Around The NFL breaks down what you need to know from all of Saturday's action from Week 2 of the 2026 NFL preseason.
- Detroit Lions 17, Washington Commanders 13
- Buffalo Bills 31, Cleveland Browns 7
- Atlanta Falcons 34, Indianapolis Colts 6
- Baltimore Ravens 13, Minnesota Vikings 3
- Los Angeles Rams 34, New Orleans Saints 0
- New York Giants 26, Miami Dolphins 3
- Cincinnati Bengals 27, Chicago Bears 9
- New England Patriots 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16, Kansas City Chiefs 15
- Dallas Cowboys 34, Arizona Cardinals 13
- Daniels hurried in brief return to action. For the first time since December, Jayden Daniels was in uniform, active and under center for the Commanders. It was a long eight-month ramp-up to play for the Washington QB, whose sophomore campaign was marred by knee, hamstring and elbow injuries. For Commanders fans eager for an extended look at Daniels in competitive action, however, they'll have to wait until Week 1 in Philadelphia. Daniels took just three snaps in Detroit, attempting one pass in two dropbacks. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year was under pressure on his first two plays in David Blough's offense, dirting an attempt to the right on the first snap and taking a sack on the second. Daniels' day ended with a third-and-20 handoff. With three weeks to go until the season opener, Daniels in Washington's new-look attack remains one of the biggest unknowns league-wide -- and Saturday was barely even a tease of what that'll look like in 2026.
- Lions O-line, backup QB remain questions. Detroit's front had an inauspicious start to Saturday's game. Starting Larry Borom at the blind side in place of Penei Sewell and Juice Scruggs at center for the injured Cade Mays, the mostly first-team offensive line collapsed on just the second play of the game, leading Joshua Dobbs into a crunching strip-sack and Washington TD. That unit logged 15 plays on Saturday and featured highs and lows. Flushed out of the crumbling pocket on the ensuing drive, Dobbs tossed a bad interception, but the line paved the way for the competing QB's 50-yard read-option scamper on their final offensive play of the day. … Dobbs (7-of-12 for 74 yards) alternated quarters with Luke Altmyer, who's battling the Passtronaut to be Jared Goff's backup after Teddy Bridgewater stepped away earlier this month. The undrafted rookie was nimble if unremarkable during his 36 snaps, finishing 9-of-13 passing for 86 yards. As the battle enters the third week of the preseason, Dobbs boasts upside with his mobility and experience, but the job is still up for grabs.
-- Jeremy Bergman
- Browns QB battle remains up in the air. Shedeur Sanders got the start and shined out of the gate despite playing with a backup O-line and weapons. The second-year QB displayed poise, comfort in the pocket, dexterity on the move, found outlets and didn't panic on a fourth-down throw or the third-down TD on the opening drive. Sanders completed his first eight attempts and the Browns' offense moved the ball well. However, his first miscue, a ball behind tight end Jermaine Terry was tipped and intercepted. Sanders showed more upside and moved the ball better than Deshaun Watson, but the big mistakes have plagued the young quarterback. He finished 9-of-11 for 74 yards with a TD, INT and took one sack. Watson came in after halftime and played four drives. The veteran, booed heavily by the home crowd, looked disinterested, had happy feet and missed a host of passes. The Browns went three-and-out with -1 yard on his first two drives. The ugly afternoon was punctuated by a wobbly high pass over the middle that was intercepted. Watson's final throw was also behind his target on a fourth down to end his day with no points, four first downs and 66 total yards over four drives. Watson finished 5-of-12 passing for 34 yards with an interception. Sure, he was playing with mostly third-stringers, but he was also facing Bills backups and players who won't be on the roster come September. If we based things just on Saturday's performance, Sanders would have clearly leaped to the front. Todd Monken, however, has insisted that the decision won't be based on a single day.
- Hamlin states his case. The Bills' safety corps entered training camp with a question mark behind starters Cole Bishop and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. With CJGJ dealing with injury, the safety depth will be key entering the campaign. Damar Hamlin and Geno Stone are battling for a role. Hamlin might have made the knockout punch Saturday. The six-year Bill showed his nose for the football, always seeming to sniff out the pigskin. He was Johnny-on-the-spot for a tipped interception late in the first half that kept the Browns from putting up points. Hamlin also led the Bills with five tackles but did allow two catches for 36 yards. Stone, who has reportedly had a rough camp, did nothing to stand out, earning three tackles and allowing one catch for 16 yards.
