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

After a solid slate of six games Thursday evening, the NFL preseason is now fully underway.

Another half-dozen contests on the docket Friday will allow teams to get a better look at the players we may not see a lot of during the regular season.

Note that we didn’t see much of the starters on Thursday, and that should be the case Friday evening.

But that’s OK. We’re still talking football here, and that’s a good thing. From players to units, here are a dozen things to keep an eye on—even if briefly—from the 12 teams hitting the field Friday night.

Don’t read too much into final scores, and just trust your eyes (and not your heart) when it comes to what you see around the league.

Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons

Georgia Dome, Atlanta

7 p.m. ET

The second overall pick in the 2015 draft has looked like a No. 1 so far this year.

We refuse to get carried away, but there have been nothing but positives when it comes to Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota. To say the reviews have been anything less than sensational would be an understatement.

“I’m curious, but I’m more excited to see how he does,” teammate and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks said earlier this week, per David Climer of the Tennessean.

Of course, so is every Titans fan. The former Oregon Ducks’ signal-caller and 2014 Heisman Trophy winner was the final first-round pick to sign his contract this offseason.

Now we will finally get a glimpse of the player who has wowed everyone at training camp this summer.

Atlanta Falcons Defense

David Goldman/Associated Press

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tennessee Titans

Georgia Dome, Atlanta

7 p.m. ET

When you go from 13 victories and the No. 1 seed in the conference in 2012 to a combined 10 wins the past two seasons, any good news is welcome.

On Friday night, the Atlanta Falcons hope to make even a slight impression in front of the Georgia Dome crowd that things will be different under new head coach Dan Quinn.

The difference must come on one side of the football in particular. Quinn comes over from the Seattle Seahawks, a team that allowed the fewest total yards and points in each of the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, no club in the NFL in 2014 gave up more total yards than the Falcons. The defense also managed a paltry 22 sacks, as many as Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston.

It’s safe to say as Quinn and Co. take the field against the Tennessee Titans, all eyes will be on a defensive unit that is expected to be a whole lot better than its recent predecessors.

Carolina Panthers OLB Shaq Thompson

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills

Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

7 p.m. ET

Led by linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis, the Carolina Panthers have had one of the better defensive units in the league in recent seasons.

Could that imposing duo be ready to welcome a talented youngster to the mix?

The Panthers made linebacker Shaq Thompson their first-round pick back on April 30. For various reasons, including injuries, we haven’t seen the former University of Washington standout this offseason. But he made his presence felt at training camp Tuesday when he picked off a pass from teammate Derek Anderson.

“It was good to have Shaq back on the field and practicing, doing things he’s capable of,” head coach Ron Rivera said, per Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “We’ve got to be smart with our guys right now, especially guys that are coming off hamstrings and lower-back tightness just because it’s going to happen this time of the year."

We are not sure how much of Thompson we will see against the Buffalo Bills, but no doubt any sustained glimpse of the rookie would be good for Rivera.

Buffalo Bills Offensive Line

Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers

Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

7 p.m. ET

When you go from second in the league in rushing yards to 25th in the same category over the course of one season, it’s pretty difficult to blame just the running backs.

With new head coach Rex Ryan in Orchard Park, the Buffalo Bills are expected to be a physical football team. That includes both sides of the football as the team’s offensive line looks to rebound from a disappointing showing in 2014.

There have been some changes up front with new guards Richie Incognito (who didn’t play football in 2014) and rookie John Miller. Of course, there has also been a major change in the backfield with the addition of 2013 NFL rushing champion LeSean McCoy, obtained in a trade from the Philadelphia Eagles.

It may be just the first preseason game for these Bills, but Ron Rivera’s Carolina Panthers and their always-formidable defensive unit should be a nice, early test.

New York Giants Defensive Line

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

7:30 p.m. ET

When it comes to New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, you can expect a big-time emphasis on the men up front.

Back in 2007 and 2008 with the likes of Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan, the Giants made life very uncomfortable for opposing quarterbacks. But Strahan (who retired following the 2007 season), Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and that NASCAR package aren’t coming through that locker room door anytime soon.

We are still not sure when we will see former Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who continues to recover from offseason hand surgery.

But there will be plenty of eyes on the likes of defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, Cullen Jenkins, Damontre Moore, Robert Ayers and others, and not just based on the ability to get to the quarterback. Despite a very respectable total of 47 sacks (12.5 by Pierre-Paul), only two teams in the NFL allowed more yards rushing than the Giants this past season.

Cincinnati Bengals Defense

Al Behrman/Associated Press

Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Giants

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

7:30 p.m. ET

Yes, it's still unclear just how much of the Cincinnati Bengals starting defense we will see in this summer clash with the New York Giants. But head coach Marvin Lewis is certainly hoping for better health this season, especially when it comes to linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Rey Maualuga.

The Bengals are welcoming back some old friends in defensive end Michael Johnson and defensive tackle Pat Sims, both who left via free agency in recent years. They hope to aid a unit that ranked 22nd in the NFL in total yards allowed and finished 20th in the league against both the run and the pass in 2014.

The previous year, only the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers gave up fewer total yards than Cincinnati, who were fifth in the NFL in both rushing defense and passing defense that season.

