be the leading candidate, and he’s been impressive in camp so far, but Michael Matthews will contend as well.

Matthews excels at blocking while Boss thrives off his ability to get down the field. Which of them is able to step their game up in their deficiency will be looked at to get the majority of reps, or simply utilized depending on the game situation.

Backup quarterback:

David Carr has failed to impress at camp, coming out of the pocket too soon as defenders close in. Anthony Wright hasn’t looked much better, but more is expected of him since he knows the Giants system. Its too soon to tell who wins this battle, but both will likely have a lot of chances tonight to make an impression. Look for 2008 draft pick Andre Woodson to hold the clipboard and be guaranteed the #3 spot.