Tonight, we kick off Week Two of the 2026 NFL Preseason. First, the Raiders will face the Texans, followed by a West Coast matchup between the 49ers and the Chargers. With 16 games from today through Sunday night, let's identify the most interesting question that we should be asking for each contest over the next few days.
Las Vegas Raiders @ Houston Texans
Can Fernando Mendoza outdo his performance from last week?
If you’re a Raiders fan, you have to feel good about number-one overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who looked like a future franchise quarterback in limited action against the Arizona Cardinals. The former Heisman Trophy winner started the Raiders’ second series and wound up taking 37 snaps. When all was said and done, he had completed 10 of 16 pass attempts for 97 passing yards and a touchdown. He also carried the ball twice for six rushing yards.
Mendoza certainly looked the part last week, but that came against an Arizona Cardinals squad that lacks talent on the defensive side of the ball. It’ll be much more interesting to see how the rookie QB fares against a Houston Texans squad that boasts the best defense in the NFL. Even if Houston benches multiple starters, this will be a good litmus test for where Mendoza is in his development.
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Chargers
Which banged-up offense will play better?
The Chargers and 49ers both put their best feet forward offensively during Week One. In the Bay Area, rookie wideout De’Zhaun Stribling dazzled with seven catches for 63 yards as the Niners amassed 322 yards of offense. In Houston, the Chargers shredded the Texans’ defense for 379 yards and 27 points! Both teams are hoping to keep up those offensive outputs this week.
Following a joint practice between these squads in El Segundo, California, these teams are dealing with injuries to key players. 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is questionable with muscle tightness. At the same time, LA center Tyler Biadasz has been sidelined with an ACL injury. Despite going into this matchup undermanned, both squads are led by brilliant offensive minds in Mike McDaniel and Kyle Shanahan. Injuries or not, there’s no excuse for either one of these offenses not to put up plenty of yards and points tonight.
New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers
How will the young quarterbacks perform this time around?
The Steelers and Jets deployed rookie quarterbacks during Week One of the preseason. Cade Klubnik was solid for Gang Green, going five of seven for 56 yards as he led the Jets on two scoring drives. One day earlier, Drew Allar set the NFL world on fire by going 10 for 13 for 153 yards and three total touchdowns against the Green Bay Packers!
Once again, it sounds like Allar and Klubnik will get plenty of snaps. In fact, Steelers head coach Mikey McCarthy said Drew Allar and second-year quarterback Will Howard will take all of Pittsburgh’s reps in this game. On the other side, quarterback Geno Smith’s status for the game is unclear as he battles a hurt ankle, so we can expect to see Cade Klubnik get at least some snaps if he isn’t named the outright starter for the game. If both of these QBs show out in this matchup, it will solidify them as backups going into the regular season.
Carolina Panthers @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Can first-round pick Monroe Freeling bounce back after a tough outing in Week One?
It might not have seemed like it, but Panthers rookie offensive tackle Monroe Freeling had a tough showing in Week One from an analytical standpoint. According to Pro Football Focus, Freeling finished his NFL debut with a 53.1 overall grade, which ranked 33rd out of 39 players who took a snap for Carolina. Also, Freeling had the fourth-lowest pass blocking grade on the team and the third-lowest run blocking grade.
Obviously, the Panthers will be expecting more from a kid who was taken with the 19th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Then again, growing pains were expected with the former Georgia Bulldog. He's an unpolished offensive lineman who rocketed up teams' charts because of the freakish athleticism he displayed at the NFL Scouting Combine. He doesn't need to be Joe Thomas right away, but it would be nice to see him play better this week.
Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
How many snaps will Jordan Love take?
Last week, Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love played the entire first series as he led the Green and Gold on a 10-play, 46-yard drive that ended with a field goal. It was an up-and-down performance for the fourth-year starter as he converted one third-down but failed to get Green Bay into the end zone after advancing the ball to Pittsburgh's 19 yard line.
