NFL preseason Week 2: Live scores, schedule, news as all 32 teams prepare for 2021 regular season (2024)

Who impresses in the preseason this week? The Saints host the Jaguars on Monday night.

The Athletic’s NFL writers will have news and notes from all 32 teams this weekend. Stay tuned here for final scores and updates from across the league. Also, keep up with the Week 2 preseason schedule below.

NFL preseason Week 2

All kickoff times ET

Aug. 19

New England 35, Philadelphia 0

Aug. 20

Kansas City 17, Arizona 10

Washington 17, Cincinnati 13

Aug. 21

Buffalo 41, Chicago 15

N.Y. Jets 23, Green Bay 14

Miami 37, Atlanta 17

Baltimore 20, Carolina 3

Pittsburgh 26, Detroit 20

Tennessee 34, Tampa Bay 3

Houston 20, Dallas 14

Indianapolis 12, Minnesota 10

Las Vegas 17, L.A. Rams 16

Denver 30, Seattle 3

Aug. 22

Cleveland 17, N.Y. Giants 13

San Francisco 15, L.A. Chargers 10

Aug. 23

New Orleans 23, Jacksonville 21

(Photo: Mitch Stringer / USA Today)

The top overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Trevor Lawrence, played a full half in the Jaguars' Monday night preseason game at New Orleans and the results were mixed.

The former Clemson star made some impressive throws as he completed 14 of 23 passes for 113 yards, but faced consistent pressure from the Saints defense which sacked him once and was credited with three quarterback hits. New Orleans' defense also broke up three of Lawrence's passes.

Lawrence did lead Jacksonville on a scoring drive in the second quarter which resulted in a 34-yard field goal. He appeared to set up another just before the end of the half but Josh Lambo's 43-yard attempt bounced off the right upright.

Gardner Minshew started the second half for the Jaguars.

(Photo: Matt Pendleto / USA Today)

Saints quarterback Jameis Winston and receiver Marquez Callaway connected for two first-quarter touchdowns in a sparkling start Monday versus the Jaguars in the second week of the preseason.

Winston, competing with Taysom Hill for New Orleans' starting quarterback job, put his best effort forward against Jacksonville. He finished a perfect 4-for-4 opening drive with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Callaway. After a three-and-out, Winston and the Saints offense rebounded with a six-play, 57-yard drive, culminating in a 29-yard touchdown to Callaway.

Winston finished 9-of-10 passing for 123 yards. Callaway, who caught 21 passes as a rookie in 2020, caught five passes for 104 yards in the opening quarter.

Hill replaced Winston for New Orleans' fourth drive. He finished the first half with 86 yards and completed 6 of 13 passes.

(Photo: Tommy Gilligan / USA Today)

In her most recent mailbag, The Athletic's Katherine Terrell wrote that second-year Saints receiver Marquez Callaway "is starting to feel like the real deal." It didn't take long for the former undrafted rookie to demonstrate why.

Callaway caught two spectacular touchdown passes, both from Jameis Winston, in the opening quarter of the Saints' preseason game against the Jaguars.

The former Tennessee standout, who's gotten plenty of snaps in training camp due to injuries to Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith, caught three passes for 61 yards in the Saints' preseason opener at Baltimore. He had five receptions through the Saints' first three drives.

"He’s looked good through camp on various units, he looks good in the games and he held his own (maybe even had a better day) against Marshon Lattimore on Tuesday," Terrell wrote last Thursday.

(Photo: Stephen Lew / USA Today)

After joining Monday's practice on a limited basis, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is "optimistic" he'll be ready to play in Week 1.

The Colts open the regular season against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 12. The veteran QB underwent foot surgery earlier this month that was expected to sideline him for five to 12 weeks.

"It's going to be up to the doctors, for sure," Wentz said after practice. "At the end of the day, as long as there's nothing I can do to injure myself or make it worse ... it's going to come down to what the doctors say."

(Photo: Marc Lebryk / USA Today)

The Minnesota Vikings are reuniting with four-time Pro Bowler Everson Griffen, the team announced Monday. Minnesota did not disclose the details of the signing.

Griffen, 33, spent his first 10 NFL seasons in Minnesota before joining the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent last spring. He was traded to the Detroit Lions midseason and finished the year with six sacks and 14 quarterback hits in 14 games.

Griffen has 74.5 sacks and 176 QB hits in 147 games as a Viking. From 2014 to 2017, he totaled 43.5 sacks and 101 QB hits, peaking with 13 sacks in 2017.

(Photo: Harrison Barden / USA Today)

The Arizona Cardinals have activated defensive lineman J.J. Watt from the PUP list, the team announced Monday.

