Every NFL team handles the preseason differently these days, but typically, Week 1 is something of an amuse-bouche: a small bite to tickle the taste buds. In Week 2, we're in for more of a hearty appetizer. The main course is still a few weeks away, but this stage of the meal should provide enough nourishment (i.e., starter snaps) to tide us over for a bit.
So, what's on offer across the NFL? I have an apps menu!
Below, you'll find this week's 16-game schedule, followed by 10 things to watch -- and I've divided my analysis into four different subsections for your tasting delights. Bon appétit!
Preseason Week 2 schedule and how to watch
Thursday, Aug. 20 (all times ET)
Friday, Aug. 21
Saturday, Aug. 22
- Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions | Noon | NFL+
- Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns | 1 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
- Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts | 1 p.m. | NFL+
- Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings | 1 p.m. | NFL+
- New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams | 4 p.m. | NFL+
- New York Giants at Miami Dolphins | 4 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
- Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals | 7 p.m. | NFL+
- Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots | 7 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
- Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 7:30 p.m. | NFL+
- Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals | 10 p.m. | NFL Network, NFL+
Sunday, Aug. 23
- Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans | 8 p.m. | FOX, NFL+
Live preseason games are subject to local and other geographic blackouts. Subscription required for NFL+. Terms and conditions apply.
THE QUARTERBACKS
1) Rookie QBs turning heads. The first four quarterbacks drafted in April -- Fernando Mendoza (Round 1, No. 1 overall), Ty Simpson (Round 1, No. 13), Carson Beck (Round 3, No. 65) and Drew Allar (Round 3, No. 76) -- have already titillated their new fans this August. Beck started the fun in an entertaining Hall of Fame Game, efficiently guiding the Cardinals to three scores in five non-kneel drives. The other three thrived in their respective debuts last week: Mendoza looked like a nice fit in the Raiders' new offense under Klint Kubiak; Simpson looked like a capable game manager poised to prove the Rams right for their polarizing selection of him; and Allar looked like a talented passer who could finally begin to realize his potential with the right tutelage from Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh. So ...
Can I get an encore?!
Beck missed last week's game with a minor rib injury, so we'll have to wait and see if he's back in action this Saturday night against the Cowboys. Mendoza hits the road to face DeMeco Ryans' ferocious defense in Houston, while Simpson (vs. Saints) and Allar (vs. Jets) are posted up at home, looking to build on last week's multi-touchdown showings. The performances of Mendoza and Allar carry the most weight, given that the Raiders suddenly appear slightly less hell-bent on starting Kirk Cousins for the foreseeable future, while the Steelers have a depth-chart logjam at quarterback.
2) Sophomore signal-callers under the microscope. Cam Ward (17 starts), Jaxson Dart (12 starts), Tyler Shough (nine starts) and Shedeur Sanders (seven starts) received ample experience in 2025. The first three guys on that list head into the 2026 campaign with great expectations for a significant leap forward in Year 2, though each is dealing with a challenge at the moment: Ward looked scattershot in his preseason debut, prompting his new head coach to step in as the voice of reason against August overreaction; Dart immediately found himself back in the blue tent, inducing another round of longevity concerns; and Shough just lost No. 8 overall pick Jordyn Tyson (hamstring) for two months, leaving a major void in his receiving corps. It will be interesting to see how those three second-year starters respond. That said, it's Sanders who has the most at stake this week.
Deshaun Watson seemingly continues to lead Sanders in Cleveland's quarterback competition, with the 10th-year pro outproducing his second-year counterpart in the preseason opener. But with head coach Todd Monken handing Sanders the starting reins for Saturday's game against the Bills, the 24-year-old has a chance to close the gap. Is this the most inspiring QB battle we've ever seen? No. But with Atlanta's duel on hiatus -- Michael Penix Jr. is still working his way back from his latest ACL tear, while Tua Tagovailoa isn't in line to play on Saturday -- it's the only real QB battle we have on this week's slate. Beggars can't be choosers in preseason football.
CONTENDER QUESTIONS
3) Who's running the football for the reigning champion Seahawks? With Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III now in Kansas City and Zach Charbonnet still rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in January, first-round pick Jadarian Price is expected to headline Seattle's backfield when the title defense begins in September. Is the 5-foot-11, 209-pounder ready to handle such a significant role right off the bat? Well, having operated in the same backfield as Jeremiyah Love during his three seasons at Notre Dame, Price never eclipsed 15 touches in a single game, spawning durability questions during the pre-draft process. And considering the rookie just missed nearly a week of practice and the preseason opener with upper-leg soreness -- putting former undrafted free-agent signee George Holani atop the RB depth chart -- the workload worry remains relevant. Fortunately, Price returned to practice this week. Could we see his first live game reps in Sunday night's nationally televised tilt at Tennessee? That'd be a welcome sight for a team that ran the football at the third-highest rate in the league last season (50%).
4) How will Bo Nix look in his first game action since the season-ending ankle injury? Denver fell painfully short of the Super Bowl last winter. After Nix broke his ankle at the end of a thrilling Divisional Round win over the Bills, the Jarrett Stidham-led Broncos lost at home to the Patriots, 10-7, in an AFC Championship Game that was severely impacted by weather. Rough way to end a breakthrough campaign. Although Sean Payton's frank comments about the injury created a little drama with Nix back in January, the quarterback ultimately worked his way back to good health and opened training camp without limitations. Payton elected to hold Nix out of last week's game in Atlanta, so now he's set to make his preseason return in the comfy confines of Empower Field at Mile High on Friday night against the Packers. Returning one of the most well-rounded rosters in the league, Denver spiced up the offense with a blockbuster trade for explosive wideout Jaylen Waddle. Furthermore, fourth-round pick Jonah Coleman already looks like a nice addition to Payton's committee backfield. Everything's in place for the Broncos to pick up right where they left off last season: squarely in the chase for the Lombardi Trophy. Now it's time for a game-day glimpse at Nix -- not only to check out the surgically repaired right ankle, but also to see how the third-year QB works with newly promoted play-caller Davis Webb.
