NFL Preseason: Who is playing in Week 2?
Week 2 NFL Preseason Gameplans
In the preseason, it’s crucial to know or at least have an idea which team is playing their starters and which ones are benching them. The backup quarterbacks are also important in preseason as most starters are going to skip the three preseason games or play very little (1-2 series). Let’s take a look at Week 2 and what we’ve found through various media reports including ESPN.com. Stay tuned to this article on Friday as we will attempt to update it as more news comes in about gameplans.
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Thursday, August 18
Chicago at Seattle
Bears: They expect to play their starters for a series or two or 6-10 snaps for most. That means Justin Fields gets at least one series. Last week, Trevor Siemian played most of the way and threw 2 TDs. Nathan Peterman cleaned up and threw for 36 yards in the Bears’ 19-14 win over the Chiefs.
Seattle: QB Drew Lock was expected to start, but he’s out after testing positive for COVID. That means Geno Smith will play, but expect to see a lot of Jacob Eason who did not play in the first game.
Friday, August 19
Carolina at New England
Panthers: Baker Mayfield is expected to be named starting quarterback. Mayfield and Sam Darnold threw just a combined 10 passes and Darnold had the only TD pass last week against the Commanders. Expect Mayfield to play very little if at all. PJ Walker completed 10 of 19 for 136 yards, but rookie Matt Corral was bad at 1 for 9 for 11 yards. Darnold and Mayfield will not play in this game. That means more Walker and Corral. With Walker getting the start.
Patriots: The starters are expected to see some action this week, unlike last week. That means Mac Jones will get some time, but likely against backups. Last week, rookie Bailey Zappe played extremely well, passing for 205 yds (19-of-32) for one TD and one INT. He should get most of the time with veteran Brian Hoyer available.
New Orleans at Green Bay
Saints: Jameis Winston will not play. He did not even play during joint practices with the Packers. Andy Dalton, who went 5-of-5 and a TD pass on the opening drive, should see more time this week. Ian Book played most of the way and went 15-of-22 for 121 yards with a pick in their 17-13 loss at Houston.
Packers: Another chance for Jordan Love to make up for last week’s three interceptions with Aaron Rodgers sitting out, though not all were his fault. The Packers need their young receivers to start making plays. Danny Etling finished going 6-of-8 for 123 yards and a TD for the Packers against the 49ers in a 28-21 loss.
Houston at LA Rams
Texans: Davis Mills played just two series last week and completed 3 of 3 for just 14 yards. He should see more time at QB. Most of the starters didn’t play. They’ll play a little more this week before ramping it up as a dress rehearsal in the third game.
Rams: John Wolford will be the starting quarterback for the Rams. Wolford didn’t play last week and the Rams managed to beat the Chargers 29-22 with third-string QB Bryce Perkins (10-17, 133 yds, 2 TDs) going the entire way. He won’t go the entire way this week. Sean McVay is known for being very careful with his starters in preseason.
Saturday, Aug. 20
Detroit at Indianapolis:
Lions: A number of starters won’t play in this one. QB Jared Goff likely won’t play and if he does, it will be very limited. Tim Boyle is the backup and has the edge on David Blough, who fumbled a snap that cost the Lions a win against Atlanta as they were trying to run out the clock.
Colts: Matt Ryan played about a quarter last week against the Bills, tossing for 58 yards. He likely won’t play this week as Frank Reich will treat Game 3 as a dress rehearsal. That means Nick Foles and Sam Ehlinger will see a lot of time. Ehlinger threw two TDs last week and went 10-of-11. Jack Coan (1-for-5) also received playing time.
Denver at Buffalo
Broncos: Russell Wilson didn’t play in the first game and there’s no reason to play him at all in preseason. Josh Johnson went 16 of 23 for 172 yards with two TDs and is pushing for the backup job.
Bills: Most starters are expected to play in this one including QB Josh Allen. Sean McDermott didn’t go into how long the starters would be out there. Matt Barkley (18 of 24 for 224 yds, 1 INT) and Case Keenum (11 of 18 for 86 yds, 2 INTs) struggled with turnovers last week in their 27-24 win over the Colts.
Washington at Kansas City:
Commanders: With injuries all along the offensive line, Carson Wentz probably won’t play. That means a lot of Taylor Heinicke. Rookie Sam Howell played well last week. He’s been seeing time with the No. 1s this week and could see more time in the first half.
