The NFL preseason schedule takes us to Week 2 starting Thursday with the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles hosting the Cleveland Browns. Both lost their openers by small margins with Cleveland falling to the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia losing to the Baltimore Ravens.
Other headliners for NFL Week 2 preseason action includes Bryce Young likely seeing more action as his Carolina Panthers take on the New York Giants. Whether future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers plays remains to be seen. We’re also highly intrigued to see how Houston Texans rookie signal caller C.J. Stroud performs after struggles in the preseason debut.
NFL Week 2 preseason action will also see starters play the most this summer. Brock Purdy could make his exhibition debut after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery. In his stead, youngster Trey Lance struggled big time in a 49ers blowout loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Below, we look at these storylines and more with Week 2 getting going Thursday night in Philadelphia on NFL Network.
Related: 2023 NFL schedule
Top storylines for every NFL preseason Week 2 game
Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles
While Deshaun Watson’s only possession last week ended in a Browns turnover on downs, the enigmatic quarterback looked darn good. He completed all three of his passes for 12 yards while adding 20 yards on three rush attempts.
“You know, so much of the focus for us was just operation and getting us in and out and having a good tempo,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game. “So, I thought all that was really good. I thought (Watson) saw the field really well, made plays with his feet. So, he was doing a nice job as an operator, and that was really the goal.”
With Watson and his fellow starters sitting out Thursday night, attention turns to Cleveland’s backup quarterbacks. Rookie fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson will get the start over both Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond. He’s been super impressive. There’s even a chance that the UCLA product beats out his two older counterparts for the QB2 job behind Watson.
On the other side, it will be interesting to see how reps are split between new Eagles running backs Rashaad Penny and D’Andre Swift. Both played well in the opener with Penny tallying 34 yards on nine attempts. Swift also looked super explosive with 24 yards on just two attempts.
Related: NFL power rankings heading into Week 2 of the preseason
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants
The preseason debut for rookie No. 1 pick Bryce Young did not go according to plan for Carolina. Young completed 4-of-6 passes but was subjected to too many hard hits in an ugly 27-0 loss to the New York Jets.
While Young said he felt fine after the game, there has to be some concern with playing him too much this week against a solid Giants defensive line. If that does happen, head coach Frank Reich will have to play his starters with Young.
New York’s depth on defense showed up big time in last week’s loss to the Detroit Lions. That included reserves Tomon Fox and Carter Coughlin putting consistent pressure on Detroit’s backup quarterbacks. It led to two interceptions in defeat. New York has a talented defense. If this depth continues to show up, the unit could find itself in the top 10 during the regular season.
Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons
While Joe Burrow is unlikely to go at any point during the NFL preseason, Cincinnati needs to get its starters some play moving ahead this summer. The Bengals’ offense was a disaster in a 36-19 loss to Green Bay last week. With that said, no starter took to the field for the game. The hope here is that head coach Zac Taylor changes this dynamic against Atlanta in Week 2.
Speaking of quarterbacks, Desmond Ridder did not suit up for Atlanta last week. It was somewhat of a surprising decision given how inexperienced the second-year signal caller is. Atlanta is in a situation in which it needs to see Ridder with the likes of Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts before Week 1 of the regular season. What we do know is that Robinson will make his NFL preseason debut against Cincinnati.
Related: 2023 NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions
Trevor Lawrence finished his sophomore campaign for Jacksonville by throwing 14 touchdowns against two interceptions in his final eight regular season games. It’s no coincidence that this spearheaded a surprise Jags run to the playoffs. He picked up where he left off last week against Dallas, completing 5-of-6 passes for 36 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
However, that interception coupled with a three-and-out forced Jags head coach Doug Pederson to bring out Jacksonville’s first-team offense for a third drive. The storyline here is whether Jacksonville believes that this was enough of an appetizer for the regular season.
Detroit did not play Jared Goff in the opener. Though, rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs suited up. He looked great, especially on a 19-yard catch and run. Second-year receiver Jameson Williams was less successful, catching just two of his seven targets. Will head coach Dan Campbell give Goff an opportunity to play with these two youngsters against Jacksonville? It might be a necessity with Williams suspended for the first six regular season games.
Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud’s first NFL preseason drive with the Texans ended in an ugly interception. The team also put up all of 28 yards on 10 plays in Stroud’s two possessions. It certainly is not the way Houston envisioned the rookie No. 2 pick opening his career.
“Got to make a play smarter and not put my defense in a bad situation, put them right in field goal range, and that’s my mistake,” Stroud told reporters after the game. “Even though I’m a rookie, still trying to play as a vet and play sound football and not only protect my offense but to protect the defense, as well.”
It certainly was a learning experience for Stroud and his young offense. However, it also makes things more important heading into this week. The expectation is that Stroud will see more action. How he performs will dictate what happens at quarterback in Houston heading into Week 1.
Miami’s situation is different in that the team knows what it has in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and his two top receivers in that of Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Don’t expect much action from them against Houston after the trio sat out Week 1.
