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NFL preseason Week 2: Top takeaways and highlights you shouldn’t miss
Preseason Week 2 of the NFL kept the momentum rolling, taking all the fun and energy from the opener and dialing it up another notch with the 2025 season fast approaching.
DAZN News breaks down the biggest storylines, from impressive rookies bumping veterans down the depth chart to proven stars sending a reminder that they’re still at the top of their game.
Jayden Daniels reminds the league he’s built for greatness
Daniels' performance in his rookie year left little doubt about his talent, but the Washington Commanders' quarterback wasted no time reminding the league why he should be feared as he heads into his sophomore campaign - and he did so without even attempting a pass.
The 24-year-old only played for one series against the Cincinnati Bengals, but made his presence felt as the Commanders drove 74 yards in only four plays, which resulted in a 14-yard touchdown from Daniels.
Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin's contract dispute is concerning, but to watch the young Commanders' quarterback deliver the way he did without one of the most important components of Washington's offense - even against a Bengals' defense that wasn't at full force - shows how dangerous Daniels and this offense could be in 2025 and beyond.
Dillon Gabriel fights to stay alive in Browns’ QB race behind Flacco
As expected, Joe Flacco will open the season as the Browns’ starter, but at 40 years old, the real battle is between Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders to be his long-term successor.
Sanders exceeded expectations in the Browns' preseason opener, but Dillon made a statement of his own against the Philadelphia Eagles on the weekend - both on and off the field.
The rookie finished with 13-of-18 passes for 143 yards, showing rare poise for a rookie player despite throwing an interception returned for a pick-six, which was arguably not his fault.
His promising on-field display, however, was overshadowed by his comments during an in-game interview.
His remarks quickly went viral, with many believing he was taking a shot at Sanders, whose celebrity status outweighs his status as a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Post-game, Gabriel clarified his remarks to reporters.
"I'm all about our team and each other. I would never make that comment [about Sanders]."
Rookie running back sensation Croskey-Merritt steals Brian Robinson's spotlight
A late-round running back always seems to steal the show as a rookie. Early evidence suggests seventh-rounder Jacory Croskey-Merritt might be this season’s breakout star.
Hype was already building around the first-year player to the point that Brian Robinson, the leading Commanders' running back for the past three years, might be deemed surplus to requirements and had landed on the trade block.
After piling up 46 yards and a touchdown on 11 rushing attempts against the Bengals, Croskey-Merritt may have leapfrogged others on the depth chart and slammed the door on Robinson’s future in Washington.
It’s still too soon to call Croskey-Merritt the next Bucky Irving - the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back who took the league by storm despite being a Day 3 pick in 2024 - but early signs make him one of this preseason’s most exciting storylines.
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