Risers and Fallers From NFL Preseason Week 2: How Deshaun Watson May Have Coughed Up Browns’ QB1 Job

Week 2 of the NFL preseason is all but in the books as we enter the final week of August, and we now sit just over two weeks away from the real start of the 2026 campaign.

While the league’s exhibition slate may not be what it once was—and has taken a clear back seat to joint training camp practices as teams increasingly opt to rest their starters in preparation for the regular season—there’s still plenty to glean from these preseason games. Some position battles remain up in the air all the way until Week 1, and plenty of players are still looking to make their case for a roster spot prior to cutdown day this coming Sunday.

With that in mind, here’s who’s rising and falling after this weekend’s preseason action.

Riser: QB Shedeur Sanders, Browns

Shedeur Sanders put on a show Saturday afternoon amid his open competition with Deshaun Watson for the Browns’ starting quarterback job.

While playing the entire first half against the Bills, the 24-year-old went 9-for-11 passing (82%) for 74 yards, threw one touchdown and one interception (off a tipped pass), and posted a passer rating of 87.1.

the second year connection for the TD!#BUFvsCLE on News 5 pic.twitter.com/BntGdJpIAM
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) August 22, 2026

“It felt great to be back in the stadium,” Sanders told sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, in what some are calling the best mid-game interview of the preseason. “It felt great to be able to put on a show for the time I had out there. … I’m overall proud of the way we operated. We gotta get out of the huddle a little faster, and we’re gonna work on that, but overall today was a pretty good day.”

With a smile on his face, Sanders also explained that he was named a game captain this week by head coach Todd Monken, but forgot to go out to midfield for the coin toss to start the game. The two then shared what the quarterback called a “laughing moment” on the sideline before kickoff.

Overall, Sanders looked poised in Monken and coordinator Travis Switzer’s offense, and sounded comfortable with the position he’s put himself in to win Cleveland’s starting quarterback job.

Faller: QB Deshaun Watson, Browns

On the opposite side of the Browns’ quarterback competition is Deshaun Watson, who took a major step backward in multiple facets this weekend.

Watson was handed the reins to Cleveland’s offense to begin the second half on Saturday afternoon and commanded—if you want to call it that—four drives that went as follows:

Three plays, -1 yard, punt
Three plays, 0 yards, punt
Six plays, 36 yards, interception
Nine plays, 31 yards, turnover on downs

Deshaun Watson picked on a tipped high throw. He’s 3-for-8 for 24 yards and this INT. Todd Monken set to make a decision on his starting QB early next week. pic.twitter.com/xX3sGpTlSr
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) August 22, 2026

The 30-year-old quarterback completed just five of his 12 pass attempts for 36 yards, committed the ugly turnover above and posted a passer rating of just 14.6. Before he even took a snap, however, Watson was met with a smattering of boos by those in attendance at Cleveland’s Huntington Bank Field.

“It has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said postgame about the reception he received from Browns fans. “It’s a little bit personal. I think that’s a disrespectful thing. I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. Just move on.”

He added that he’s not sure winning or simply playing better will change anything about how fans feel about him, citing the fact that they cheered when he tore his Achilles the last time he took the field in front of them in 2024.

Needless to say, it’s becoming harder and harder to imagine a world in which Watson is a member of the Browns for much longer.

Riser: WR AD Mitchell, Jets

Wide receiver Adonai Mitchell seems to be finding a bit of a groove after an up-and-down start to his NFL career.

The 23-year-old was drafted by the Colts in the second round (pick No. 52) in 2024, but spent just a season-and-a-half in Indianapolis before being shipped to the Jets as part of last trade deadline’s Sauce Gardner blockbuster. Mitchell hauled in 24 receptions for 301 yards and two touchdowns in New York to close out 2025, and so far throughout training camp has looked like a quality No. 2 wide receiver behind Garrett Wilson.

On Friday night, Mitchell caught two passes for 29 yards from quarterback Geno Smith, including the below toe-tapping grab along the sideline after getting the best of Steelers cornerback Jamel Dean.

AD should stand for All Day Mitchell

Easy pitch and catch continuing the connection we’ve heard about with Geno Smith pic.twitter.com/r0RfE391Rp
— Zain Dhanani (@DhananiZain) August 21, 2026

Faller: QB Fernando Mendoza, Raiders

Fernando Mendoza’s second taste of live NFL action was a bit more bitter than his first.

