The first week of preseason is always about letting second and third-string players get a lot of snaps, while starters either sit out or only play a dozen snaps. It's a chance for young players to earn some extra practice reps by playing well and increasing their odds of making the 53-man roster.
The second week of a preseason provides a chance for starters to shake the rust off and get more significant playing time. They might stay in for a quarter, followed by second-stringers coming in and playing for the rest of the game. So this week's games in the NFC North are a great opportunity for early draft picks to shine along with players fighting for starting jobs.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Chicago Bears
August 14, 8 PM EST
The Jaguars and Bears will kick off the second week of the preseason on national television. We should get to see the starters play for a while, providing plenty of intriguing matchups to watch. Even when the backups come in, there will be plenty of things for fans to keep an eye on.
Of course when starters for both teams are in, the battle in the trenches is going to be exciting. Chicago has spent a lot of time and money upgrading their offensive line, while the Jaguars have taken a page out of the Seattle Seahawks' playbook and brought in talent they can rotate around. While the Bears have a lot of weapons, their offensive line will be key this year as they hope to keep Jay Cutler healthy.
While Chad Henne still holds the starting job for now and Jacksonville has held firm to letting Blake Bortles develop, they might have to change course if Bortles keeps dominating the preseason. While Henne is the veteran and Bortles' mechanics need work, they looked better in the preseason and he clearly outplayed Henne. Henne will take on the Bears' starters but we should see Bortles play for most of the game and have the opportunity to play well again.
While backup quarterback battles normally aren't noteworthy, Chicago is a different situation. Cutler hasn't played all 16 games since 2009, so a reliable backup quarterback is vital for the Bears. While Jordan Palmer worked as the second quarterback last week, Jimmy Clausen surpassed him. Now Clausen will get a majority of the snaps on Thursday with a chance to inch closer to locking up the job and a roster spot. Whoever loses this job will likely slip behind David Fales for the third-string gig and be cut as a result.
Detroit Lions @ Oakland Raiders
August 15, 10 PM EST
The Raiders have made plenty of headlines this week for fights and a few brawls in a scrimmage against the Dallas Cowboys, now Dennis Allen has to hope they bring that same tenacity on Friday against the Lions. Detroit will be looking to reverse their offensive woes in last week's win against the Cleveland Browns.
Detroit's offense didn't show up against Cleveland last week, while they won 13-12, the lone touchdown game in the final minute from Kellen Moore. They finished the game with two turnovers and were extremely fortunate to not have a third and couldn't push the ball down the field. The big issue for them was backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky who completed just 12 of 23 passes for 89 yards. Fortunately, the Lions defense was strong and won the game for them, but Detroit is going to need much better play from their offense.
For the Raiders, this game is also about finding just a little momentum for their offense to carry over into the final weeks of preseason and over to the regular season. Matt Schaub and Derek Carr combined for just 13 completions on 23 attempts and an interception. Many of Carr's poor throws were a result of not setting his feet, while Schaub struggled with pressure. Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew were bright spots, both looking healthy and ready for bounce back seasons. But if Oakland wants to save Allen's job, their offense needs to get a lot better.
Green Bay Packers @ St. Louis Rams
August 16, 4 PM EST
While preseason battles aren't measured by wins and losses, Green Bay and St. Louis would like to pick up their first win of the season. Both teams will have key positional battles to watch on Friday and here is what stands out.
The Rams have to be happy with most of their offense—the offensive line looks strong with Jake Long, Greg Robinson and Rodger Saffold. Meanwhile, St. Louis has excellent depth at running back with Zac Stacy and Tre Mason. The only questions remaining are the health of Sam Bradford and who can step up at wide receiver. Bradford missed the preseason opener coming off his torn ACL last season but is ready to go on Friday. How he looks stepping up in the pocket and throwing will be key.
The Rams also hope to see one of Tavon Austin, Austin Pettis or Chris Givens step up as the number two wide receiver. If the Rams can come out of this game with a win and an answer to at least one of their questions, it was a great game.
The Packers used last week as a chance to give many of their star offensive players extra rest, as Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson and Eddie Lacy sat out. In their place, running back James Starks shined with six carries for 49 yards and a score, while the backup quarterback battle that night was won by Scott Tolzien. Now Rodgers will play this week, giving him a chance to develop more chemistry and timing with guys like Davante Adams and Richard Rodgers.
Another key for this game will be the secondary, coaches want to decide on who will be their third corner between Casey Hayward and Davon House. Hayward is the better player, but House has shown nice improvement from last season and earned playing time. Coaches will also be keeping their eyes on Morgan Burnett and how much longer he can hold off Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix for the starting safety spot next to Micah Hyde.
Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings
August 16, 8:30 PM EST
The Cardinals are coming off a fantastic game against the Houston Texans last week, a night where they obliterated Houston on both sides of the ball and won 32-0. Now they come to Minnesota, taking on a very hungry Vikings team that is looking to prove they are ready for a breakout season.
Arizona's quarterback play was as sharp as can be last week—Carson Palmer went five for five with a touchdown, Drew Stanton completed 11 of 17 passes and a score, while Logan Thomas was the icing on top completing 11 of 12 passes and a touchdown. Arizona really is focused on their passing game, which should make for quite a test against an impressive Vikings' secondary. The two to keep an eye on will be Thomas and wide receiver John Brown, who seems to have one great day after another.
For Minnesota, it all comes down to the ongoing quarterback battle and who can reign supreme. Matt Cassel was sharp against the Raiders last week, completing five of six attempts for 62 yards and marching down the field with ease. He looked like the savvy veteran who read the coverage and picked his spots, the pose a starter should have.
After an impressive start to camp, Teddy Bridgewater wasn't as poised in live action. He was late on throws and his ball placement was off during the night. Some of the struggles carried over into practice this week where he threw multiple interceptions, again struggling with reacting quicker and getting the ball out. Bridgewater will need to step up against a tough Cardinals' secondary or Cassel might lock down the job entering the season.