Pittsburgh Steelers Secondary

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars

EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

7:30 p.m. ET

While neither eight-time Pro Bowl strong safety Troy Polamalu nor veteran cornerback Ike Taylor spent the whole 2014 season on the field, the Pittsburgh Steelers will still miss both performers this upcoming season, each opting for retirement this offseason.

The Steelers pass defense looks to rebound from a forgettable season and will do it without fabled defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, now a member of the Tennessee Titans coaching staff. Enter Keith Butler, the former linebackers coach turned defensive leader and a man who must improve on a group that ranked 27th in the NFL in passing yards allowed and surrendered 30 touchdown passes in 2014.

Be it an infusion of youth from third-year safety Shamarko Thomas, better play from cornerbacks William Gay and Cortez Allen or a big boost from newcomers Brandon Boykin (acquired from the Eagles via trade) and/or rookie Doran Grant, the Steelers need to improve here in a hurry.

Jacksonville Jaguars TE Julius Thomas

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

7:30 p.m. ET

Take a look at the top of the rushing numbers for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2014.

The team’s top two ground gainers were a former college quarterback and a current professional signal-caller.

One-time Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson led the Jaguars with 582 rushing yards this past season and was followed by quarterback Blake Bortles, who, when he wasn’t being sacked 55 times, managed to run for 419 yards.

Enter 2015 second-round pick T.J. Yeldon, who has enjoyed a good summer. Unfortunately, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tells us Yeldon and others won’t play Friday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The rookie running back injured a finger in a scrimmage last week, and the team will exercise caution.

Still, the focus here is on the offense and a team that scored the fewest points in the NFL. One of their prized offseason additions was two-time Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas, who totaled 24 touchdown receptions the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos.

Remember, this is a team that has scored just 31 times through the air in its last 32 contests.

St. Louis Rams QB Nick Foles

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

St. Louis Rams at Oakland Raiders

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

10 p.m. ET

For years we have heard that the St. Louis Rams are a talented football team that just needs a consistent quarterback to make its mark.

Welcome to the Gateway City former Pro Bowl quarterback Nick Foles, obtained from the Philadelphia Eagles in an offseason trade. He hopes to look like the player who threw 27 touchdown passes and only a pair of interceptions in 2013, not the quarterback who had as many scoring tosses as turnovers (13) this past season and missed the final eight games of the year because of injury.

The Rams haven’t enjoyed a winning season since 2003 and haven’t been to the playoffs since 2004. Seeing Foles play well, if only for a few moments against the Oakland Raiders (whom Foles happened to throw an NFL-record-tying seven touchdown passes against in 2013) would be an encouraging sign for the league’s 28th-ranked offense of a year ago.

Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Oakland Raiders vs. St. Louis Rams

O.co Coliseum, Oakland, CA

10 p.m. ET

It's quite tempting to not only list the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft but the 10th overall selection in 2009.

Yes, the Oakland Raiders starting wide receiving duo of rookie Amari Cooper and free-agent import Michael Crabtree has been earning rave reviews this offseason as the Silver and Black look to improve on the league’s bottom-ranked offense of 2014. No team in the NFL gained fewer total yards and rushing yards this past season while the passing attack finished 26th.

Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com has the thoughts of second-year quarterback Derek Carr, who has been happy with what he’s seen from a talented pair of pass-catching bookends.

Oakland fans may be getting ready to be pretty happy as well.

Denver Broncos Offensive Line

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Denver Broncos at Seattle Seahawks

CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

10 p.m. ET

You can’t help but wonder what this year will be like for 39-year old quarterback Peyton Manning.

It’s not like one of the all-time greats isn’t capable of another big year. After all, since returning to the game in 2012 and in the uniform of the Denver Broncos, the league’s all-time leader in touchdown passes has thrown for 37, 55 and 39 scores, respectively.

Now there’s a new head coach in Gary Kubiak, a new offensive coordinator in Rick Dennison and a whole bunch of new offensive linemen. It wasn’t long ago the newcomers included rookie left tackle Ty Sambrailo, left guard Ben Garland and center Gino Gradkowski.

As of late, Sambrailo remains, but the left guard looks to be fellow rookie Max Garcia, while second-year pro Matt Paradis appears to be the center for now. Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com has more on what may truly be the key to the Broncos’ upcoming season.

Seattle Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos

CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

10 p.m. ET

It could be a fascinating year for the Seattle Seahawks. And for a change, the excitement is leaning toward the offensive side of the ball.

When you allow the fewest points in the NFL each of the last three seasons, it’s easy for an offense to take a backseat. But the Seahawks’ offseason addition of three-time Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham, who totaled 386 receptions and 51 touchdowns in five seasons with the New Orleans Saints, may have head coach Pete Carroll, quarterback Russell Wilson and the rest of the team somewhat giddy.

“We can run the exact same routes that we’ve been running and just kind of plug him in,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said this week, per Brady Henderson of ESPN.com. “So I don’t think we are going to have to do anything just to target him to get him the ball. Obviously the quarterback knows where he is at all times, so more balls will probably be going in that direction. We’re able just to fit him in.”

This past season, running back Marshawn Lynch not only led the Seahawks in rushing yards but totaled a team-high four touchdown receptions. With Graham in the Pacific Northwest, you can bet a few bags of Skittles that won’t happen for a second straight year.

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.