3 Winners, 3 Losers And The Battles

3 Winners 2026 NFL Preseason Week 2

Quarterback, Geno Smith, New York Jets

I get that the Jets’ offense was playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers second and third defenses, but after sitting out last week with ankle issues, the expectations were low for Smith, going against the Steelers. It is safe to say he exceeded expectations.

Smith went 69 yards with five first downs on 10 plays. He was 7-for-7, with a final flip to tight end Jelani Woods for a touchdown. It’s early, but Smith emerged from this game with a little less shade on his back, which makes him a winner.

Running Back, Ameer Abdullah, Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars did not play their starters; the Carolina Panthers did. Abdullah did not care. The veteran Abdullah is fighting for a place on the Jaguars roster, and his preseason Week 2 performance showed he just might get it.

Abdullah, going against the Panthers’ starters, rushed for 45 yards on six carries. This included putting some pretty smooth moves on Panthers’ starting cornerback Chou Smith-Wade, showing his open-field elusiveness is still there.

Abdullah finished averaging 7.5 yards per carry and was also targeted four times for three receptions and 37 yards.

Defense, New York Jets

I know, I seem like a homer, which is pretty ironic considering I am a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. But the Jets defense (even against the Steelers’ second and third offense) was something to celebrate, even though it’s “only preseason”.

Let’s first talk about rookie David Bailey, who played 12 snaps and finished with two pressures and one sack. And then there are the two sacks by recently inked Nate Lynn, making four total sacks for the Jets. And then there are Andre Cisco and Samuel Womack (neither listed first on the depth chart) who managed to haul in an interception apiece.

In one preseason game, the Jets doubled their interception totals from last season, while head coach and defensive play caller Aaron Glenn blended his collection of veterans and rookies into looking like a respectable defense. That’s a win.

3 Losers 2026 NFL Preseason Week 2

Quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders

It’s hard to label Mendoza a loser because, well, he is a rookie and he was going against the Houston Texans defense (whose second team could be some teams’ ones), but fair is fair. Mendoza looked every part of the rookie (although head coach Klint Kubiak made it appear that there is still a quarterback battle for the Week 1 starting position…yeah).

Anyway, Mendoza finished the game with 86 yards on eight receptions and 15 throws. He also had a pick-six. He was sacked once, and in five series he came away with three points.

It definitely wasn’t a win.

Los Angeles Chargers Offense, Mike McDaniel

The wait is still on to see what magic McDaniel will pull out of his arsenal. The Week 2 preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers wasn’t it.

The Chargers finished the game with 17 points, eight punts, seven penalties, and only eight first downs.

Quarterback Justin Herbert played the opening offensive series, which lasted only three snaps. He went 1-for-2 for nine yards.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Speaking of limited play that spoke volumes, Daniels also only played in one series against the Detroit Lions. He went three-and-out. He was sacked once, and his one pass attempt resulted in an incompletion.

Keep in mind, Daniels is going from a Kliff Kingsbury offense to a David Blough offense. The adjustment period and the recovery from last season’s ankle injury suggest that there may be some rust that needs to be shaken off.

Maybe preseason isn’t the time for it…we’ll have to wait and see. But three and out isn’t exactly saying “it’s all good”.

Quarterback Battles

There is rarely a battle for starting position unless you are the Cleveland Browns.

Shedeur Sanders v Deshaun Watson

Although this is a battle for the starting position in Cleveland, it is clear that head coach Todd Monken is not holding back. He also has not announced who will be the starter for the Browns in Week 1 of the season.

In preseason Week 2, Sanders played with the Browns’ second-string offensive line against the Buffalo Bills. He completed his first eight passes, finishing 9-of-11 for 74 yards and an interception.

Watson played into the fourth quarter and went 5-of-12 for 35 yards and an interception.

J.J. McCarthy v Carson Wentz

While McCarthy thought he was in a battle for the starting quarterback position against Kyler Murray, it was a mere formality. The real battle is for the QB2 position in Minnesota, and McCarthy doesn’t have the lead in that either.

Week 2 of the preseason, McCarthy played in four series with the second-team offense. He finished 5-of-10 for 81 yards, taking a sack.

Wentz finished his day 9-of-11 for 92 yards and two sacks.

Anthony Richardson v Riley Leonard

The Indianapolis Colts battle for QB2 may be the most pressing. Their starting quarterback, Daniel Jones, is coming off a broken leg and an Achilles tear. Neither backup made a powerful statement for the job. They combined to convert 1-of-11 on their third-down chances.

Leonard played the first half and went 7-of-14 for 62 yards. Richards played the second half and was 3-of-9 for 24 yards while taking two sacks.

Preseason

There is one more week of preseason games, and then the fun really begins! But don’t dismiss Week 3 of the preseason. It’s the last determinant for roster cuts; it’s time for the new coordinators on both sides of the ball to start to make their intentions clear, and most importantly, it is time for all fan bases to stake their claim.

Let’s get to it.

Come find me on Twitter (will always call it that) @gladysLtyler

And Friday nights on the GoingFor2 Platform on YouTube 9 pm eastern,7 pmm for mountain time on the “No Particular Order” podcast with my co-host @FFAdjacent