This week, the Packers return to Denver, Colorado, where their season seemingly ended last year after edge rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL in a Week 15 matchup against the Broncos. Despite the bad injury luck that Green Bay had in Mile High Stadium, Jordan Love is still expected to start the game. Considering how disastrous the last trip to Denver was, it would behoove the Packers to limit Love's pass attempts and take him out of the game after their first offensive drive.
Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions
Will we see more from the Commanders' defense?
As we mentioned a few days ago, the Commanders' defense did not have its best performance against the Miami Dolphins last week. It's unfair to say that Washington played poorly. However, we wanted to see more from the defensive side of the ball.
The Commanders will most likely be without impactful free agent signings Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson. Still, there will be plenty of guys getting meaningful defensive snaps, like rookie linebacker Sonny Styles and maybe even linemen Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw. If those guys do end up taking the field, it would be great to see the Commanders generate more pressure on the quarterback and once again limit their opponent to fewer than 20 points.
Buffalo Bills @ Cleveland Browns
Will somebody stand out in Cleveland's quarterback competition?
The Browns seem to have a frontrunner in their battle for the starting quarterback role after Deshaun Watson looked decent in Week One. It would be unreasonable for Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel to be the favorite to win the job after they both had lousy showings. Still, the job is up for the taking.
The Browns just need somebody to perform well or stand out from the rest of the pack. We can forgive the turnovers and the sacks. One of these guys just has to score a touchdown or make a few eye-popping plays with their arm. It doesn't matter whether it's Watson, Sanders, or Gabriel; Cleveland just needs somebody to play well!
Atlanta Falcons @ Indianapolis Colts
What should we expect from Anthony Richardson and Tua Tagovailoa?
Week One couldn't have gone more differently for these two QBs. Anthony Richardson looked like a promising young passer, while Tua Tagovailoa looked like a washed-up draft bust. To be fair, though, both guys were going against top-flight defenses. This week, things could be very different.
Now that Tua has taken some live-game snaps, he can hopefully hold onto the ball better. Also, it would make sense to give him more than two drives since the other backup QBs looked unplayable against Denver. Simultaneously, Anthony Richardson needs to have another strong outing if he wants to increase his trade value and possibly earn a starting job somewhere else down the line. After recording 198 total yards and a touchdown, Richardson can help his future as a potential starter if he avoids turning the ball over like he did last week.
Baltimore Ravens @ Minnesota Vikings
Will J.J. McCarthy fall further down the depth chart?
J.J. McCarthy did not play well against the Giants last Saturday. The former first-round pick only completed four of his seven pass attempts for 34 yards. Not to mention, he buckled multiple times under pressure and even took a poorly timed sack on a third-down attempt. There's no question that Kyler Murray is the starter in Minnesota. From here on out, J.J. McCarthy needs to prove that he deserves to be the Vikings' QB2.
Carson Wentz looked much better than McCarthy last week. The former Pro Bowler connected on nine of 14 passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. If the worst were to happen and Kyler Murray suffered an injury during the regular season, the Vikes would probably be better off starting Carson Wentz over McCarthy. In order to avoid the embarrassment of being demoted a second time before the regular season begins, McCarthy needs to ball out at home this weekend.
New Orleans Saints @ Los Angeles Rams
How will Ty Simpson look in his second start?
One could argue that Ty Simpson had the best performance of any quarterback who took a snap last week. The 2026 first-round draft pick completed 21 of 25 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns as he made all of the doubters look foolish. Based on those statistics, the expectations are high for Simpson to play well again.
Despite his fantastic NFL debut, it's unfair to believe that Simpson will post a similar stat line this week. After all, there's now game tape that teams can review to better figure out his quarterbacking tendencies. He doesn't have to be lights out this weekend, but another touchdown and 100+ passing yards will further build up this kid's confidence and the belief that he can be the quarterback of the future in Los Angeles.
New York Giants @ Miami Dolphins
How much playing time will the starting QBs get in this game?
New York's Jaxson Dart and Miami's Malik Willis had solid outings in Week One. After taking a nasty sack on the first drive, Dart bounced back and tossed a picturesque touchdown pass to rookie wideout Malachi Fields on the next offensive possession. On Friday night, Malik Willis led Miami on a 14-play, 93-yard touchdown drive in his first start with the Dolphins.
