The NFL season officially begins in earnest this week with the start of the preseason for all 32 teams. Around The NFL's Conor Orr dissects what you can expect to see from the five remaining games this weekend:
*Here's what to what to watch for ... *
SATURDAY (all times Eastern)
» Is Trevone Boykin the backup for good? Much ado has been made about Boykin being Russell Wilson's primary backup, even if the Seahawks have raved about his ability. Now, we get to see it against a good defense not wearing the same colors.
» Could anyone emerge from the back end of Seattle's running back depth chart? Per ESPN.com, fifth-round pick Alex Collins had a memorable team scrimmage, especially as a pass catcher out of the backfield. With C.J. Prosise still battling back from a hamstring injury, the competition for playing time seems wide open.
» Was Nick Foles worth the speedy signing? The Chiefs were desperate for a No. 2 with veteran experience after Chase Daniel left town and jumped on the chance to sign former Eagles starter Nick Foles, reuniting him with the coaching staff that drafted him.
* Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (8 p.m., ESPN)*
**» Will the crowd be as advertised? Word is, these teams are going to pack the L.A. Coliseum for the opener, a nice way to welcome the Rams back home.
» All eyes on Jared Goff: The No. 1 pick is still technically No. 2 on the depth chart behind Case Keenum, but will he be L.A.'s starting quarterback once the season starts? Jeff Fisher will be looking for a few simple traits: ball security, poise and footwork. How many out of those three does he actually get?
» Can Dak Prescott continue to fend off a veteran? So much of the preseason is about the 2s and 3s and Prescott has been making a push to back up Tony Romo for good. At the moment Jerry Jones seems content to wait out roster cut downs to sign a veteran, but Prescott could keep his spot for good by stringing together some capable performances.
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills (7 p.m.)
» Where is the Ryan defense at? An offseason of change and devastating injury has Buffalo looking to put all the pieces together. Rex Ryan has never been afraid to get exotic in the preseason, but does he have enough institutional knowledge to run what he wants?
» How careful will Chuck Pagano be with Andrew Luck? This has been an important season for the former No. 1 overall pick, and he will get to begin anew on Saturday. The Colts planned on playing Luck in the Hall of Fame game, so nothing should change but the opponent.
» Hassan Ridgeway has been seeing some first-string love following the suspension of Colts tackle Arthur Jones. While that might not be a permanent fixture once the lineup settles into order, Buffalo's offensive line will provide an adequate proving ground.
San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans (8 p.m.)
» The Titans are not going to look like Oregon, as head coach Mike Mularkey has insisted multiple times. So what exactly does exotic smashmouth look like? We're about to find out.
» Does James Jones still have some juice? A resurgent season in Green Bay earned Jones a one-year fling with the San Diego Chargers. After looking strong in Giants camp a year ago, Jones was cut. Will he have better fortunes with the Bolts?
» Do we learn anything new about the Joey Bosa situation? The Chargers are tired of hearing about their first-round pick, who is still unsigned. But player frustration tends to mount around game time -- perhaps some others echo Antonio Gates' words.
SUNDAY
Houston Texans at San Francisco 49ers (7 p.m., NFL Network)
» Brock Osweiler has been the subject of all requisite preseason hype pieces for new NFL quarterbacks or new starters, and now the proving ground is finally here. This will not be a concrete evaluation, but it will provide a sense of how engrained Osweiler is in this offense.
» Who on Earth emerges at quarterback for the 49ers? Starters at this point are irrelevant since Chip Kelly will hopefully give both Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick a chance to prove their worth. While signs are pointing to Gabbert, it will be obvious early on how interested Kaepernick is at winning the competition.
» Will Will Fuller continue to run with the 1s? The Houston Chronicle noted that the team's No. 1 pick has been DeAndre Hopkins' running mate of late -- the lineup that all Texans fans were hoping for this spring.
