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A pair of rebuilding teams expected to be headed by rookie quarterbacks will face off Thursday at Paul Brown Stadium, where Cam Newton leads the Carolina Panthers into a preseason matchup with a Cincinnati Bengals team hoping to improve off lackluster results in each of its first two outings of 2011.The Bengals have made the decision to sink or swim with second-round draft choice Andy Dalton for an upcoming campaign that will take place without the services of the unhappy Carson Palmer, while 2011 No. 1 overall pick Newton appears to have the edge on Jimmy Clausen in the battle to be Carolina’s starting signal-caller for its season-opening clash at Arizona on Sept. 11.Neither youngster has been dazzling thus far during the preseason, with Newton having completed just 45.5 percent (15-of-33) of his passes through the Panthers’ first two tests and Dalton having been intercepted three times in a pair of lopsided Cincinnati losses.Newton’s lack of experience was evident in last Saturday’s game at Miami, as the reigning Heisman Trophy recipient managed only 66 yards on 7-of-14 passing and failed to produce any points in working the entire first half of the Panthers’ 20-10 loss.

Clausen, who started 10 times as a rookie in 2010, put up similar numbers over the final two quarters, with the former Notre Dame star hitting on 9-of-15 throws for 69 yards.

Dalton endured a rough night at the hands of a stern New York Jets defense on Sunday, throwing a pair of picks and completing just 8-of-19 attempts for 86 yards in a 27-7 Cincinnati setback.

The 23-year-old, who also struggled in the Bengals’ 34-3 defeat at Detroit on Aug. 12, was able to orchestrate an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter — Cincinnati’s lone one so far of this preseason.

Vobora has played all three linebacker positions and played in similar defensive schemes both in college at Idaho and in the pros with the Rams.

“It’s a little different. There’s only so many ways to skin a cat in the league, per se. Once I get some of the terminology, it’s already starting to click for me, so I’ll spend some extra time with coach and a lot of extra time with our book, pick it up fast, Vobora said. “As a rival, I know a lot of these guys pretty well and I’m excited to be on their side now. Something I’ve got a lot of pride in is special teams, something they take pretty serious here, so I’m excited about that and this defense is a defense that flies around and plays aggressive so I’m excited for that.”

The good news came in the return of cornerback Walter Thurmond to practice after Thurmond had missed the previous three weeks with an ankle sprain. Thurmond is likely to see significant time this season, whether it’s as a starter or when an extra defensive back is needed on the field.

Carroll also said that injured left tackle Russell Okung’s left ankle is getting better but that it’ll be tough to get him back on the field before the season opener in San Francisco.

“He’s getting close. He’s doing more stuff, he’s doing stuff in individual, he’s bouncing around on it pretty good but we would not play him this week,” Carroll said. “He would have to make a pretty good turn for us to put him out there the following week on a short week. That’s possible though, that’s a possibility, but we’re shooting for the opener.”