It's fair to assume that both of these quarterbacks will get the nod and start this game. Should either QB take a big hit at some point early on, then the head coach will probably take them out of the contest. Then again, if either quarterback leads a touchdown drive, that might mark the end of their day as well. In reality, both quarterbacks will probably get one or at most two drives to start the game before taking the bench.
Chicago Bears @ Cincinnati Bengals
How will Cincy look against a top-flight offense?
The Bengals spent a ton of money and draft capital fixing the defense, and those investments seemingly paid off in Week One. Cincy forced two turnovers and recorded a fourth-down stop on three of Detroit's first four offensive possessions. The hope is that the defense will play as well this week against what will surely be one of the best offenses in the NFL.
Even without Caleb Williams in the lineup, the Bears' offense is electric, as proven by the fact that they scored the most points of any team in the league last week. Cincy should take this game seriously on the defensive side of the ball because it could set the tone for what fans will expect this season. If the Bengals give up a ton of points, then it'll feel like another failed campaign is on the horizon. Then again, if Cincinnati can limit the Bears' offensive effectiveness, expectations could skyrocket in the Queen City.
Philadelphia Eagles @ New England Patriots
How much will we see A.J. Brown featured in this game?
After sitting out the Week One matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, I fully anticipate wide receiver A.J. Brown to take the field this weekend for at least one offensive possession. Brown is going to want to put up decent numbers against the team that traded him away.
Don't be surprised to see the Patriots attempt a deep shot to Brown early in the game. New England is the type of team that wants to rub your face in your mistake. If they can't connect on a long bomb, then I believe Brown will get some short catches or screen passes. He won't play the entire first half, but he also won't come out of the game until he records at least one reception.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
How many starters will take the field for the Chiefs?
Several key contributors and star players were held out of Kansas City's game against the Rams, including quarterback Patrick Mahomes, offensive lineman Trey Smith, cornerback Mansoor Delane, and linebacker Drue Tranquill. Conversely, some expected starters played meaningful snaps, like wideout Cyrus Allen, cornerback Kristian Fulton, safety Alohi Gilman, defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah, and edge rusher R Mason Thomas. Needless to say, the Chiefs will probably have some important players take the field once again.
Patrick Mahomes has already been ruled out of this game. It also seems like Drue Tranquill and Trey Smith will sit out as they deal with minor injuries. However, R Mason Thomas and fellow rookie defensive lineman Peter Woods will probably take the field. We could also see the NFL debut of cornerback and number-six overall draft pick Mansoor Delane.
Dallas Cowboys @ Arizona Cardinals
Will a clear-cut starting quarterback emerge for the Cardinals?
Surprisingly, Arizona's QBs have been fantastic through two preseason matchups. The Cardinals are averaging 28.5 points per game and have a team passer rating of 129.8. Though it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Jacoby Brissett would be the starting quarterback when the regular season began, he now has some competition.
The starting quarterback will be Carson Beck, Jacoby Brissett, or Gardner Minshew. In all likelihood, Beck won't end up being the Week One starter since he's a rookie, and he could miss this game with a rib injury. Therefore, Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew will probably take most of the offensive snaps this week. Even if Brissett gets the start, Minshew will have an opportunity to improve his chances of winning the quarterback battle with another strong performance.
Seattle Seahawks @ Tennessee Titans
How will Cam Ward fare against a Super Bowl-winning defense?
Against one of the best-coached teams in the NFL, Cam Ward looked okay last week. Statistically, he left a lot to be desired, but when you actually watched the game tape, Ward played decently. This week, he has an even more difficult test going against the defending Super Bowl champs.
Ward doesn't have to set the world on fire. However, it would be nice to see him post a better stat line than the one we saw him put up last week. If Ward can orchestrate one or two scoring drives, that would be considered a successful day. Conversely, a turnover would create even more concerns about the second-year pro after an underwhelming 2026 debut.
