Friday camp preview: RG III stars, while Big Ben's backup falters

— -- NFL Nation reporters assess the top storylines to watch for every team on Friday.

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

The Bills will hold a walk-through Friday before hosting the Giants on Saturday. Coach Rex Ryan said Thursday he is "thinking about" playing wide receiver Sammy Watkins (foot) in the game, but that it would be for only one series, at the most. Ryan added that quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who played one series last week against the Colts, will see more action. -- Mike Rodak

Miami Dolphins

Look for the Dolphins' star-studded defensive line of Ndamukong Suh, Mario Williams and Cameron Wake to make its preseason debut Friday against the Cowboys. Coach Adam Gase sat this trio last week to keep them healthy. But the veterans, who combine for 12 Pro Bowl appearances, need some reps this preseason and will face a test against a stout Dallas offensive line. -- James Walker

New England Patriots

After an eventful Thursday in which quarterback Tom Brady sliced his thumb before the game and didn't play, and defensive tackle Alan Branch was suspended for a violation of team rules, the Patriots will watch film from their preseason game against the Bears. One of the highlights was a solid performance from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who was 16-of-21 for 181 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

Coach Todd Bowles has not revealed the quarterback rotation for the Jets' second preseason game Friday night at Washington, but all indications are that rookie Christian Hackenberg will see some playing time. The Jets' second-round pick was the only one of New York's four QBs who did not play in the preseason opener against Jacksonville. Bryce Petty, who is fighting for a roster spot in his second year on team, got the start. "At the end of the day, if I can come in here and say I gave it all I got, and it still doesn't work out, then it means there's a better opportunity for me somewhere else," Petty said. -- ESPN.com staff

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

The return of Steve Smith Sr. is good news for the Ravens, but not-so-good for Kamar Aiken, who is a similar receiver. In the first eight games last season, Aiken had 25 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns. In the last eight games when Baltimore was without Smith, Aiken caught 50 passes for 611 yards and three touchdowns. That ranked seventh among receivers over that time. This is something to take note of if you are considering Aiken as a sleeper pick in fantasy football. -- Jamison Hensley

Cincinnati Bengals

The ugliest moment of the Bengals' otherwise ho-hum 30-14 thumping of the Lions on Thursday night came in the first half when offensive tackle Jake Fisher had to be carted into the locker room with an injured lower right leg. It was the latest in a string of health issues for a battered Bengals squad that has already lost a pair of rookies to potentially season-ending injuries. If Fisher is lost for any significant amount of time, it could spell early-season trouble for an offense that already will be missing starting right tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (toe) for the next couple weeks. -- Coley Harvey

Cleveland Browns

Robert Griffin III's two touchdown passes against Atlanta provided two tons of relief. Griffin played very well in the second game, throwing touchdown passes of 50 and 29 yards, and adding runs of 14 and 22 yards. Griffin's growth from Game 1 to Game 2 was significant. The next step: Practices against Tampa Bay before the third game against the Bucs. -- Pat McManamon

Pittsburgh Steelers

Let the fireworks begin. James Harrison won't accept his NFL interview over the Al-Jazeera report without verbally sacking commissioner Roger Goodell. Harrison, who proposed to meet with league investigators Aug. 30, said he wants to tape the event for transparency. Going further, when discussing the league dangling potential conduct detrimental to the league disciplines for not cooperating with the NFL's probe into alleged PED use, Harrison said, "If it heads to the hands of that crook, I mean Roger Goodell, he can do what he wants." Harrison maintains he has never used PEDs and is interviewing because he wants to play this year, not to make the league happy. -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

The Texans enter their second preseason game on Saturday with rookie Ka'imi Fairbairn and veteran Nick Novak still battling for the kicking job. Expect the two to get more chances Friday during the lighter practice against the Saints, and even more during the game. The two did not get many chances for field goals in the preseason opener, and coach Bill O'Brien said it is a "very close battle." -- Sarah Barshop

Indianapolis Colts

Colts coach Chuck Pagano may play most of his starters into the middle of the second quarter of Saturday's preseason game against the Ravens. "You'd like to keep the unit together as much as possible, but there are some guys that need to play more," Pagano said. "The center [ Ryan Kelly] needs to play more." Pagano did add that it'll be about 90-95 percent of the starters who will get the extended playing time. You can probably assume that the 5-10 percent who won't get extra playing time will include quarterback Andrew Luck and running back Frank Gore. -- Mike Wells

Jacksonville Jaguars

It looks like left tackle Kelvin Beachum is going to miss his second preseason game. Coach Gus Bradley said he doesn't believe that Beachum, whom the team signed to compete with Luke Joeckel, will play against Tampa Bay on Saturday night. Beachum, however, did get some team snaps with the second-team offense on Thursday in the second day of joint practices with the Bucs. -- Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

