The second week of the 2026 NFL preseason wrapped up with crucial answers—and fresh questions—surrounding depth charts across the league. With the mandatory 53-man roster cut deadline set for Aug. 30, teams used this week’s action to evaluate position battles and test young talent.
Severe weather in Jacksonville forced officials to call Friday’s game near the two-minute warning due to lightning. Meanwhile, Saturday featured Deshaun Watson’s tense return home to Cleveland and a rough outing for Minnesota rookie J.J. McCarthy. Sunday capped off the weekend with a tight contest as the Tennessee Titans edged out the defending champion Seattle Seahawks.
| Game | Key Storyline |
| Titans 19, Seahawks 16 | Secondary concerns linger for Tennessee despite the win; Seattle safety Bud Clark suffers broken ankle. |
| Cowboys 34, Cardinals 13 | Joe Milton III makes a strong case for Dallas’ QB2 job; Arizona faces tough wideout cuts. |
| Patriots 24, Eagles 21 | New England’s Kindle Vildor pushes for a corner spot; Philadelphia’s backup QB battle remains unresolved. |
| Bucs 16, Chiefs 15 | Rookie Jalon Daniels sparks Tampa Bay; Kansas City’s right tackle spot remains a glaring issue. |
| Bengals 27, Bears 9 | Chicago’s left tackle race drags on; Cincinnati looks for offensive line depth. |
| Giants 26, Dolphins 3 | Odell Beckham Jr. sits on New York’s roster bubble; Miami’s depth struggles heavily. |
| Rams 34, Saints 0 | Stetson Bennett IV leads dominant LA win; New Orleans backup QBs struggle again. |
| Bills 31, Browns 7 | Kyle Allen solidifies Buffalo’s backup spot; Deshaun Watson draws boos in Cleveland return. |
| Ravens 13, Vikings 3 | Baltimore center rotation continues; J.J. McCarthy gets banged up early for Minnesota. |
| Falcons 34, Colts 6 | Undrafted rookie Jack Strand shines for Atlanta; Indianapolis evaluates thin linebacker core. |
| Lions 17, Commanders 13 | Detroit’s revamped offensive line allows four early sacks; Washington seeks interior line help. |
In Dallas, Joe Milton III continued his impressive preseason form, completing 21 of 28 passes for 286 yards and three touchdowns across two games. His commanding performance is forcing the Cowboys to consider keeping three quarterbacks on their active 53-man roster.
Conversely, the Saints and Eagles are still searching for clarity. Neither Zach Wilson nor Spencer Rattler managed to seize control of the backup role in New Orleans’ shutout loss to the Rams. In Philadelphia, Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee split time with mixed results behind Jalen Hurts.
Cleveland presents a crowded quarterback situation of its own. Rookie Shedeur Sanders put together an efficient opening drive capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass, while Deshaun Watson struggled to find a rhythm in his second-half drives, completing 5 of 12 passes for 35 yards and an interception.
Earlier in the week, the San Francisco 49ers rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers 41–17, aided by an 83-yard punt return touchdown from Jacob Cowing. The Chargers turned to second-round rookie center Jake Slaughter after starter Tyler Biadasz suffered a season-ending ACL tear earlier in the week.
In other action, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Denver Broncos 33–13 behind four field goals from rookie kicker Trey Smack, while the New York Jets shut out the Pittsburgh Steelers 17–0 as Pittsburgh struggled to find offensive traction with its reserve signal-callers.
Jose Reis is a sports enthusiast and performance specialist with a background in administration and sports media. As a former sports podcaster and broadcaster, José has spent years analyzing athletic performance and the evolution of competitive sports. At TheGymWaves, he applies his analytical mindset to explore fitness technologies, ergonomic tools, and habit-building frameworks. José specializes in high-performance optimization, helping readers select the best tools and routines to enhance physical output and cognitive health through structured, data-driven habits.
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