The NFL’s regular season doesn’t start for another month, but that doesn’t mean that meaningful football won’t be played before that. In fact, several preseason games that are on tap this week will likely lay down the foundation for what’s to come when the regular season begins.
Specifically, there are several compelling quarterback storylines to watch over the next several days. Joe Burrow, for example is expected to play in the preseason for only the second time in his career (he ran three plays for the Bengals offense back in 2021). This also marks the first time Burrow will take the field in a game since suffering last year’s season-ending wrist injury.
As interesting as Burrow’s return is, Saturday’s Bengals-Buccaneers showdown failed to crack the following list of the top five Week 1 preseason games to watch. In order, here’s each preseason game that you should keep an eye on.
- Friday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. ET (NFLN)
Buckle up for this one, as both teams are slated to roll out their starters in a matchup between two playoff teams from a year ago. C.J. Stroud will get his first reps of the preseason a year after his record-setting rookie season. He’ll be going against a revamped Steelers secondary that includes former Panther Donte Jackson and veteran safety DeShon Elliott. It’ll be interesting to see if Stroud chooses to go after Beanie Bishop Jr., an undrafted rookie who has worked his way to the top of Pittsburgh’s depth chart.
Oh yeah, this game also includes Justin Fields getting his first career start in the black and gold. Fields is looking to strengthen his position in his position battle against Russell Wilson, who won’t be in uniform. This game is also the debut for new Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
This is a matchup between two former Ohio State passers. Fields’ college career included one of the greatest individual bowl performances in school history, as he threw six touchdowns in Ohio State’s win over Clemson in the College Football Playoff. A year later, Stroud threw six touchdowns and completed over 80% of his passes in leading the Buckeyes to a thrilling comeback win over Utah in the Rose Bowl.
- Saturday, Aug. 10 at 1 p.m. ET (NFLN)
Not going to lie, the biggest reason why this game is No. 2 is because of the possibility that No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams makes his NFL debut. While the plan is for Williams to get 45-55 snaps this preseason, the health of Chicago’s offensive line will likely determine whether or not any of those snaps occur Saturday in Buffalo.
Tackle Darnell Washington and guards Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis have each missed practice time lately due to injuries. Their statuses for the remainder of the week are obviously something to keep an eye on.
This game will be more interesting if Bills quarterback Josh Allen plays, but his status for Saturday is currently up in the air. If Allen plays, it’ll be his first game since his former No. 1 target Stefon Diggs was traded to Houston.
- Saturday, Aug. 10 at 12 p.m. ET
Aaron Rodgers won’t play, so the possible storylines pitting the future Hall of Famer against the No. 2 overall pick in making his first career start won’t come to fruition. Jayden Daniels will start, though, and it’ll be fun to watch the reigning Heisman Trophy winner face Gang Green’s talented defense.
All eyes will be on Daniels, but make sure to keep an eye on fellow rookie Brandon Coleman, who is also slated to make his first career start at left tackle. Coleman is surely hoping that you don’t notice him, as offensive linemen tend to only draw attention when something bad happens.
This game is also the head-coaching debut in D.C. for Dan Quinn, who has brought optimism to a team and fanbase that hasn’t had much reason for any in recent years. Quinn has spoken glowingly about Daniels, the quarterback the team chose to select over fellow rookie Drake Maye, who was selected one pick later by the Patriots.
- Sunday, Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. ET (NFLN)
The NFL’s only three-man quarterback battle will be on center stage. And despite being No. 3 on the depth chart, rookie Bo Nix is currently the leader in the clubhouse as he looks to win the job over Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson.
At this point, we don’t know which quarterback Broncos coach Sean Payton will trot out first, which is another reason why this game is interesting. Will Nix get a chance to run with the first-team offense, or will he be regulated to working with the second or third teams? Either way, what Nix does in his NFL debut will be one of the main storylines from this game.
From the Colts’ side, there’s a chance that quarterback Anthony Richardson plays in a game for the first time since Week 4 of the 2023 season, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Richardson’s recent quotes about his increased comfort level in Year 2 has raised expectations for this season.
- Saturday, Aug. 10 at 4 p.m. (NFLN)
Once again, we’ve got several quarterback storylines to keep an eye on. For the Raiders, it’s the position battle between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew. Based on Davante Adams‘ recent comments, the job appears to be O’Connell’s to lose, but that could change if Minshew starts displaying the magic that made him a Pro Bowler last season for the Colts.
For the Vikings, the team recently named veteran Sam Darnold as the starter over rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, whose play during training camp so far has received mixed reviews. Rest assured that Vikings fans will surely be dialed in whenever McCarthy is on the field on Saturday.
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Author: Bryan DeArdo
August 8, 2024 | 8:40 am