Carolina is a stouter team up front than San Diego and is likely to provide a tougher challenge to the Titans' run game. Coach Mike Mularkey said Tennessee may need to hit a couple plays over the top to back off the Panthers. If that is the approach the Titans take Saturday afternoon at Nissan Stadium, it could make for an interesting offensive performance. Quarterback  Marcus Mariota's deep balls are a weak part of his game, but he had a good day throwing them on Wednesday. -- Paul Kuharsky

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Coach Gary Kubiak keeps dropping hints that he'd like to make a decision about the team's starting quarterback in the days before the team's third preseason game, which is Aug. 27 against the Rams. Trevor Siemian will get the start Saturday against the 49ers, and Kubiak said he hoped to get Siemian and Mark Sanchez each about "a quarter and a half'' of work against San Francisco. Sanchez got the start in the preseason opener last week. Asked if he wanted to make the decision before next week, Kubiak said: "Would I like to? Yeah. Will I? I don't know." -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are looking for more production from linebacker Dee Ford in Saturday's preseason game against the Rams. Ford is the Chiefs' top pass-rusher as they continue to play without either of their two Pro Bowl outside linebackers, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. Ford has an excellent first step off the line of scrimmage but hasn't been able to develop any other consistently productive pass-rush moves. Coach Andy Reid acknowledged this week that Ford's performance last week was disappointing. "I'm not going to tell you he had his best game,'' Reid said. "There are plays he wishes he had back." -- Adam Teicher

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders' first-string offense was MIA in Green Bay, gaining just 73 yards of total offense in the first half. How frustrated was former Raiders linebacker-turned-broadcaster Matt Millen in watching the show? When a sleeping baby in Raiders gear was shown on the broadcast Millen said, "That looks like our offense." -- Paul Gutierrez

San Diego Chargers

One thing to watch for in San Diego's second preseason game against the Cardinals on Friday is the play of receiver Travis Benjamin. Out of training camp while nursing a hamstring injury, Benjamin returned to the field this week and made a handful of plays working against Arizona's top corners in joint practices.  Philip Rivers said it's important to develop a good rapport with San Diego's top free-agent addition, so the veteran quarterback might force feed Benjamin some throws against the Cardinals. -- Eric D. Williams

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Last week Dak Prescott had a near-flawless performance in his preseason debut. What helped the rookie fourth-round pick was playing with four of the Cowboys' five starting offensive linemen and Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley. When the Cowboys play the Dolphins on Friday night, Prescott will have to manage the game with backups with Tony Romo starting. This might be a better test for Prescott because he will be counted on to do more. With the Cowboys holding off on looking for a veteran backup quarterback, Prescott could cement his spot as Romo's No. 2 with a good showing. -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

A day before the Giants face the Bills in their second preseason contest of the year, they won't have a day off. Coach Ben McAdoo will have him team run a 55-minute "speed practice" before hopping on a plane. Quarterback Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. will make their preseason debuts in Saturday's game. It could get interesting with there being bad blood between Beckham and Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore from last year's meeting. -- Jordan Raanan

Philadelphia Eagles

The defense is riding high after a 17-0 shutout of the Steelers on Thursday night, but that doesn't mean there aren't any issues. Rookie linebacker Joe Walker went down with a knee injury that the team fears is significant, according to a report by ESPN NFL Insider Adam Caplan. Linebacker depth is already a concern. If Walker's injury is in fact serious, it seems likely that the Eagles will look to the outside for help. -- Tim McManus

Washington Redskins

The run game will be a huge point of emphasis in the second preseason game Friday vs. the Jets. Washington's top three backs last week managed no yards on eight carries. What the coaches really want is for starter Matt Jones to get in a better groove. Look for him to get at least seven carries to give him a better chance to at least start to find a rhythm early. But coach Jay Gruden knows it will be tough vs. the Jets. They averaged 2.0 yards against them in a loss last season. "We couldn't run the length of my arm against them," Gruden said. "They're very physical." -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

The Bears made their share of mistakes -- i.e. penalties -- in New England, but the team returns home feeling much better about its all-around performance. And with the exception of cornerback Jacoby Glenn, who was evaluated for a concussion, the Bears avoided serious injury. However, Glenn's situation is worth monitoring. Glenn started in place of Kyle Fuller, who stayed home in Chicago because of a bothersome knee condition. Already thin at cornerback, the Bears may have to turn to De'Vante Bausby or 2016 fourth-round pick Deiondre Hall, in the event Glenn has to miss time. -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

Quarterback  Matthew Stafford once again looked crisp when he had time to throw, completing 8 of 11 passes for 113 yards during his three series Thursday night against Cincinnati. It showed that when the pass protection can hold up, Stafford can make smart decisions and has good control of the offense. The question, of course, is whether or not he'll get that time. The better news for him than in the preseason opener: He mostly had time to make reads and the right throws against the Bengals, including hitting Marvin Jones deep on a 32-yard reception early. If the Lions are going to be successful this year, figure to see that connection a good amount. -- Michael Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