We’re more intrigued to see how rookie third-round pick De’Von Achane performs for Miami. The running back was stellar in last week’s loss to the Falcons, putting up 66 total yards on 14 touches. That included catching all four of his targets. Achane has been showing out all summer. Could he end up battling for RB1 duties? Stranger things have happened.
Related: 2023 NFL Rookie of the Year rankings
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers
The evolution of second-year players James Cook and Kenny Pickett have to be considered the top storyline for this game.
Cook excelled in RB2 duties as a rookie for the Bills a season ago (5.7 yards per attempt). In limited action last week, he put up 20 yards on four rush attempts. We’re expecting a larger workload once Week 2 of the NFL preseason gets going, especially with Josh Allen and Co. slated to play. Continued strong performances will put to rest the idea that Buffalo needs to add a veteran running back ahead of Week 1.
As for Pickett, he was absolutely brilliant in the preseason opener, including a 33-yard touchdown pass to George Pickens. In all, the former first-round pick completed 6-of-7 passes for 70 yards and that score. A year two leap from Pickett would be huge for Pittsburgh’s playoff aspirations. He’ll be tested against Buffalo.
Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts
Justin Fields vs Anthony Richardson. Two quarterback who are unproven and being asked to be franchise quarterback. With a ton more weapons at his disposal, Fields’ third season got off to a rip-roaring start from a statistical perspective. The Bears’ star completed touchdowns to Pro Bowler D.J. Moore (62 yards) and running back Khalil Herbert (56 yards) on consecutive drives against Tennessee. Though, it must be noted that neither pass traveled beyond the line of scrimmage with Moore and Herbert doing all of the work.
As for Richardson, his NFL preseason debut did not go swimmingly for Indianapolis. That included throwing an interception on the Colts’ initial drive against Buffalo. Despite this, first-year head coach Shane Steichen named him Indianapolis’ starter for the regular-season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The goal heading into this week and moving forward is to get him as many reps as possible ahead of Sept. 10.
Related: 2023 NFL QB rankings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets
NFL preseason Week 2 features a major quarterback battle in Tampa Bay. Reports earlier this summer indicated that veteran free agent signing Baker Mayfield had struggled big time in comparison to youngster Kyle Trask.
That took a turn with Mayfield outplaying Trask in a big way. The former No. 1 pick completed 8-of-9 passes for 63 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown to Trey Palmer. Trask was 6-of-10 passing with an interception after coming in for Mayfield. Expect this QB competition to heat up against the Jets.
Related: Aaron Rodgers and the NFL’s top-100 players of 2023
New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers
Fresh off signing three-time Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott, it’s safe to assume that New England will have quarterback Mac Jones on the field Saturday evening against the Green Bay Packers.
Coming off a disastrous sophomore season (14 TD, 11 INT), Jones now has a proven offensive coordinator in Bill O’Brien. We’re intrigued to see how he looks in this new offense and with additional playmakers.
Speaking of intrigue, Jordan Love will make his second start as official QB1 in Green Bay following the departure of all-time great Aaron Rodgers. All reports during training camp were positive relating to the former first-round pick. He followed that up by completing 7-of-10 passes with a touchdown in the 2023 NFL preseason opener. Potentially going up against starters here, it will be telling to see how Love performs.
Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings
The battle for QB in Tennessee between rookie Will Levis and Malik Willis was pretty much a draw last week against the Chicago Bears. Getting the start, Willis completed 16-of-25 passes for 189 yards with an interception. However, he was much more electric than Levis (9-of-14, 85 yards).
Tennessee’s backup quarterback situation is a big storyline during the NFL preseason given Ryan Tannehill’s status as the team’s starter. The veteran missed five games to injury last season and is seen as a mere stopgap for the 2023 campaign after struggles in 2022 (13 TD, 6 INT in 12 starts).
As for the Vikings, this exhibition matchup should be about showcases from former top picks in that of Jalen Reagor and N’Keal Harry at wide receiver. The Vikings are looking to find some continuity behind Justin Jefferson and rookie first-round pick Jordan Addison at wide receiver. Both are being given a shot during the preseason. Last week saw Reagor catch all four of his targets for 55 yards while Harry hauled in both of his targets for 24 yards.
Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals’ quarterback situation remains firmly up in the air with Kyler Murray slated to miss the start of the season due to a torn ACL. As of right now, veteran Colt McCoy will be the starter against the Washington Commanders Week 1.
With that said, rookie fifth-round pick Clayton Tune did some good in his NFL preseason debut last week. The Tulane product completed 13-of-23 passes for 135 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He’ll be given another shot against what will likely be some starters for the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Week 2.
As for Kansas City, Patrick Mahomes will likely see more action with Kansas City’s starters than last week (two pass attempts). The top storyline here for the Chiefs includes how wide receivers Rashee Rice, Justyn Ross, Skyy Moore and Richie James look. All four have shown out throughout the summer.
Denver Broncos at San Francisco 49ers
Trey Lance. Trey Lance. Trey Lance. That’s the top storyline for San Francisco heading into this Saturday night matchup against Denver. The third-year quarterback looked shaky in starting last week. While his stats were not bad (10-of-15 passing, 112 yards, 111.0 QB rating), the tape tells another story. Lance’s one touchdown was an ill-advised pass that was dropped by a Raiders defender. Vegas also dropped another would-be interception in the game.
