Last week’s NFL preseason action featured 12 games on Thursday night and a sprinkling of games Friday and Saturday. This week, the games are more spread out between Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. No Sunday preseason action just yet!
Which games are worth watching and which will be so bad that you’re better off folding laundry than watching? We’ve ranked every preseason game this week based on watchability.
1. Bills at Browns (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Rookie first round pick versus rookie first-round pick. This game is the best of the week because it features Bills rookie quarterback Josh Allen playing against Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield (this year’s No. 1 overall draft pick). The entire Bills quarterback competition is well worth watching as the Week 1 starter in Buffalo is still up in the air.
2. Jets at Washington (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET)
Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold had the best NFL debut of any rookie quarterback (don’t @ me!). He seems to have the best shot at starting in Week 1 of any rookie quarterback this year. After a feisty week of joint practices, this game could be interesting.
3. Ravens at Colts (Monday, 8 p.m. ET)
Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson has had a decent — though unspectacular — start to the preseason. And, Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is back after playing in the first week of the preseason to continue his comeback after missing all of last year.
4. Cardinals at Saints (Friday, 8 p.m. ET)
Josh Rosen was shaky in his debut (6 of 13 for 41 yards) but the always-confident rookie quarterback will look to continue earning the Cardinals’ trust this week. Going up against a young and mighty Saints defense should be an interesting test for the former UCLA star. Plus, we’ll be watching for Sam Bradford in his second game in an Arizona uniform.
5. Eagles at Patriots (Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Super Bowl rematch! Nick Foles is set to return for the Eagles after dealing with an injury last week and Tom Brady should play for at least a few drives after sitting last week. This is the least exciting Super Bowl rematch of all time ... though, that’s because it’s the preseason. The Patriots’ (seemingly always impressive) running back unit will be one to watch in this game as the competition is heating up.
6. Chiefs at Falcons (Friday, 7 p.m. ET)
Why watch? Patrick Mahomes. He was nothing special in last week’s preseason game but Chiefs fans remain hyped and we’ll see how he does this week as he’s expected to play for a full half. Also keep an eye on Falcons rookie wide receiver Calvin Ridley.
7. Bears at Broncos (Saturday, 9:05 p.m. ET)
The Broncos’ quarterback competition is heating up as Paxton Lynch has fallen behind Chad Kelly on the depth chart. That’ll be what Broncos fans are watching for, though, most eyes will be on free agent addition Case Keenum, who is the starter. The Bears’ offense didn’t start off great last week against the Bengals, and Mitchell Trubisky was angry about it. How will Chicago do this week, fresh off joint practices with the Broncos?
8. 49ers at Texans (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET)
Jimmy Garoppolo vs. Deshaun Watson. At least for a little while, right? 49ers running back Jeremy McNichols could also be a player to watch as the running back depth chart has taken a hit due to injuries. It’s unclear if J.J. Watt makes his return to the field this week for the Texans, but it’s possible.
9. Steelers at Packers (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET)
With Ben Roethlisberger in the concussion protocol, we should see a good amount of rookie Mason Rudolph at quarterback. The Steelers will be sitting many players, but Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is expected to play!
10. Seahawks at Chargers (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET)
After Shaquem Griffin had nine tackles in his NFL debut, the rookie linebacker is once again the player to watch for the Seahawks this week. He’s all about defying the odds and we’re here for it. Fingers crossed for no Chargers injuries (that’s true for all teams, but the Chargers just seem to have the worst luck).
11. Raiders at Rams (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET)
The Raiders make their return to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum after 23 years on Saturday afternoon. This matchup is one we’ll see in Week 1 of the regular season, so both teams will likely keep the play calling toned down even more than a normal preseason game. On an interesting note, Rams head coach Sean McVay is going up against his mentor in Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
12. Bengals at Cowboys (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET)
The Bengals and Cowboys swapped offensive line coaches this offseason, if that interests you at all. The offensive line competition is the thing to watch for Cincinnati in this game, though, that’s not all that exciting. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott are both expected to play, so that should be fun, plus rookie wide receiver Michael Gallup will show us what he’s got.
13. Giants at Lions (Friday, 7 p.m. ET)
The Giants and Lions have been battling in joint practices all week. This game would be ranked higher if rookie running back Saquon Barkley was playing but that’s unlikely after he hurt his hamstring this week in practice. For the Lions, watching first round rookie offensive lineman Frank Ragnow should be fun, as well as second round running back Kerryon Johnson.
14. Jaguars at Vikings (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET)
This game will be missing some star power as Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey and DE Dante Fowler Jr. are serving team-issued suspensions. The Vikings’ offensive line battles will be the ones to watch, especially after injuries have hit. Plus, there’s a surplus of fun, young talent on the Minnesota offense.
15. Dolphins at Panthers (Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Rookie safety Minkah Fitzpatrick could immediately become a top guy on the Dolphins’ defense this year, which is also true for first round rookie wide receiver D.J. Moore on the Panthers’ offense. Ryan Tannehill is back up to full speed after suffering an ACL tear last year, but the backup quarterback play for the Dolphins will be a bigger storyline as Brock Osweiler, David Fales and Bryce Petty battle it out.
16. Buccaneers at Titans (Saturday, 8 p.m. ET)
This seems like an odd choice for the Saturday night game. If you watch (cough, don’t do it!) look out for whether the Buccaneers have finally fixed their kicker issues. As of last week, those issues persisted. Rookie edge rusher Harold Landry had a great debut for the Titans last week, so he’ll be a player to keep an eye on in primetime.
Featured Stories
Panic Index: How worried should we be about Saquon Barkley’s injury?
How frustrated is Tom Brady with his new WRs? Is there any chance the Browns don’t screw this up? What’s worth worrying about right now?
The best and worst QBs, according to Jalen Ramsey
“I don’t care what nobody say. He’s trash. And it’s gonna show too,” Ramsey said of Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Browns TE David Njoku is waging a lonely war against ‘Fortnite’
The Browns tight end is a believer in PUBG, and will battle anyone who argues otherwise.
Jon Gruden gave Martavis Bryant the dreaded ‘White Tiger’ nickname kiss of death
Jon Gruden and Greg Olson have already doomed a couple receivers with the nickname in past years.
Video of the Day
The Monsters of the Midway paved way for a Grammy-nominated rap video
What Fans are Talking About
Jimmy Ward and DeAndre Hopkins throw punches at Texans/49ers joint practice
Vance Joseph says QB Paxton Lynch is upset about his demotion
Bills “considering” playing Josh Allen with starters in a preseason game
Eagles have weighed trading CB Ronald Darby, per source
Pittsburgh media speaks out against Antonio Brown for daring to respond to injury claims
Broncos WR Carlos Henderson to be suspended for violating PED policy
Mohamed Sanu had an adorable moment with his son at training camp
Seahawks RB Rashaad Penny out 3-4 weeks with a broken finger
Recapping episode 2 of Hard Knocks with the Cleveland Browns
The Jets head coach is upset with Terrelle Pryor for revealing his offseason injury
Golden Tate fires back at Jalen Ramsey’s friendly trash talk
Tweet of the Day
NFL Research helped Jalen Ramsey back up all his trash talking.
Based on @jalenramsey comments in @GQMagazine, here is how he fared against each QB organized by his reviews.
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) August 15, 2018
Opposing QBs: 3 TD, INT, 87.2 passer rating when Ramsey was in coverage
Opposing QBs: TD, 5 INT, 69.0 passer rating when Ramsey was in coverage pic.twitter.com/YXANjozGF1
Are you signed up for Rise ‘n Grind, SB Nation’s NFL newsletter? Subscribe here.