Week Two of the 2025 NFL Preseason begins tonight with two games on the docket. First, the Atlanta Falcons will play host to the Tennessee Titans. Later on, the Chiefs will take on the Seahawks.
Every NFL team will be in action over the next few days as franchises continue to make roster cuts, find diamonds in the rough, and get their starters ready for Week One of the regular season.
With an average of four games a day from Friday to Monday, let’s identify the key things to look out for in Week Two of the preseason.
Which Browns QBs will see the field?
If you’ve been following our Training Camp news series, then you know that the Browns are dealing with injuries to multiple quarterbacks, including their two rookies. Kenny Pickett and third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel are still trying to fight their way back from hamstring injuries. Meanwhile, fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders has been labeled “unlikely” to play this weekend due to an oblique issue. There’s also Joe Flacco, who has already been ruled out of Saturday’s game by head coach Kevin Stefanski.
As of this writing, there is only one fully healthy quarterback on the Browns’ roster: Tyler “Snoop” Huntley, who signed with the team just ten days ago. Since quarterbacks rarely play the entirety of a preseason game, it’ll be interesting to see if anyone is deemed healthy enough to take some snaps under center.
Maybe Dillon Gabriel has finally turned a corner with his hamstring injury and will be allowed to play tomorrow. Only time will tell, but Cleveland’s quarterback situation is like a car crash that is too interesting to look away from. If there were a preseason game to tune in to, it would be Browns vs. Eagles.
Can Ashton Jeanty bounce back?
With Pete Carroll confirming that “everybody’s live” in the Las Vegas Raiders’ Saturday preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, this will provide viewers with another chance to watch running back Ashton Jeanty. Not only was he taken with the sixth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but he also finished last year with the second-most rushing yards ever in a single season (2,601), falling just 28 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ collegiate record.
Unfortunately for Jeanty and the Raiders’ faithful, he did not look like the elite running back he was last year in the Raiders’ first preseason game. The 2024 unanimous All-American was held to -1 rushing yards on three carries after not being targeted once in the passing game.
Though this is the preseason, and it’s not important to ride your rookie running back until the wheels fall off during these four weeks, the Raiders should still try to establish a rhythm with Jeanty and build up his confidence. This kid is capable of rushing for 200+ yards in a game, but the only way he’ll reach that milestone is through practice and repetition. They shouldn’t play Jeanty the whole game, but the Raiders must get him the ball more than three times. If they don’t, then his confidence will be destroyed before he plays a single down of meaningful football.
Our first look at Caleb Williams in Ben Johnson’s offense
One of the most interesting storylines headed into Week Two is Caleb Williams and his up-and-down process of learning new head coach Ben Johnson’s offensive system. There have been several points throughout training camp where Williams has looked either lost or frustrated in the Bears’ new offense. However, those concerns can be put to bed on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
It’s unclear how long Williams will play this weekend, but we do know that he will at least get a few snaps, as confirmed by Ben Johnson on Wednesday. In all likelihood, Williams will probably only play the first couple of possessions. After all, they’re not going to risk injuring their franchise quarterback just so he can establish some rhythm in a preseason game.
If Williams can complete all of his passes and maybe even throw a touchdown, that would be great. But if he doesn’t do that, it’s not the end of the world. As long as he can connect on at least half of his passes and avoid any turnovers, Caleb Williams’ 2025 preseason debut will be considered a successful one.
The game to determine New York’s second-best team
The Buffalo Bills are so clearly the best football team in New York that it’s not even funny. Last season alone, Buffalo had five more wins than the Jets and Giants combined! While the Bills will once again reign supreme as the kings of New York, the Jets and Giants will duke it out on Saturday to unofficially determine who the second-best team in the state is.
Last season, the Jets were able to fend off the Giants and defeat Big Blue 10-6 in a game that saw 11 combined sacks. This time around, though, the teams will look very different with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson likely starting on opposite sides.
As is the case with most preseason games, there isn’t much at stake here. However, Jets and Giants fans can use this contest to determine who gets bragging rights over the other fan base until Week One. When you’re a Jets or Giants fan, this is basically all you have to look forward to before your dreams are inevitably crushed by the harsh reality that is the regular season.
Can the Commanders rebound from their horrible Week One outing?
The Washington Commanders looked completely overwhelmed in their preseason debut against the New England Patriots on August 8th. The offense turned the ball over twice, was held to 18 points, and only converted five of its 13 third-down attempts. The defense allowed the Pats to go five for six in the red zone on their way to a 48-point shellacking. And to top it all off, the Commanders were penalized an astounding 13 times for 98 yards.
Even though it was just the first game of the preseason, this did not look like a squad that was one win away from the Super Bowl. As good as Jayden Daniels is, he cannot prevent the defense from allowing five red zone scores or stop the team as a whole from committing 13 penalties. The Commanders have a chance to right the ship and get back on track against a Bengals team that is without its best defensive player, Trey Hendrickson.
There is a good chance that Washington’s offense will look better this week than it did last week. However, the defense will need to elevate its game, especially with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase likely playing for the first few drives for the Bengals.
Backup quarterback battles
Many squads in the NFL know exactly who their franchise quarterback is and who their starter will be when Week One rolls around. That also means that there are a lot of open backup quarterback jobs across the league that players will be competing for this weekend.
Russell Wilson will likely be the Giants’ Week One starter, but will his backup be rookie Jaxson Dart or an established veteran in Jameis Winston? Is Kirk Cousins’ job as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup safe, or does he have to worry about Easton Stick, who went 15 for 18 with 149 passing yards and a touchdown last week? Will Sam Howell or Brett Rypien emerge as the backup in Minnesota who will guide J.J. McCarthy as he navigates his first season as a starter? Is Stetson Bennett going to be Matthew Stafford’s backup this season, or will that role once again be filled by Jimmy Garoppolo?
Of the 32 teams playing this weekend, 17 of them have multiple guys duking it out to be their QB2. So, if you’re a fan of the Titans, Falcons, Chargers, Seahawks, Giants, Rams, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Steelers, Vikings, Cardinals, Dolphins, Broncos, Lions, Bears, Eagles, or Bengals, you have something to watch out for this weekend.