-- Kevin Patra
- Colts backup QBs struggle. It was an ugly afternoon for the Indy quarterbacks battling for the right to backup Daniel Jones. Neither grabbed the bull by the horns. Riley Leonard got the start and played the first half. The second-year quarterback was scattershot, missed a host of passes, botched a snap and was mostly overwhelmed. A soft-tosser, Leonard needed to show better accuracy to take the lead in the competition. The issues he showed last week followed him into Saturday. He completed seven of 14 pass attempts for 62 yards. His best throw went for 39 yards to the outside. The rest of the day was forgettable, generating four first downs over six first-half drives. Anthony Richardson took over in the second half and fared no better. The Colts went three-and-out on ARich's first two drives, and earned just five net yards over the first three possessions. Like Leonard, Richardson was off target on several balls, and was slow to pull the trigger at times. The former No. 4 overall pick completed just three of nine passes for 24 yards. Yes, they were playing with backups and got little help, but neither QB performed the way Shane Steichen had hoped. If the middling play continues, it wouldn't stun me if Indy brought in another veteran at some point after final cuts.
- Bill Callahan effect on O-line already clear. Playing the backup unit, the Atlanta offensive line was exceptional early in Saturday's preseason tilt, allowing just one pressure over the first three drives and just three total in the first half, per Next Gen Stats. The blocking allowed both Cooper Rush and Jack Strand to pick apart the Colts. The run blocking was also superb. Tyler Goodson's 49-yard touchdown scamper was picture-perfect blocking, with the front side washing out its assignments and the right side of the line walling off any pursuers. It might not be a sexy takeaway -- perhaps I could have discussed Zachariah Branch's two catches on three targets over five routes run for 15 yards -- but given the state of offensive lines around the NFL, it's notable. Most preseason tilts are plagued by porous blocking from second- and third-team units. Not Atlanta on Saturday. Aside from a couple of penalties, the Falcons' blocking was stellar. In a league where O-line depth can decide seasons, ATL looks to be in solid shape with Callahan at the helm.
-- Kevin Patra
- McCarthy hanging in there. J.J. McCarthy is in a strange position now that he's officially behind Kyler Murray as the Vikings' backup. On Saturday, that position was frequently on the turf. McCarthy came under a ton of pressure from Mike Green and Baltimore's pass rush during his four possessions (six QB pressures, one sack on 11 dropbacks). He connected with Tai Felton on a highlight 50-yard play but was 4-of-9 passing for 31 yards on his other tries. Third-stringer Carson Wentz took two sacks in relief, but moved the ball well, leading to an end-of-half field goal. McCarthy has shown very little in his two preseason appearances since being cemented as QB2. It's easy to wonder whether he'll remain the backup in Minnesota or elsewhere.
- Ravens center watch. With presumed starting center Danny Pinter done for the year with a torn patellar tendon, Baltimore's pivot position is in flux. Veteran starter Ethan Pocic is expected to eventually assume the role, but he's still working back from last year's torn Achilles. Pocic was the second center up on Saturday, relieving Jovaughn Gwyn, who's never started a regular-season game before. Pocic played double his number of snaps from last week and held up well, albeit against third-stringers. Will the veteran OL move up the depth chart and start the season as Lamar Jackson's battery mate? The next two weeks will be telling.
-- Jeremy Bergman
- Rams have stable QB room. There was plenty of excitement after Ty Simpson's two-touchdown preseason debut last week, but Stetson Bennett made sure to remind fans that he's also plenty capable. Given the entire first half to work with after manning two possessions last week, Bennett led four prolonged scoring drives, each going nine or more plays. He finished the two that went for touchdowns with his legs, the first of which required a gutsy dive for the pylon along the boundary. Bennett notably looked sharper the more he settled in. He was unafraid to uncork some deep but did especially well targeting the intermediate areas, going 7-of-9 for 102 yards on targets between 10-19 air yards, per Next Gen Stats. His final work of the day was a composed drive for a field goal after starting at his own 15 with 1:34 remaining in the first half. Simpson took all the second-half action. While he didn't reach nearly the same heights as his first game, the rookie again looked composed. He led two 11-play drives, one ending on downs after Simpson badly misfired behind Tru Edwards and the other concluding in an angry run-style touchdown by Jarquez Hunter. Simpson finished 8-of-12 for 73 yards. While some will want to continue evaluating who the Rams might turn to if Matthew Stafford deals with any injures during the season, the main takeaway is the Rams should feel good about how both backup signal-callers have looked thus far -- regardless of where they fall on the depth chart.
