NFL Preseason Week 1: What to Watch for in Saturday's Action

After the NFL served up six preseason games on both Thursday and Friday evenings, all but seven teams have yet to see action in 2015.

That changes Saturday as five more clubs take the field on game day for the first time this summer, while the Minnesota Vikings will suit up for the second time in seven days (following last weekend's appearance in the Hall of Fame Game).

Of course, we haven't seen many full-time starters yet, and Saturday night should be no exception, especially with all the bumps and bruises in the dozen contests to date.

For the second straight day, we take the time to point out a few things to keep an eye on in these contests. And once again, we warn those watching not to read too much into the results. Do, however, look out for those newcomers who could make a difference for their team later this year...when it counts.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings

TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

8 p.m. ET

Well, this is obvious.

The first overall pick in this year's draft will make his unofficial debut for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday evening.

The Bucs are coming off a 2-14 season and hope the former Florida State Seminole and 2013 Heisman Trophy winner can show the talent and resiliency he did in college. As for those other matters, the sooner Winston puts all kinds of off-field issues behind him, the better.

It's been so far, so good for the talented quarterback, although there have been the expected rough patches in practice. Against the Minnesota Vikings, Winston will see his share of talented pass-rushers up close and personal. Everyone is curious to see how he handles the ups and downs on the field, though he is only expected to play for a brief time.

Minnesota Vikings WR Mike Wallace

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings

TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

8 p.m. ET

Back in his days with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Wallace was a big-play threat and a 2011 Pro Bowler.

In 2013, he signed a lucrative free-agent deal with the Miami Dolphins, but it just didn't come together in two seasons in South Florida. This offseason, Miami dealt Wallace to the Minnesota Vikings, and now he hopes to get on the same page with the team's second-year field general.

"The thing about Mike is he works extremely hard, and he's very detailed in his route running," said Teddy Bridgewater, according to Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports. "Like he said, we're working together to continue to build that connection, and it's only going to get stronger throughout practice, throughout playing with each other out on the football field. As we move forward, we just look to continue to build."

Last season, the Minnesota passing game ranked 28th in the NFL. A healthy relationship between Wallace and his latest quarterback would do wonders for head coach Mike Zimmer's intriguing team.

Minnesota Vikings MLB Eric Kendricks

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Minnesota Vikings 

TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

8 p.m. ET

Last year, Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and the organization used the first of what proved to be two first-round picks on talented outside linebacker Anthony Barr. The UCLA product totaled 70 tackles in 12 games, as well as four sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three passes defensed.

Now the Vikings are hoping Barr's former collegiate teammate can step in and make not only a similar but perhaps a bigger impact as a rookie. Minnesota used a second-round selection this spring on inside linebacker Eric Kendricks, who totaled four tackles in a reserve role in Sunday's Hall of Fame Game. That's because three-year veteran Audie Cole got the start last week and not only totaled three stops but forced a fumble in the 14-3 win.

Ben Goessling of ESPN.com has the latest on the battle for the job in the middle, and it could be a summer-long competition between the rookie and Cole, a seventh-round pick in 2012.

San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Jim Tomsula

Michael Zagaris/Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers vs. Houston Texans

NRG Stadium, Houston

8 p.m. ET

The San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of a free fall that is almost unfathomable considering the recent success of the team.

It wasn't long ago that this club was making three straight appearances in the NFC Championship Game and coming within a play or two of a victory in Super Bowl XLVII.

The Niners entered 2014 behind the eight ball, and then things just got worse. The team scored 100 fewer points than it had the previous year, and the offense managed only 30 touchdowns. Despite a solid effort from the defense, the 49ers finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs.

Of course, San Francisco is still led by a Jim. But it's now Tomsula (who served as the team's interim head coach for one game in 2010) and not Harbaugh at the controls, as the latter is hailing the victors at the University of Michigan, his alma mater.

Tomsula, with the franchise since 2007, knows how this organization works. But all eyes will be on the San Francisco sideline this year to see if the former defensive line coach can get the Niners back on track.

Houston Texans QBs Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett

Bob Levey/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers vs. Houston Texans

NRG Stadium, Houston

8 p.m. ET

Contrary to popular perception, all was not lost when it came to the quarterback situation for the Houston Texans in 2014.

The bigger issue for head coach Bill O'Brien and his offense was keeping someone under center healthy, as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett and rookie Tom Savage were all injured and Case Keenum wound up rejoining the club and starting the team's final two games.

This offseason, Houston dealt Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets and traded Keenum to the St. Louis Rams. The Texans re-signed Mallett and also added free agent Brian Hoyer, giving O'Brien a pair of quarterbacks he's familiar with from his days with the New England Patriots.

So who winds up winning the starting job? It wouldn't be a shock to see Hoyer begin the year No. 1 on the depth chart as he did with the Cleveland Browns in 2014. Whether or not he can hold off Mallett all season is a totally different discussion.

Houston Texans RB Alfred Blue

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

San Francisco 49ers vs. Houston Texans 

NRG Stadium, Houston

8 p.m. ET

We would love to be talking about Houston Texans right outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, but he's still a few days away from returning to the field.

"Yeah, look, Aug. 17 is the day that I think our medical team has talked to him about," Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said, per John McClain of the Houston Chronicle. "But, again, with JD, it's if he feels ready to go on that day.

"[If] his knee feels good, then he'll go. We're not going to rush him back. We feel like that's a good date for him, so, yeah, we're on target for that. Hopefully, he'll get out here and be able to do something that day."

But the focus here is on second-year running back Alfred Blue, who saw his share of fill-in action for Arian Foster last season. Blue finished with 528 yards and two touchdowns on 169 carries in his rookie campaign. With Foster shelved for now, the 2014 sixth-round pick from LSU is the main man in the backfield for Houston.

According to the Chronicle's Dale Robertson, Blue said his task is simple:

"Run the ball downhill, man," he said. "Get positive yards. Don't lose any yards. Hold on to that football. Definitely don't fumble the ball. Just be productive. They've made me the No. 1 guy, so I feel you've got to take that kind of role and just motivate the room and just push (teammates) at practice. It'll start slow sometimes—you don't want to be out there—but you've got to put your head down, get through practice and just try to get better each and every day."

Kansas City Chiefs WR De'Anthony Thomas

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Arizona Cardinals

University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

9 p.m. ET

We'll say it for the last time: No Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver caught a touchdown pass in 2014.

Enough already. It's a statistic that has been beaten into the ground, but it's also one that the team is hoping to change in a big way this upcoming season.

The addition of wideout Jeremy Maclin should help. Head coach Andy Reid's first-round pick in 2009, when he was with the Philadelphia Eagles, is coming off a season in which he totaled 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, second-year pro De'Anthony Thomas is making the transition from versatile weapon to full-time wide receiver. As a rookie in 2014, Thomas displayed his talent as a runner and pass-catcher but made his biggest impact on special teams.

Can he consistently succeed on the offensive side of the ball and win a starting spot opposite Maclin, or will the surprising Albert Wilson, an undrafted free agent from Georgia State who caught 16 passes for 260 yards a year ago, get the job?

Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer

Matt York/Associated Press

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Arizona Cardinals 

University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

9 p.m. ET

Veteran quarterback Carson Palmer has already made one comeback during his NFL career. So it figures to be business as usual for the experienced signal-caller when he takes the field in 2015.

Yes, the Arizona Cardinals managed to reach the playoffs last season despite using four quarterbacks. But their run ended with a thud in the NFC Wild Card Round against the Carolina Panthers, as Bruce Arians' team totaled an NFL postseason record-low 78 yards of total offense.

That's why keeping Palmer upright is essential. Consider that in his last 15 games with the Cards dating back to Week 8 of 2013, the team owns a 13-2 record and the resilient quarterback has thrown 27 touchdown passes and just 12 interceptions.

In Week 10 last season, Palmer tore his left ACL in a win over the St. Louis Rams. He'd done just that in a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006. So once again, it's comeback time for the first overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft.

All free-agent information and player signings/transactions are courtesy of Spotrac. Depth chart information comes via Ourlads. Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com.