The Packers may want to take a longer look at Eddie Lacy in the coming days heading into the third preseason game next Friday at San Francisco, but they have to be pleased with what they've seen so far. Lacy rushed nine times for 45 yards (including a 1-yard touchdown plunge) in Thursday's game against the Raiders. That followed a four-carry, 24-yard performance in his first preseason action last week against the Browns. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings didn't put Teddy Bridgewater on the field Thursday night for what the team called a "coach's decision" during the game. It stands to reason that Bridgewater, who practiced with the first-team offense all week, will get plenty of playing time during the team's third preseason game a week from Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Bridgewater was on the sideline in uniform and a baseball cap on Thursday night, and he didn't seem to be injured during the week. The Vikings said coach Mike Zimmer would address the quarterback's status after the game. -- Ben Goessling

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

There are two injuries to keep an eye on for the Falcons. The first involved pass-rusher Vic Beasley Jr., the 2015 first-round pick. Beasley missed Thursday night's game with what the team called a minor shoulder strain, but it's the same right shoulder Beasley played with a torn labrum in last season. He never had surgery, and the team said he should be ready to face Miami next week. But will this linger? Also, punter Matt Bosher might have been the victim of an illegal hit and suffered a chest injury. Depending on the severity, Bosher could be scrambling for a punter. -- Vaughn McClure

Carolina Panthers

Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen (back spasms) continues to be AWOL at practice for the third straight session, but coach Ron Rivera insists its nothing to be concerned about. With a day off on Friday it doesn't appear Olsen will play in Saturday's exhibition at Tennessee. This is something to keep an eye on with backup tight end Ed Dickson also out. Look for Scott Simonson, Beau Sandland and Braxton Deaver to get all the snaps against the Titans. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

Friday's "practice" with the Texans is really just a pregame walk-through before they take the field Saturday night. It's not even open to the media or the public. But you can bet the Saints will be intent on a crisper session after quarterback  Drew Brees said he "felt like we were a little sloppy" on Thursday. Brees threw a couple interceptions late in practice -- and even had one or two fumbled exchanges with center Max Unger in Thursday's first joint practice. Maybe he was just missing No. 1 wide receiver  Brandin Cooks, who was absent for an undisclosed reason. -- Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs wrapped up two days of joint practices against the Jaguars with a much better practice Thursday. Coach Dirk Koetter challenged his team to "come out with an edge." They responded with a strong performances in the two-minute drill on offense and defense, with Winston going 5-for-5 passing with a touchdown, and the defense limited quarterback  Blake Bortles to 4-of-10 passing and kept him out of the end zone. Tight end  Austin Seferian-Jenkins had a strong day with three red zone touchdowns. Defensive tackle  Gerald McCoy tweaked his ankle late in practice and did not return. Linebacker  Daryl Smith was held out for the second-consecutive day. Koetter said, "Gerald's fine" and that Smith needed another "veteran's day." -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

Thursday's day off gave the Cardinals an opportunity for coach Bruce Arians to get a full day of rest after his dealing with a diverticulitis flare up on Tuesday, which caused him to spend the night in the hospital. Arians plans on coaching Friday night against the Chargers. The game will be another opportunity for rookie cornerback Brandon Williams to dig his heels into the right cornerback job. He'll go against one of the NFL's top quarterbacks in Philip Rivers for possibly a quarter. If Williams performs well enough, he could strengthen his grip on the starting job even with Justin Bethel, the incumbent starter, coming off the PUP list this week. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams spent their Thursday practice largely focusing on their next opponent, the Chiefs. Rams coach Jeff Fisher sees it as a test for his developing offense and for his run defense, a unit that came up short in the exhibition opener against the Cowboys. "I know they're very, very talented on defense and they can run the football," Fisher said of the Chiefs. "They're going to put pressure on you. It's answering those challenges, and being able to stand up, protect the quarterback, run the football on offense, again, and we're going to be tested defensively against the run." -- Alden Gonzalez

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers finished their practice week with the Broncos on Thursday with a little different look on the offensive line for part of the proceedings. Recently unretired offensive tackle Anthony Davis kicked inside to right guard for a few snaps during Thursday's practice, the first time he has played anywhere but tackle since his freshman year of college. Whether it becomes permanent remains to be seen but the Niners remain committed to trying to find their best five linemen to protect whomever wins the starting quarterback job. -- Nick Wagoner

Seattle Seahawks

With coach Pete Carroll having opened up the possibility that Jimmy Graham may miss the beginning of the regular season, the two players to watch at tight end are Luke Willson and Nick Vannett. Willson is a dependable fourth-year veteran who has started 24 games in his career. Vannett is a rookie third-round pick. When the Seahawks drafted him, they raved about Vannett's ability as a blocker, and he looked good as a receiver during training camp. Willson is the favorite to start if Graham can't go, but Vannett could certainly play a role in his first year. -- Sheil Kapadia