Watt signed with Arizona this offseason after playing the previous 10 years of his career with the Houston Texans. The 6-foot-5, 288-pound defensive lineman was added to the PUP list after sustaining a hamstring injury near the start of training camp but will now be able to return to practice.

The Cardinals also activated linebacker Dennis Gardeck from the PUP list and receiver Andy Isabella from the COVID-19/reserve list.

(Photo: David Wallace / USA Today)

Linebacker Jarrad Davis has an ankle injury that will keep him sidelined into the regular season as the Jets' injury woes continue. New York hopes to have him back near its bye in Week 6, coach Robert Saleh said to media on Monday.

The news comes after defensive end Carl Lawson was carted off the field at the Jets' joint training camp practice with the Packers on Thursday. He will miss the upcoming 2021 season with a ruptured Achilles.

Saleh added that "God willing" first-round rookies Alijah Vera-Tucker and Elijah Moore will be ready for Week 1 against the Panthers. Vera-Tucker suffered a pectoral injury that has him listed as day-to-day. The Jets hope to have Moore "do some things this week," Salah added, after the wide receiver hurt his quad.

Safety Zane Lewis was ruled out for the year after he tore his patella tendon/suffered a sprained MCL and had to be carted off himself on Thursday. Wide receiver Denzel Mims (hip) and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (knee) are both considered day to day with minor injuries.

(Photo: Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)

Patriots quarterback Cam Newton will not practice or participate in in-person activities with the team until Thursday "due to a misunderstanding about (COVID-19) tests conducted away from NFL facilities," according to a statement from the franchise.

Per the statement, Newton traveled to a club-approved medical appointment Saturday and received daily COVID-19 tests which came back negative. However, due to the "misunderstanding," Newton has to complete a five-day entry process before being allowed to return to the Patriots facility.

Without Newton, rookie quarterback Mac Jones, who's been competing for the starting job, will likely receive the bulk of first-team snaps at training camp this week. New England is scheduled to participate in joint practices with the New York Giants starting Wednesday.

(Photo: Bill Streicher / USA Today)

The Raiders reached out to the Bears ahead of free agency this March to see if Chicago was interested in trading star pass rusher Khalil Mack back to Las Vegas, league sources told The Athletic.

The Bears had significant salary-cap issues — which forced them to release All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller and restructure several contracts — and the Raiders thought it was worth a shot. However, Chicago was not interested in a trade, sources said.

Raiders officials had no comment, as they don't talk about trade offers given or received.

After their trade inquiry was shot down, the Raiders continued with their plan to sign free-agent defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. The two sides agreed to a two-year, $26 million contract, with the move bolstering Las Vegas' pass rush after they finished 29th in sacks with 21 in 2020.

The Raiders and coach Jon Gruden faced heavy backlash after trading Mack for multiple draft picks, including two first-rounders, nine days before the 2018 season opener. Shortly after the trade, the Bears signed Mack to a then record-setting six-year, $141 million extension.

(Photo: Jon Durr / USA Today)

After 49ers quarterback Trey Lance checked out of Sunday night's 15-10 preseason win against the Los Angeles Chargers, The Athletic's Dave Lombardi tweeted that the rookie's performance was consistent with what reporters and attendees at training camp have seen in practices. Lance showed off his "excellent talent AND rawness in the same session."

Lance completed 8 of 14 passes for 102 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The pick was the result of a tipped pass that went off the hands of Mohamed Sanu and was corralled by Chargers defender Tevaughn Campbell.

Lance threw touchdown passes to Sanu and Trent Sherfield in Sunday's exhibition. He found Sherfield for an 80-yard touchdown in San Francisco's preseason opener in which he completed just five of his 14 pass attempts.

Jimmy Garoppolo, the 49ers starting quarterback, went 3-of-6 for 15 yards and an interception (also the result of a tipped pass).

(Photo: Darren Yamash*ta / USA Today)

Carson Wentz will return to the practice field on Monday, exactly three weeks to the day since he underwent foot surgery. It’ll be in a limited role, but it’s an obvious indication of how well Wentz’s rehab has gone to this point, and how comfortable the team is with where he’s at.

The fact that Wentz is ready this early — and that the team is OK putting him out there — hints that Week 1 could very much be in play.

Now, there are certainly several steps Wentz must take before he potentially takes the field against the Seahawks. He’s yet to put his foot in game-like situations, and the team believes how he responds to that will be the most important indicator as to when he’s truly back to 100 percent. But head coach Frank Reich has made it clear his ideal scenario was for Wentz to have two full weeks of practice before the season opener; that would give coach and quarterback ample time to catch up on a good chunk of what they’ve missed out on during training camp.

