NFL Preseason Week 2: What to Watch for in Saturday's Action

The most significant portion of preseason football is evaluating what will impact the immediate future. Sure, there will be third-string players who put up plenty of stats, but the chances of noticing an impact from them on Sunday of Week 1 are slim.

Instead, most fans should focus on question marks at the top of teams' rosters. Is there an injury that vaults a relative unknown into the starting lineup? Is there a rookie who absolutely needs to hit to make an offense or defense mesh in 2015? For the most part, this is what the preseason is for.

For example, Justin Britt, the starting right tackle for the Seattle Seahawks last year as a rookie, struggled against the Denver Broncos' Von Miller in Week 1. The Seahawks, with a couple of weeks to burn before the regular season begins, adjusted and moved him to left guard after his performance. By Friday, he had filled the position as a starter.

They realized what they had wasn't working and took the initiative to fix it. Meanwhile, 31 other teams in the league are still struggling in one way or another to piece together their ideal lineup. With that in mind, we'll take a look at the main storylines leading up to Saturday's slate of games.

Carolina's Receiving Unit

Associated Press

Jerricho Cotchery (No. 82)

Cam Newton has been a controversial quarterback at the professional level. In college, at both the University of Florida and Auburn University, he was bred in a zone-option system. Because of his elite traits, he didn't have to become a dropback passer; instead, he was able to throw into large windows off his back foot.

In the NFL, though, those windows get smaller, and his accuracy hasn't been what it could be if he pushed off his back hip. The Carolina Panthers have accepted his faults and have adjusted to reality by giving him larger targets who have a longer attack radius. Last season, they drafted Kelvin Benjamin, a first-round pick out of Florida State.

Unfortunately, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Benjamin tore his ACL midway through the second week of the preseason.

Just last spring, the Panthers added another pass-catcher to their unit via the draft: Devin Funchess, formerly of Michigan. He was once a tight end for the Wolverines, but he transitioned into a jumbo receiver role for his last year in Ann Arbor. However, per David Newton of ESPN.com, a hamstring issue will keep Funchess out of Carolina's Week 2 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

Funchess is a rookie at a position that historically hasn't been expected to produce heavily out of the gate, and Benjamin is lost for the year. Who is going to make the 2015 wideout corps look halfway presentable?

The first couple of drives of Week 2 will be telling for Ron Rivera's squad. Whether it's veteran Jerricho Cotchery, the young and developmental Corey Brown or the consistent Jarrett Boykin, someone needs to step up.

Can Jimmy Garoppolo Bounce Back?

Associated Press

Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 10)

We're tired of Deflategate. I say that with certainty as a fan of this sport and someone who covers it from a media perspective. At this point, it's a bunch of power leveraging, with air pressure being a cloak for the discussion.

The one on-field conversation this saga has brought upon us, though, is led by sophomore passer Jimmy Garoppolo. Last year, the Patriots drafted him in the second round, and at one point, there were some rumblings that fans wanted to see what the then-rookie had, as Tom Brady "struggled" during a 2-2 start to the 2014 season. The squad then won seven games straight and hoisted the Lombardi Trophy to end the year.

With Brady's pending suspension lingering over New England, Garoppolo is more than likely going to see the field for a couple of weeks to start the 2015 season. In 2014, the product of Eastern Illinois (the school that also brought us Tony Romo) completed 19 of his 27 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, earning a 101.2 quarterback rating off the bench.

But the preseason hasn't been too kind to Garoppolo, as he was sacked seven times in an extended look against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. Last season, only five players—including Michael Vick, who is now out of a job—attempted more than 30 passes while averaging less than 5.4 yards per attempt. Garoppolo would have joined that tier with his production (20-of-30, 159 yards) against the Packers, who at some points had their reserves in.

Five of the players who sacked Garoppolo last week still haven't notched a regular-season sack at the professional level. Another, Andy Mulumba, was drafted into the Canadian Football League in 2013 and has posted one sack in two seasons with Green Bay.

Working Garoppolo in with non-starters isn't an ideal situation, but it's not like he's facing Clay Matthews for 60 minutes. He must show flashes of competence against the New Orleans Saints on Saturday.

Jacksonville's Pass-Rushing Unit

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Smith (No. 98)

Losing third overall pick Dante Fowler to a knee injury during rookie camp was a horrible way for the Jacksonville Jaguars to start their 2015 season. At this point, though, all they can do is throw out who they have and hope someone sticks.

At the defensive end position, the team still lacks a premier pass-rusher.

Newly signed Jared Odrick is more than a solid player, but he's not noted for his pressure ability. Chris Clemons has done fine, but he just returned to practice this past week and is approaching his mid-30s. Andre Branch and Tyson Alualu came to northern Florida as high draft picks with plenty of promise, but they just haven't been able to put it together yet.