With all of 102 regular season passes under his belt, Lance is competing with Sam Darnold to be QB2 behind Brock Purdy. He should be given yet another opportunity to prove his worth at home against Denver. If Lance struggles in this game, further questions about his future in San Francisco will be the name of the game.
On the other side, Denver brought in Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean Payton to help former champion Russell Wilson improve off a disaster first season with the Broncos. Denver’s first three possessions did not go swimmingly last week against Arizona with a three-and-out as well as two missed field goals. Wilson was able to cap off his day with a 21-yard touchdown to Jerry Jeudy.
Potentially set to go up against a number of 49ers’ starting defenders during Week 2 of the NFL preseason, we’re intrigued to see how Wilson holds up in his new offense. It will be his biggest test heading into the regular season opener.
Related: 2023 NFL defense rankings
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Rams
Las Vegas’ new-look defense looked dominant against 49ers backups last week. In particular, its backup defensive line without the starters in the mix absolutely controlled the trenches. This was a point of emphasis for general manager Dave Ziegler during the offseason.
Set to take on the reserves along a Rams offensive line that will be among the worst in the league this season, we’re intrigued to see how these players perform. Isaac Rochell, John Jenkins, Jordan Willis and Adam Butler all come to mind.
Speaking of Los Angeles’ offensive line, it will likely send Stetson Bennett out there to play behind backups with Matthew Stafford unlikely to suit up in the preseason. By all accounts, the rookie from Georgia looked great during training camp. He followed that up by completing 17-of-29 passes for 191 yards with a touchdown in his NFL preseason debut. Bennett’s performance this week could further solidify Los Angeles’ belief that he’s the heir apparent to Stafford.
Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks
The legend of 5-foot-6 rookie running back Deuce Vaughn grew even more in Dallas last week when the rookie sixth-round pick displayed game-breaking ability. The former Kansas State star tallied 50 yards on eight rush attempts, including a beautiful 26-yard scamper.
Vaughn is never going to be a three-down back in the league. Dallas didn’t draft him to be that. Rather, it’s all about having a change-of-pace to go with Tony Pollard. Initial indications are that he can be the Cowboys’ version of a Darren Sproles. We should get another look at this against Seattle over the weekend.
Speaking of the Seahawks, it’s going to be all about a fellow rookie in that of first-round receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He opened eyes during training camp in the Pacific Northwest. In limited action against Minnesota, the former Ohio State standout caught all three passes for 25 yards. Assuming QB1 Geno Smith gets some reps this week, it’ll be intriguing to see how the two connect.
Related: 2023 NFL offense rankings
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers
Veteran reserves took center stage for the Saints in their win over Kansas City in Week 1 of the NFL preseason. Quarterback Jameis Winston completed 11-of-13 passes for 92 yards with a touchdown. Franchise legend Jimmy Graham caught his single target for 10 yards.
Defensively, we saw defenders Paulson Adebo, Khalen Saunders, Malcolm Roach and Jonathan Abram get extensive run. Head coach Dennis Allen is banking on depth to compete in the NFC South this season. Will it show out again heading into Southern California?
There are several running backs for the Chargers competing for both touches and a roster spot behind RB1 Austin Ekeler. We saw them all on full display during last week’s win over the Rams.
Undrafted rookie free agent Elijah Dotson was the most impressive of the group, tallying 90 yards on six attempts. That included an explosive 40-yard run. Veteran Joshua Kelley (54 yards on nine attempts) also looked good. It’s going to be key for the Chargers to get production behind Ekeler at running back. Which one of these two players will continue to step up this weekend?
Baltimore Ravens at Washington Commanders
It does seem to be that there’s a backup QB battle brewing in Baltimore behind franchise guy Lamar Jackson. That came out in droves during the Ravens’ NFL preseason opener. Journeyman Josh Johnson (8-of-12, 45 yards, 1 TD) saw most of the action after Tyler Huntley (8-of-11, 88 yards, 1 TD) got the start. Anthony Brown received the scraps to close things out.
This is no small competition given the injury issues we’ve seen surround Jackson in recent seasons. One now has to wonder whether Johnson has the upper hand given his experience in the NFL compared to the other two.
The Commanders’ quarterback job seems to be Sam Howell’s to lose. The 2022 fifth-round pick from North Carolina impressed in limited time as a rookie last season. He continued to draw rave reviews during training camp and built on that in Washington’s preseason opener. Howell completed 9-of-12 passes for 77 yards with a touchdown. He also had a nice run with a drop mixed in.
Also looking to win the starting job, veteran Jacoby Brissett continued to give the Commanders’ brass confidence in the opener.
“I’ve said a couple [of] times, don’t sleep on Jacoby, he’s done a nice job as well. I mean, we got some really good quarterback play going on right now,” head coach Ron Rivera said after Washington’s preseason opener.
It will be interesting to see how the snap distribution goes against Baltimore come Monday night. The Ravens will likely play their starting defense on a limited basis. Whoever gets reps against this unit will likely be the Week 1 starter.