One week was doable, Reich said, but two was preferred. Now, barring a setback, Reich could get the better part of three weeks with his starter before the Seahawks come to town.

(Photo: Marc Lebryk / USA Today)

The Browns sat most of their regulars, as expected. Case Keenum was sharp to start, as expected. It was hot and humid, which meant most of the second- and third-teamers who played ended up playing a bunch. The Browns probably wanted to see more out of their young pass rushers as Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney have each been mostly spectators and Takk McKinley has been away from the team for weeks. No one wanted to see cornerback Greedy Williams get hurt, but that happened during the second series. For now, we only know that Williams has a groin injury. Second-year player A.J. Green replaced him.

(Photo: Scott Galvin / USA Today)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz and left guard Quenton Nelson will both join Monday's practice on a limited basis, coach Frank Reich announced on Sunday. Both players were expected to miss five to 12 weeks after undergoing foot surgeries earlier this month.

On Aug. 2, Reich said Wentz would have surgery on his left foot after injuring it the week before at practice. Reich said doctors believed the left metatarsal in Wentz's foot was previously broken, possibly in high school, and only recently dislodged. The coach added that surgery provided "the most predictable outcome."

The following day, Reich announced Nelson's surgery after he also suffered an injury at practice. The coach said Nelson's injury was very similar to Wentz's.

(Photo: Marc Lebryk / USA Today)

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announced Sunday that he tested positive for COVID-19.

The Athletic's Joe Rexrode reports that Vrabel told reporters he had a sore throat Sunday morning, got tested and will have a PCR test tomorrow.

The news comes less than a day after the Titans defeated the Buccaneers, 34-3, in Saturday night's preseason matchup at Tampa Bay. The exhibition followed a few joint practices between the teams last week. The Athletic's Greg Auman reported that Vrabel spent "extensive time chatting face-to-face" with Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady after Thursday’s practice.

(Photo: Jeremy Reper / USA Today)

Bengals rookie defensive end Joseph Ossai will have knee surgery this week for a meniscus injury, a source tells The Athletic, confirming an NFL Network report. Ossai could potentially miss the entire season with the injury.

Ossai felt the knee issue one day after the Bengals' preseason win over the Buccaneers on Aug. 14. The rookie suffered a wrist injury in the second half and exited the game. While his wrist was being assessed, the team also looked at Ossai's knee and found the meniscus injury.

The third-round pick out of Texas had an impressive preseason debut, sacking quarterback Tom Brady once and adding another QB hit. He did not play in this week's preseason game against the Washington Football Team.

(Photo: Kim Klement / USA Today)

Ben Roethlisberger’s lone cameo appearance for this summer Saturday night turned back the clock to those days when Big Ben ran the show, pump-faking, moving around in the pocket, throwing deep and tossing touchdowns.

It may be 2021, but Roethlisberger’s performance was vintage 2008 against the Detroit Lions Saturday night at Heinz Field. It was only three series that ate up most of the first quarter, but it was all anyone needed to know that the 39-year-old quarterback is on top of his game.

(Photo: Philip G. Pavely / USA Today)

The Texans had nine takeaways all of last regular season. They have seven this preseason, including four in Saturday's 20-14 win over the Cowboys.

Texans safety Lonnie Johnson's pick-six was a highlight with Houston's offense having an off night. It was one of three interceptions for Houston. Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said “I’m sick about the turnovers. You can’t win that way. You got to take care of the damn football.”

Maybe the most important news for Cowboys fans concerns quarterback Dak Prescott, who is healing from a latissimus strain in his throwing shoulder but has a clean MRI. He did not play in Saturday's game and will not play in Dallas' preseason finale against Jacksonville.

Prescott, as The Athletic's Jon Machota indicates below, is trending in the right direction.

(Photo: Tim Heitman / USA Today)

With a 20-3 win over Carolina, the Ravens are the first team since Vince Lombardi's Packers in the '60s to win 19 consecutive preseason games.

The Ravens' last preseason loss came in 2015 to the Atlanta Falcons. Baltimore was 1-3 in the preseason that year.

(Photo: Jim Dedmon / USA Today)

The Panthers locked up one of Sam Darnold’s offensive-line protectors over the summer and are on the verge of keeping one of his favorite targets around a while, as well.

The team is deep in talks on a multiyear extension for wide receiver Robby Anderson and could finalize the deal in the next several days, a league source told The Athletic.

The 28-year-old Anderson had his first 1,000-yard receiving season in 2020 during his first year in Charlotte, where he’s been reunited this year with Darnold, his former Jets teammate. Anderson signed a two-year, $20 million contract with the Panthers last March that included $12 million in guaranteed money, all of which came in the first year.

Joseph Person breaks it down below.

(Photo: Brad Mills / USA Today)