Chiefs: Andy Reid said the starters should play most of the first half. Mecole Hardman won’t play after getting injured in practice and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster was also injured in practice. Expect Chad Henne to see more time this week after throwing just three passes last week.
Las Vegas at Miami:
Raiders: This is the Raiders’ third game since they played in the HOF game. The key for the Raiders is their backup QB battle. Jarrett Stidham and Nick Mullens are battling for that job. Stidham has a 74.9 QB rating, while Mullens has a 115.8 rating, but Stidham has two rushing TDs. Derek Carr has not played in the first two games. They need to find out more about the running backs than whether Carr can find new WR Davante Adams.
Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa did not play in the first game and wants to play in the second. New coach Mike McDaniel has a decision to make, but assuming he plays, it will be for a series or two. That has not been made public. Last week, rookie Skyler Thompson, a third-stringer, played the entire way and three for 218 yards and one TD. That’s not expected to happen in this one, though considering Teddy Bridgewater’s injury history, he’ll probably see limited action.
Pittsburgh at Jacksonville:
Steelers: Looks like the Steelers will name Mitch Trubisky as the starting QB. He led a TD drive to start the game last week. Kenny Pickett saw some first-team reps in practice. He should get the nod as the backup QB though Mason Rudolph threw a nice TD pass to camp sensation George Pickens in the fourth quarter last week to help them a win over Seattle. Expect a lot more of Pickett and Rudolph in this one.
Jaguars: This is the Jags third preseason game. They are using this as a dress rehearsal. That means Trevor Lawrence plays with the starting offensive line where they have a battle at left guard and right tackle. Last week, they fell to the Browns 24-13 at home as Lawrence threw for a TD, but completed just 6 of 12 for 95 yards. Jake Luton (12-of-21, 1 INT) and C.J. Beathard (4-of-7, 34 yds, 1 INT) did not play well in a backup role.
Tampa Bay at Tennessee:
Bucs: Well, we know Tom Brady is not playing in this one since he’s been absent in practice. Last week, Kyle Trask (25-33, 258, 1TD, 1INT) was pretty good against Miami (26-24 loss). Blaine Gabbert is still the backup after going 5 for 5 for 56 yards. But Trask could push him with another strong performance.
Titans: Last week, Malik Willis showed some incredible agility in their 23-10 loss to the Ravens. But he needs to become more consistent. He completed 6 of 11 for 107 yards (88.1 rating). Logan Woodside should play some, but this is all about Willis. Ryan Tannehill has looked sharp in practice. There’s no need to play him in this game.
San Francisco at Minnesota:
Niners: Trey Lance completed 4 of 5 his passes last week for 92 yards and a TD. He needs to play a bit more to get ready for the season. But Kyle Shanahan has been mum on how long or whether he’ll play at all. Nate Sudfeld (8-of-11 for 103 yds, 1 TD) and Brock Purdy (3-of-6, 36 yds, 1 TD) played decently in their 28-21 win over Green Bay last week.
Vikes: Kirk Cousins has been back at practice (joint practices against Niners) so that’s probably enough for Kevin O’Connell. He needs to see more of Kellen Mond, who completed 9 of 14 for 119 yards and two TDs last week in a 26-20 loss on Monday against the Raiders. Sean Mannion is also adequate but doesn’t have Mond’s running ability.
Dallas at LA Chargers:
Cowboys: There is zero reason to play Dak Prescott in preseason. They need to find a backup QB. Cooper Rush took most of the snaps against Denver last week, completing 12 of 20 for 84 yards and no TDs with a pick and a 48.8 quarterback rating. That’s not good and opens the door for Will Grier, who did not play last week. Ben DiNucci did in their 17-7 loss to Denver. Expect Grier to see most of the action this week since DiNucci is not a favorite of Jerry Jones. Maybe Jerry needs to go out and get a backup QB.
Chargers: The Chargers lost to Bryce Perkins last week as the Rams. They don’t need Justin Herbert to play and he did play in the joint practices against the Cowboys. Easton Slick (16-of-23, 119 yds, 1 INT) played the second half last week. Chase Daniel (11-of-17, 117 yds, 2 TDs) should see the first half again.