While starting the Raiders’ preseason game against the Texans on Thursday night, the 2026 No. 1 pick completed just 53% of his passes over five first-half drives, led the offense to just three points, posted a lowly 42.6 passer rating and threw a brutal pick-six to linebacker Wade Woodaz to give Houston an early 7–0 lead.

TEXANS PICK-SIX OFF MENDOZA 😱

(via @HoustonTexans) pic.twitter.com/z8jk25PaOx
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 21, 2026

Not a great showing from Las Vegas’s hopeful franchise quarterback.

Riser: DT Maurice Hurst II, Commanders

Looking to add depth along their defensive interior, the Commanders signed Maurice Hurst II to a one-year contract this week. The veteran lineman quickly made his presence known.

In his debut with Washington on Saturday afternoon, Hurst tallied five total tackles and two sacks of Lions quarterback Luke Altmyer. An impressive performance for the 31-year-old who joined the club just a handful of days ago.

Hurst was selected by the Raiders in the fifth round (pick No. 140) of the 2018 draft and has bounced around to multiple teams over his career. He undoubtedly helped his case for a spot along the Commanders’ defensive front behind Daron Payne and Tim Settle, among others, with his showing this weekend.

Faller: WR Odell Beckham Jr., Giants

OBJ — Odell Beckham Jr. failed to haul in a touchdown this weekend. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Odell Beckham Jr. continues to fight for a role with the team that drafted him back in 2014, but it’s looking like an uphill climb with a week to go before cutdown day.

The top of the Giants’ wide receiver room includes the likes of Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields. Given a chance to prove on Saturday that he’s worthy of a spot on the roster, Beckham caught just two passes for 17 yards—and missed an opportunity to show off the highlight-reel ability he used to possess, dropping a potential touchdown from quarterback Jameis Winston in the end zone.

We got close but Odell Beckham Jr. dropped a touchdown pic.twitter.com/HWcnld02Ec
— Bobby Skinner (@BobbySkinner_) August 22, 2026

“He’s looking good every single day,” Winston said of Beckham after the game. “We all want to make that play. We’re going to make that play. That’s what he does, that’s what I do, and I can’t wait to get to practice and rep that.”

Riser: RB Will Shipley, Eagles

The Eagles’ starting running back is Saquon Barkley. That much is clear. Behind him? Well, on Saturday night against the Patriots, third-year pro Will Shipley made quite a case to be the team’s No. 2 back.

Carrying the ball 11 times over Philadelphia’s first two offensive drives, the former Clemson Tiger ran for 56 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and a touchdown while registering a long of 18. Shipley also inherently got a leg up in the battle with Tank Bigsby sidelined and Carson Steele managing just 33 yards on 12 carries. (Steele did, however, lead the Eagles in receiving with 84 yards and a score on six receptions).

Still, Shipley rode the momentum of two quality joint practices with New England into a productive performance this weekend.

Faller: Lions’ offensive line

Lions OL. — The Lions' offensive line struggled against the Commanders this weekend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It was a rough outing for the Lions’ offensive line this weekend, to say the least. With center Cade Mays sidelined due to a wrist injury and Penei Sewell taking the night off, Detroit’s depth was tested on Saturday against the Commanders.

Over four quarters, the Lions allowed quarterbacks Luke Altmyer and Joshua Dobbs to be sacked five times, including one that resulted in a fumble returned for a touchdown. Additionally, when you take out Dobbs’s 50-yard first-quarter touchdown run, Detroit was able to muster up just 3.5 yards per carry—likely a far cry from where they want to be as a rushing offense.

Riser: Jets’ pass defense

Two interceptions! That’s right, barely removed from a season in which they recorded zero (count ’em, zero) interceptions on opposing quarterbacks, the Jets’ defense managed to pick off Steelers quarterback Will Howard twice in their 17–0 win over Pittsburgh on Friday.

The turnovers came from safety Andre Cisco and cornerback Samuel Womack III, who are both headed into their second season in New York—but their first under coordinator Brian Duker. Perhaps the 37-year-old play caller will be the answer to the Jets’ defensive woes.

Add us as a preferred source on Google