- Saints' QB2 situation is unnerving. Zach Wilson had a golden opportunity to pull ahead in New Orleans' backup quarterback competition after outplaying Spencer Rattler last week and getting the start Saturday against the Rams. He started off well, going 4-of-4 for 39 yards in the first quarter, but his production took a nosedive in the next frame (16 yards on 2-of-8 passing). Wilson's first misfire came on a miscommunication with Bub Means, leading to an interception near midfield. He later failed to lead a successful two-minute drill -- to the point that L.A. still had the ability to mount a 10-play, 77-yard drive for three more points just before half. The former No. 2 overall pick's clock was a bit all over the place during the contest, and he was inaccurate on too many tosses despite showing off his signature arm strength. The problem for the Saints is Rattler didn't perform, either. Rattler threw a red-zone pick-six to safety Alex Cook on his first possession, admittedly a well-sustained drive to that point, after trying to force one to tight end Treyton Welch in a crowd of Rams defenders. Rattler certainly sustained longer drives -- three of his five possessions went longer than any of Wilson's four -- but he wasn't terribly impressive. In the end, both were shut out by Los Angeles.
-- Bobby Kownack
- Tracy's roster spot in jeopardy? Last week, Tyrone Tracy Jr. whiffed on a block, leading to a crushing blow on Jaxson Dart. Then during the week, Big Blue inked veteran Najee Harris, which immediately inspired questions about Tracy's job. Things got worse on Saturday. Tracy played second-fiddle to Devin Singletary, coming into the game on the second possession. The third-year pro ripped off back-to-back 11- and 12-yard runs. Then disaster struck. He fumbled, with the ball slipping out of his grip, two plays later as the Giants were on the doorstep of a second TD. The back wasn't benched, playing 14 more snaps, but saw the ball just four times after the bumble. Tracy finished with six carries for 26 yards with the fumble and was clearly outplayed by Singletary (8/40/1). He allowed one pressure on three block attempts, per Next Gen Stats. The 26-year-old also began working on the kickoff team, something he hadn't previously done, which could indicate the team wants him to do more to justify a roster spot. With Cam Skattebo the starter, Harris a recent addition, and Singletary looking the better back, Tracy could be a trade candidate ahead of final cuts.
-- Kevin Patra
- Williams and Co. uneven on lone drive. Ben Johnson gave a portion of Chicago's starting offense one possession to shake off some rust. Some rust certainly remains, but the Bears moved the ball comfortably before a first-down holding penalty by Braxton Jones put them behind the sticks just as they reached the red zone. Though it wasn't D'Andre Swift or the injured Kyle Monangai, Roschon Johnson ran tough throughout the drive. Caleb Williams also showed off what makes him so dangerous by connecting with Rome Odunze on his first pass attempt, a rollout under pressure, and a few plays later hit Colston Loveland for a 10-yard gain. Chicago was suddenly rolling before the aforementioned holding penalty, turning Johnson's 10-yard run to Cincinnati's 7 into a first-and-20 at the 27-yard line. The Bears ultimately settled for a field goal after Williams threw three straight incompletions. Williams' accuracy was a point of contention this offseason, and that sequence will likely be viewed differently by spectators on either side of the argument. Detractors will highlight him missing an open Loveland deep for a potential TD on first down; Williams' supporters will point out the second-down incompletion was a batted ball at the line of scrimmage, and the final miss came after D.J. Ivey appeared to get away with a jersey tug just as Odunze was breaking on a route. At the end of the day, there were points on the board following one Williams-led possession. That's what Ben Johnson wanted to see.
- Bengals rookie WR flashes potential. None of Cincinnati's top three wide receivers -- Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas -- played against the Bears. Fourth-round rookie Colbie Young did, and he exhibited some potential to contribute in the void that exists behind them on the depth chart. Young was quarterback Josh Johnson's favorite pass catcher during their shared half of preseason play. He saw eight targets on 22 routes, turning the opportunities into three catches for 48 yards and a touchdown. Young also clearly had Johnson's trust down the field. All three of his receptions came on throws of 10-plus air yards, including a 17-yard TD grab that required Young to beat Dontae Manning in press coverage before streaking open to the end zone. While it would've been good to see Young up his catch percentage, three of the five incompletions thrown to him were delivered into tight windows (less than one yard of separation), per Next Gen Stats. The hope is he'll continue to improve in that regard as he continues to stack reps. Again, though, those contested looks show he has the QB's trust.
-- Bobby Kownack
- Third-string quarterback shows he can punt. We could have discussed Kyle Williams' breakneck speed on a 69-yard touchdown, or Efton Chism III's shiftiness pushing for a roster spot. We could talk about offensive line injuries and some struggles from the backup crew. We could have highlighted corner Kindle Vildor breaking on the ball and showcasing a skill set to provide depth, particularly with injury questions on the outside. Instead of all that, the thing that might have surprised the most Saturday night in Foxborough was when third-string rookie quarterback Behren Morton entered midway through the second quarter, not to throw a pass, but rather to boot a punt. The seventh-round pick, who reportedly won multiple punt, pass and kick contests growing up, punted in high school. His first boot Saturday night went 48 yards, just sneaking into the end zone for a touchback. In the third quarter, Morton took over under center. After a sack ended the drive, the rookie stayed on the field to boot a 42-yarder. Later, Morton led the game-winning touchdown drive, punctuated by a 37-yard strike for the go-ahead score with 57 seconds remaining. In all, the quarterback went 13-of-17 for 129 yards and a TD (117.0 rating) as a passer and hit punts of 48, 43, and 42 yards. We doubt Mike Vrabel is planning on having his third-string QB take over punting duties, but, hey, the more you can do, right?
