NFL Preseason Week 2: Key Players to Watch

Week 2 of the NFL preseason is upon us with a full gamut of games slated to cleanse the palate of NFL fans.

Who doesn't want to see Peyton Manning and Sam Bradford make their preseason debuts or the No. 1 and No. 2 picks of the draft follow up their first game in the NFL?

For many fans, that's all the preseason really is, though—a palate cleanser that offers their football fix until the regular season kicks off. However, don't tell that to the players who might be competing for a roster spot. For them, preseason football is more like the main course.

The second week of preseason features a little more action and a little more pressure for those players who looking to turn some heads. In Week 2, starters often play well into the second quarter instead of just a series or two and start finding their rhythm on the field.

Teams will also begin taking a closer look at the improvements of some of their more valued players, while backups will try to capitalize on their opportunities. 

That's enough backstory. It's still the preseason, so some of the things we see from this week's games can still be taken with a grain of salt. However, the slides ahead touch on some of the players to keep an eye on during Week 2.

Many of the players happen to be quarterbacks, but there's a reason for that. Some of them have yet to play in the preseason, while others are battling for starting positions or attempting to prove that they belong under center. The list is in no particular order, but the quarterbacks are listed first.

The descriptions won't be too long either—you're supposed to be watching the games, remember?

Jameis Winston

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"Famous Jameis" might have struggled just a tad in his first NFL game for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that was to be expected. He went 9-of-19 for 131 yards with one interception and one fumble in a 26-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

There were flashes of the quarterback who led the Florida State Seminoles to the national championship, though, the biggest of which came from an eight-yard rushing touchdown.

The thing that made Winston great in college was his ability to mount a comeback late in the second half. Here's hoping that he gets the chance to show us that at some point this preseason.

The Bucs host the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET.

Marcus Mariota

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Much like Winston, Marcus Mariota had some growing pains to start his professional career with the Tennessee Titans. After not throwing an interception all offseason, Mariota's first drive in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons ended in one. He followed that up with a fumble on his second drive but would lead a touchdown drive later in the game in an eventual 31-24 loss.

Mariota finished 7-of-8 for 94 yards, but he ended his practice streak of 186 straight passes without an interception.

The Titans are now in an interesting position with a quarterback competition on their hands. Mariota's backup, Zack Mettenberger, went 5-of-6 for 80 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the game.

Many think Mettenberger could be a starter in this league, which could mean one of two things for the Titans. Mettenberger will either make Mariota better while fighting for the starting spot, or he'll end up taking that starting spot away from the rookie.

Whatever the future holds, it will be interesting to see how Mariota performs with one game now under his belt.

The Titans host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

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With Geno Smith out for the foreseeable future, the starting quarterback position for the New York Jets is Ryan Fitzpatrick's to lose.

He threw just three times for 16 yards in a 23-3 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 1, so look for him to have a much bigger workload this time around.

It will be interesting to see the chemistry that Fitzpatrick has with Eric Decker and new wide receiver Brandon Marshall. We also anticipate seeing the quarterback without his trademark bushy beard under the mask.

Hopefully, Fitzpatrick won't have a similar outcome to when Delilah cut off Samson's hair.

The Jets host the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night at 7:30 ET.

Robert Griffin III

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Will Robert Griffin III show us that he's the best quarterback in the league when the Washington Redskins take the field for Week 2 of the preseason?

Well, no, but hopefully he'll at least start showing some signs of improvement. In the 20-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 of the preseason, Griffin played in just the opening quarter and threw for 36 yards.

He also got lit up after throwing a pass, ending up airborne before hitting the ground hard. Griffin will need to make sure to get rid of the ball quicker in certain situations.

The Redskins host the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at 7:30 ET.

Tyrod Taylor

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According to NFL.com's Albert Breer, Tyrod Taylor could be the new starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills if he performs well in Week 2. Not bad for a four-year backup.

In a 25-24 Week 1 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Taylor threw for 49 yards on 5-of-8 passing and rushed for 47 more yards, showing that he can be a dual threat with the Bills offense. 

We'll see if Taylor can keep this starting role moving forward.

The Bills play at the Cleveland Browns Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.

Peyton Manning

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Peyton Manning will see his first preseason snaps for the Denver Broncos in Week 2 after sitting out the 22-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

He is expected to play for a decent number of series as he gets in work for the first time in seven months. It will be interesting to see how strong his arm will look three weeks away from opening day and how quickly he'll jell with head coach Gary Kubiak's new offensive schemes.

The Broncos will play at the Houston Texans Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.