But two players stood tall in Jacksonville's first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the 4-3 defensive end position, only two players graded higher in Pro Football Focus' "Rush" rating than Nordly Capi and Chris Smith.

Capi is an undrafted rookie free agent who is looking to make the roster, while Smith is a second-year player and former fifth-round pick. Smith, according to Mock Draftable's database, compares to Olivier Vernon. Vernon was a mid-round pick for the Miami Dolphins, where he played next to Odrick and has since notched double-digit sacks.

Capi and Smith may not be three-down studs, but their combined eight quarterback hurries keep them in the running for playing time in passing situations. If they can mirror their Week 1 production in Week 2, don't be surprised if they start to creep higher on the depth chart.

Giants' Offensive Line Bookends

Associated Press

Ereck Flowers (No. 76)

The New York Giants spent a top-10 draft choice on Ereck Flowers, an offensive tackle by way of the University of Miami. Flowers is still young, as he just turned 21 in April, but his inconsistencies as a blindside tackle are a cause of concern for the near future.

At one point during last week's matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals, Flowers was beaten so bad in pass protection that the last touch he had on his man was on his facemask. He was called for holding, as his assignment crossed his face, which is the worst possible outcome for a pass-blocker on the line of scrimmage. His Pro Football Focus grade of minus-0.5 for the game ranked him as the 88th offensive tackle last week.

Will Beatty would have been the left tackle for New York this season, had he not torn his pectoral muscle in a weightlifting accident. He's currently on the physically unable to perform list, which is why Flowers has since shifted from the right side to Eli Manning's blind side.

Flowers' unplanned replacement on the opposite side is now Marshall Newhouse, who is in his sixth year in the NFL with his third franchise. Newhouse has the potential to be special, but like Flowers, he's raw. His lack of physicality at the point of contact makes him a liability in pass protection, where he ranked as the 152nd-best offensive tackle in pass blocking in 2014, when he made five starts with the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Pro Football Focus' grading.

Manning is heading into a contract year, and if there's any chance of him and the coaching staff sticking around in 2016, it's on the shoulders of the Giants' passing game. If the former Ole Miss Rebel can't get passes off, then a lot of people are going to be relocating next winter. Flowers and Newhouse will need to show gradual improvement during the preseason to keep playoff hopes realistic.

Khalil Mack's New Role in Oakland

Associated Press

Khalil Mack (No. 52)

Even though he's only going into his second year in the league, Oakland's Khalil Mack should be a recognizable name to any and all NFL fans. Just one offseason ago, draftniks were debating whether or not Mack, coming out of the University of Buffalo, should have been in contention for the top draft choice of the 2014 class. He eventually "slid" to the fifth selection, where the Raiders picked him up, but his performance so far has vindicated the predraft conversations.

Mack was in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2014, despite the fact that he moved to an off-the-ball linebacker role after playing a premier pass-rushing role at Buffalo. In the 2015 preseason, though, he's seen more time as a defensive end, the pass-rushing position in a 4-3 defense, than he did as a rookie.

At that position, he racked up 75 tackles for loss and 28.5 sacks during his college career. The two other pass-rushers of note on the Raiders roster are Justin Tuck, who is already 32 years old, and Mario Edwards Jr., a rookie second-round pick.

Oakland is a young team with young talent, but Mack has already beaten the learning curve. If the Raiders plan to take the next step, he'll need to make a push for Defensive Player of the Year honors sooner than later.

The Vikings' New Starting Right Tackle: T.J. Clemmings

Associated Press

T.J. Clemmings (No. 68)

Entering the 2015 season, Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil was a bit of a question mark. Minnesota invested a high first-round pick in him in 2012, and he looked great as a rookie, but his growth has stalled and actually regressed over the past two seasons. The one stone they had on the line was Phil Loadholt, who had been a consistent right tackle for the squad.

One drive into the first preseason game, though, Loadholt was lost for the year to a torn Achilles tendon. Now, rookie T.J. Clemmings is slated to start as the bookend opposite of Kalil. Clemmings was a senior riser, flashing onto the scene at the University of Pittsburgh as a converted defensive tackle with rare movement skills for an offensive lineman.

Clemmings was forced to play right tackle at Pitt, as his inconsistent footwork couldn't be trusted as a blindside tackle. He did possess a great punch, though, and some believed he was on a path toward being a first-round pick prior to his "stock dropping" at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Between that performance and a reported stress fracture, he sunk to the fourth round. The narrative surrounding Clemmings is still the same as it was in the spring: He has all the ability in the world, but how much time and effort is a team willing to go through to develop him to starting-caliber?

It would appear the Vikings don't have another option at this point, but solidifying one of the tackle positions is a must. In recent history, we've seen talented first-round quarterbacks get ruined by poor offensive lines; David Carr and Blaine Gabbert are known for "seeing ghosts." If Clemmings can't get it together this season, there's an outside shot that Teddy Bridgewater, last year's Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year, could be the next name added to the list.