5) Is Detroit's O-line renovation already falling apart? What was the biggest reason for last season's regression in the Motor City? All the injuries certainly didn't help, but I'd place a healthy share of the blame on the offensive line. After spearheading Detroit's back-to-back NFC North titles in 2023 and '24, the O-line deteriorated in 2025. Consequently, Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes and Co. overhauled the unit this offseason. At the bookends, the Lions shifted Penei Sewell from right tackle back to his college position on the blind side, spent a first-round pick on high-floor RT Blake Miller and signed veteran Larry Borom. That OT plan remains operational, but the interior is an entirely different story. Cade Mays was signed in free agency to man the pivot, but a wrist injury has sidelined him until midseason. Detroit continues to hope Christian Mahogany will lock down the left guard spot, but a pair of penalties in the preseason opener didn't inspire confidence. Tate Ratledge appears solid at right guard, but could the second-year pro be tapped to fill the hole at center? Or will trade acquisition Juice Scruggs get the call? Might seventh-year vet Ben Bartch be one of the team's "best five" up front? How viable a center option is Seth McLaughlin, who went undrafted in 2025? The Lions' IOL is a puzzle, and I'm fascinated to see which pieces fit together in Saturday's game against the Commanders.
TREND TRACKER
6) The league's getting back under center. With the run game back en vogue in this cyclical league, hard play-action is hot again. Thus, many teams are sending their quarterbacks back to the position's roots under center. To be clear, coaches like Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan and Kevin O'Connell have been on this for years, but more of their peers seem to be following suit. Two notable teams hopping on board: AFC North rivals Baltimore and Cincinnati. The Ravens actually have been increasing under-center snaps since they signed Derrick Henry two offseasons ago, but it sounds like Lamar Jackson is repping the traditional alignment more than ever before under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. Meanwhile, this is a major schematic change for the Bengals, who predominantly have operated out of shotgun since Joe Burrow's arrival in 2020. Over the past four years, specifically, Cincy's under-center rate ranked 28th, 30th, 30th and 31st, per Next Gen Stats. The Ravens and Bengals both fell out of the top 10 in points and yards last season. Could this new/old wrinkle reinvigorate both offenses?
7) Tight end takeover! 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TE, 2 WR) has been ascendent for years now, but the Rams upped the tight end ante last season with heavy usage of 13 personnel (1 RB, 3 TE, 1 WR). Naturally, competitive maniac Ben Johnson opened this preseason with the Bears in 14 personnel (1 RB, 4 TE, 0 WR). How many tight ends is too many tight ends? I don't know, but the offensive gurus in today's NFL seem determined to find out. With everyone seeking structural mismatches, tight ends are the multifaceted pieces that can really put a defense in conflict.
8) Receivers growing on trees. Jordyn Tyson's hamstring injury is a real bummer. Like many others, I touted the Saints rookie as the best receiver in this year's draft class, hoping against hope that his extensive college injury history wouldn't undermine his NFL entry. Welp, he's now expected to miss two months.
But even with Tyson's latest health setback, it looks like we could have another fresh batch of instant-impact wideouts. This is becoming an annual occurrence, with WRs from all stages of the draft hitting the ground running in the pros. Cleveland spent first- (KC Concepcion) and second-round (Denzel Boston) picks on the position, and both are providing immediate returns. Third-rounders Ja'Kobi Lane and Caleb Douglas have been creating buzz all summer, with Lane giving the Ravens the kind of big-bodied ball-winner they've lacked and Douglas potentially in line to be the Dolphins' WR1 in Year 1. Second-rounders De'Zhaun Stribling and Germie Bernard shined in their respective preseason debuts for the 49ers and Steelers, while Giants third-rounder Malachi Fields high-pointed a scramble-drill throw from Jaxson Dart and got both feet down in the end zone for a highlight-reel touchdown.
This is an influx. From No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate (who appears to be forming nice deep chemistry with Cam Ward in Tennessee) to No. 176 overall pick Cyrus Allen (who's vying for early playing time in Kansas City), the draft has provided another bumper crop of receiving talent.
DRAMA
9) A.J. Brown vs. the Eagles. Given the melodramatic way things ended for Brown in Philadelphia, there's no juicier subplot this week than the receiver taking the field against his former teammates. The Patriots are hosting the Eagles for joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday in advance of Saturday night's contest at Gillette Stadium. Depending on how the weekday sessions go, Mike Vrabel could decide to hold Brown out of the actual game, but I sure hope he doesn't. I want all the smoke -- and so does the broadcast team over at NFL Network.
10) Baker Mayfield vs. the Buccaneers? When Baker and the Bucs failed to negotiate an extension by the start of training camp -- Mayfield's declared deadline for a deal -- the quarterback didn't hide his disappointment. In fact, he publicly stated that he felt "disrespected" by the team. Now it's on Mayfield to make Tampa Bay -- or any potential suitor in 2027 free agency -- pay. If the past is prologue, hell hath no fury like a Baker scorned. And we'll get a preview of CONTRACT-YEAR BAKER on Saturday night. Mayfield, who didn't see any preseason action last year, is returning to the August gridiron against the Chiefs. The 31-year-old clearly doesn't lack for motivation, telling reporters on Tuesday that the Bucs are “going to shock a lot of people this year.” The chip on this man's shoulder grows with each passing second, and I'm here for it.