Cam Newton

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All eyes will be on Cam Newton when the Carolina Panthers take the field in Week 2 to see how the quarterback responds to not having his best wide receiver.

In a 25-24 win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, Newton finished 5-of-10 for 82 yards and threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin in the process.

With Benjamin out for the season with a torn ACL, let's see how Newton continues to develop his relationships with rookie receiver Devin Funchess and tight end Greg Olsen.

The Panthers host the Miami Dolphins Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Ryan Tannehill

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Ryan Tannehill looked sharp in the opening drive for the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 of the preseason and will look to build from that with more time on the field in Week 2.

He finished the game 6-of-7 for 56 yards in a 27-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. The Bears don't necessarily have the same defense as they used to, but it was still a solid debut nonetheless. 

Let's see if Tannehill was worth that $96 million extension as we get deeper into the preseason. 

The Dolphins play at the Carolina Panthers Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Sam Bradford

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Just like Peyton Manning, Sam Bradford will make his preseason debut for the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 after sitting out a 36-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Much will be expected of Bradford this season—the first of which is his continued health. Will he fit into Chip Kelly's offensive system? Can he keep up with the fast-paced play?

Only time will tell, but we'll get our first glimpse this week. It could be fun to watch or a complete disaster. We may end up hearing some Tim Tebow chants in the process.

The Eagles host the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Colin Kaepernick

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Colin Kaepernick wasn't exactly sharp for the San Francisco 49ers in a 23-10 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 1 of the preseason.

He missed Torrey Smith on a deep route and finished 1-of-3 for 14 yards. Now that's certainly a small sample size, so let's see what Kap can do with a little more reps under his belt.

Look for the 49ers to send Kaepernick out of the pocket. They'll also try to run the ball with Carlos Hyde to open things up.

The 49ers host the Cowboys on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET.

Jonas Gray

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Finally, our first non-quarterback!

Remember Jonas Gray? The New England Patriot who rushed for what felt like 10 touchdowns and 2,000 yards in one game last season, made the cover of Sports Illustrated and then barely played again the rest of the season? Yeah, that Jonas Gray.

Well, he's still on the Pats and looked quite good in the 22-11 Week 1 preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers. He finished with seven carries for 74 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown run that might have turned your head if you were able to keep up.

Keep an eye on what Gray does in the next couple of preseason games. He'll need to continue performing for any hope of staying in the Pats starting lineup.

The Pats play at the New Orleans Saints on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Amari Cooper

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Amari Cooper was arguably the best player in this year's draft, and the Oakland Raiders treated him as such in their 18-3 win over the St. Louis Rams in Week 1 of the preseason.

Cooper caught all three of his passes in the opening drive that led to a field goal and finished with 22 yards on the day. Quarterback Derek Carr kept looking for Cooper in the second drive but ended up throwing an interception in the end zone before leaving the game.

It was nice to see Cooper's positive play in his first professional game, but now let's see if he can do better in Week 2 with more throws coming his way.

The Raiders play at the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET.

Martavis Bryant

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Martavis Bryant came on quickly for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season and will be right in the hunt for the next wide receiver spot behind Antonio Brown this year.

In a 23-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 of the preseason, Bryant had three catches for 55 yards and scored a touchdown. He tore up the Jags defense on the deep ball and may end the discussion for the No. 2 receiver spot sooner rather than later.

Look to see what Bryant can do with more reps in Week 2 and throughout the rest of the preseason.

The Steelers host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET.

Tyler Lockett

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If Tyler Lockett may well be the fastest player on the Seattle Seahawks and will make for quite the performer if he can find a role on offense.

In the 22-20 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of the preseason, Lockett didn't even have a target as a receiver, but he more than made up for it on special teams. He returned a total of four kicks for 186 yards, many of which came on his 103-yard touchdown return in the second quarter.

Lockett may be the game's next Devin Hester as far as the return game is concerned. The question is, can he also contribute in the Seattle offense?

The Seahawks play at the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET.

La'el Collins

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La'el Collins might have already made the offensive line play of the preseason when the Dallas Cowboys took on the San Diego Chargers in Week 1.

Though Dallas lost the game 17-7, Collins made his presence known while on the field, including one play that saw him push Chargers linebacker Chi Chi Ariguzo several yards down the field. And I mean several.

The Dallas offensive line was already one of the best in the NFL last season, but Collins is knocking on the door for the starting spot.

Look to see what holes he can open up in Week 2 to highlight the Cowboys running attack, which will try to replicate the success of last season.

The Cowboys play at San Francisco on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET.