NFL Preseason Schedule 2016: Week 2 Preview, TV Coverage and Live Stream

People tend to look at preseason games and say they don't mean anything. They complain that regulars don't play, and coaches don't push their teams to play anything resembling regular-season football.

While the wins and losses don't really matter in most cases, these games can be incredibly important to many of the players. Those who aren't starters and rookies who weren't drafted in the first three rounds have to make the most of every opportunity in the summer if they are going to make the team.

That means practice sessions and preseason games. For backup players, an outstanding performance in a preseason game may be even more important than a regular-season or playoff matchup. A player can earn a spot on the team in the preseason, and that means earning a contract and getting paid for it. Without that great performance, a football player can become a football fan awfully quickly.

Coaches are looking for more from their players and teams in the second week of preseason. Perhaps not as much as they do in the third preseason game, but far more than they saw in Week 1 or Week 4, when it's all about resting the regulars and making sure they don't get injured and miss valuable regular-season time.

Date	Game	Time (ET)	TV
Thursday, Aug. 18	Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers	7 p.m.	RSN
Thursday, Aug. 18	Cincinnati Bengals at Detroit Lions	7:30 p.m.	RSN
Thursday, Aug. 18	Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns	8 p.m.	RSN
Thursday, Aug. 18	Oakland Raiders at Green Bay Packers	8 p.m.	RSN
Thursday, Aug. 18	Chicago Bears at New England Patriots	8 p.m.	RSN
Thursday, Aug. 18	Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks	10 p.m.	RSN
Friday, Aug. 19	New York Jets at Washington Redskins	7:30 p.m.	RSN
Friday, Aug. 19	Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys	8 p.m.	RSN
Friday, Aug. 19	Arizona Cardinals at San Diego Chargers	9 p.m.	RSN
Saturday, Aug. 20	Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans	3 p.m.	RSN
Saturday, Aug. 20	New York Giants at Buffalo Bills	4 p.m.	RSN
Saturday, Aug. 20	Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts	7 p.m.	RSN
Saturday, Aug. 20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars	7:30 p.m.	RSN
Saturday, Aug. 20	New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans	8 p.m.	RSN
Saturday, Aug. 20	San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos	9 p.m.	RSN
Saturday, Aug. 20	Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Rams	10 p.m.	RSN

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Eagles appear to be a team in transition going into the 2016 season. It did not work out with Chip Kelly at head coach, and Doug Pederson is going to try to pick up the pieces on the sidelines.

Pederson and Co. are certainly hoping that rookie quarterback Carson Wentz can give the team a consistent passing game, but that's not going to happen right away. Wentz suffered a hairline fracture of his ribs and will miss key time in the preseason.

The Eagles would like to establish a running game in the preseason, and Ryan Mathews should have a good opportunity to show what he can do this summer. The Eagles receivers appear adequate, but they are not superstars.

Chris Szagola/Associated Press

Under transition is also the Philadelphia defense, as Jim Schwartz takes over this unit and is installing a 4-3 scheme after the team had played a 3-4 for years. Schwartz had coached the Buffalo Bills defense in 2015 and led them to 54 sacks, but he doesn't appear to have the same kind of pass-rushing talent in Philadelphia. Linebacker Connor Barwin (21.5 sacks the past two seasons) appears to be his best pass-rusher.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a known force because of their explosive offensive ability. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best big-game quarterbacks in the league and their wide receiver crew is talented and deep.

Antonio Brown may be the best receiver in the NFL. The supporting cast of receivers is led by Markus Wheaton, and the Steelers are capable of lighting up the scoreboard in any game.

The running back tandem of Le'Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams is as strong as any twosome in the league.

The Steelers can play a hard-hitting brand of defense, but they ranked 21st in yards allowed a year ago. Pittsburgh drafted defensive players with their first three selections in an effort to turn this around.

While neither franchise is likely to reveal too much about their 2016 offensive playbook, look for the Steelers to get the job done on their home field against an opponent that may not have much to offer this season.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots

The Bears and the Patriots will be practicing together prior to their Thursday night game, and that should be good news for Chicago head coach John Fox.

The Bears have been struggling for several years, and the chance to share a practice field with perhaps the most consistent team in the league can only help show players how to go about their business.

In their opening preseason matchup against Denver the Bears struggled on the offensive line, and Fox wants to see improvement in that area.

They would like to give quarterback Jay Cutler solid protection so he can start to get his rhythm prior to the start of the season. Wideout Alshon Jeffery is his top weapon, and he is capable of making big yards after the catch.

Former Bear Martellus Bennett is now playing for the Patriots, and he did not leave on good terms. Look for Bennett to show the Bears exactly what they will be missing this season.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Tom Brady has nothing to prove in the preseason, and backup Jimmy Garoppolo will play the first four games of the season as a result of the Deflategate suspension. Look for Garoppolo to show what he can do against a Chicago defense that is likely to be more effective in the second year of the Fox-Vic Fangio regime.

Garoppolo and the Patriots should get the best of a team that is searching to find an identity.

Every preseason game is available to live stream through NFL Game Pass.