Last week proved that preseason football can be quite entertaining. A big reason why was the impressive play of several rookie quarterbacks, led by Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels,
Several veteran quarterbacks made headlines, too, specifically Justin Fields, the Bears' former first-round pick who is enjoying early success with the Steelers. Like last week, quarterbacks are again the headliners this week, especially in Pittsburgh and Minnesota.
Let's take a look at the top five games for Week 2 of the NFL's preseason.
1. Bills at Steelers
Saturday is an important game in Russell Wilson's career, which is saying something given that he has started in two Super Bowls.
Wilson still has the pole position over Fields, and he is still projected to be Pittsburgh's Week 1 starter. But it's no longer a sure thing, not after the way Fields looked during training camp and in Pittsburgh's preseason opener. Fields will also get extended playing time on Saturday night.
Like Fields did last week, Wilson will likely be playing behind a constantly shuffling offensive line that includes two rookies (not including Troy Fautanu, who is currently dealing with an injury). Center Nate Herbig is looking for a bounce back after mismanaging two snaps to Fields in last week's loss to Houston.
It'll be interesting to see who Wilson builds a quick rapport with among Pittsburgh's receiving corps. The safe guess is George Pickens, but don't sleep on tight end Pat Freiermuth, especially in the red zone.
2. Packers at Broncos
The majority of Green Bay's starters are getting the night off, but that doesn't diminish my interest in seeing the NFL's only three-man quarterback battle between Bo Nix, Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.
Stidham got the start last week against the Colts, but he and the Broncos offense did little in his two series of work. It was the complete opposite for Nix, who led Denver on four scoring drives that included his touchdown pass to Marvin Mims. Wilson also had success; he led Denver on two scoring drives and a 10-play, 62-yard drive that sealed the Broncos' 34-30 win over the Colts.
3. Eagles at Patriots
Drake Maye attempted a mere three passes in his NFL debut, but the expectation is that he will get considerably more reps against Philadelphia. Along with Maye, I'm looking forward to seeing if Joe Milton III can build off his impressive debut that included a touchdown pass and this nifty run.
Joe Milton out here having fun
— PFF (@PFF) August 9, 2024
pic.twitter.com/6wjT7Z52IY
Speaking of backup quarterbacks, Kenny Pickett is looking to solidify his lead over Tanner McKee as Philadelphia's QB2 behind Jalen Hurts. Pickett went 14 of 22 with a touchdown pass in his Eagles debut.
4. Cowboys at Raiders
It's still mind-boggling that these two teams never played in a Super Bowl during their heydays in the '70s and early '80s. History aside, though, there's plenty of reasons to tune into Saturday's game.
Quarterback is a main reason why this game cracked my top five list. Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell will continue their position battle to be the Raiders' starting quarterback. O'Connell started the Raiders' preseason opener and went 7 of 9 in his only series of work that ended with a field goal. Minshew completed just half of his attempts, but he made up for that by throwing for 117 yards and a score while leading the Raiders to scores on three straight possessions.
There's also an interesting quarterback situation in Dallas, albeit for the primary backup spot behind Dak Prescott. The question is whether or not former first-rounder Trey Lance can challenge Cooper Rush for QB2. Lance showed signs of promise against the Rams, going 17 of 24 in the second half and making several impressive plays with his legs.
5. Vikings at Browns
- Saturday, 4:25 p.m. ET
J.J. McCarthy's rookie season lasted just one preseason game. McCarthy is out after undergoing season-ending knee surgery, and former No. 2 overall pick Sam Darnold, who was QB1 entering camp, has the keys to the offense.
The situation conjures up memories of what happened in St. Louis 25 years ago, when then-obscure backup Kurt Warner was inserted into the Rams' starting lineup when starter Trent Green went down in the preseason. The rest, as they say, is history.
No, I'm not saying that Darnold is going to pull a Warner, but I am curious to see how he does in what could very well be his final chance to be a starting quarterback.
Darnold's career likely hasn't panned out the way he envisioned, but his first six NFL seasons did have some bright spots, including his successful six-game stint as the Panthers' starter back in 2022. Darnold fed off a strong running game in Carolina, and he will undoubtedly look to do so again with Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler behind him.