- Eagles' second-string O-line plows the road. The 2026 offseason involved plenty of questions about the future of the offensive line in Philly, with the likes of Lane Johnson and others on the back nine. Saturday, the second-string unit mashed Patriots backups, particularly early in the contest. With the starters sitting, the Eagles backups pushed New England off the ball repeatedly, opening massive holes in the ground game. 6-foot-9, 346-pound rookie third-round tackle Markel Bell used his massive frame to stymie Patriots rushers and, alongside Willie Lampkin and Drew Kendall, opened up easy running lanes. On the second quarter touchdown run by Will Shipley, the offensive line moved the Pats seven yards downfield into the end zone. As the Eagles O-line bullied New England down the field, you could see the anger boiling in Patriots coach Mike Vrabel on the sideline. After last year's offensive line issues and questions about the future, it's a great sign to see the Eagles backup crew dominate.
-- Kevin Patra
- Mixed bag from portion of Bucs starters. Baker Mayfield's first preseason action in two years was uneventful. With 6-foot-10 undrafted rookie Paul Rubelt (aka "Tall Paul") getting the start at left tackle, it made sense that Tampa leaned on Bucky Irving and the run game and quick-passing plays in the two drives Mayfield played. In those possessions, the Bucs gained just 9 net yards and one first down on eight plays combined -- a costly penalty from Ted Hurst III stalled the opening drive. Irving was the highlight with positive gains on his three carries of the night, earning a first down -- the team's only of the first quarter -- on a 7-yard gain, while Mayfield underwhelmed without his starting LT Tristan Wirfs and top four receivers on the field. This performance certainly wasn't what Bucs fans hoped to see from Mayfield, who finished 2-of-4 for 10 yards in his first action since voicing his disappointment that he and the team failed to negotiate an extension this offseason. The positive takeaway from Saturday: Mayfield got some real-time reps. To Todd Bowles' delight (if there is such a thing), the Bucs received opposite results from their defensive starters, forcing backup QB Justin Fields and the Chiefs' offense into back-to-back three-and-outs. Making his highly anticipated debut was first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., who played just six snaps but showed his explosiveness and strength to blow by Chiefs right tackle Kahlil Benson on a Reggie White signature hump move before exiting the game with the rest of the starters.
- Delane flashing ability early. The sixth-overall pick in April's draft played just 11 snaps in his professional debut Saturday night. He nonetheless made his presence known with a pair of plays that won't show up on the stat sheet, but no doubt had an impact. First, the rookie cornerback drew the ire of Ted Hurst in a minor scuffle during the Buccaneers' opening drive, causing the wide receiver to wind back and slap Delane's helmet and resulting in the aforementioned penalty against Tampa Bay that ultimately led to a punt two plays later. On the next drive, Delane flew to the ball on a Bucs' screen pass. He didn't make the play but altered it to allow Chris Roland-Wallace to make the tackle for a loss. It's a small sample size, but Delane looks ready to fill a void in the secondary left by the departures of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. Second-round defensive end R Mason Thomas also had a noteworthy night with four QB pressures on 14 snaps.
-- Brooke Cersosimo
- Milton rising in Cowboys' QB2 battle? The Cowboys' QB2 competition between Sam Howell and Joe Milton III was even entering Saturday night's game against the Cardinals. Milton started the game for Dallas (Howell started last week's contest) and did everything he could -- and then some -- to show he's worthy of backing up Dak Prescott in the regular season. After the opening drive stalled on downs in the red zone, the third-year QB led four straight scoring drives, three for touchdowns and another that ended with a 50-yard boot from Brandon Aubrey just before halftime. Milton's three scores displayed his tremendous ability to extend plays and what he can do with his cannon of an arm: On the Cowboys' first TD of the night, Milton evaded pressure in the pocket, rolled left and hit running back Malik Davis for 8 yards. He then launched a deep throw to Jonathan Mingo for a 53-yard score. Finally, Milton had a 1-yard TD run that was set up by a 70-yard pass play to receiver Camden Brown, last week's preseason darling. Milton finished the night with 179 yards and two TDs on 9-of-13 passing, seemingly separating himself from Howell, who went 7-of-10 for 65 yards with an INT in the end zone.
-- Brooke Cersosimo
