Preseason Week 2 is when players begin to solidify their roles. With roster cuts coming August 30, this is the last full audition for guys trying to keep a job or make the team. Two games stand out this week with the Steelers planning on using the entire game to see which of their two young quarterbacks impresses most, and the No. 1 overall pick gets a tough test in Houston.

Elsewhere, golf's playoffs cut the field from 50 to 30 players in St. Louis, and there's a quarterback competition in Cleveland that may be coming to an end.

The stakes: This is Fernando Mendoza's second look, and this one's on national TV against a much tougher opponent. The No. 1 overall pick was solid in his debut, going 10-of-16 for 97 yards and a touchdown against Arizona. Now he goes on the road to face DeMeco Ryans' Texans, one of the best defenses in football.

The plan in Las Vegas has always been patience. Kirk Cousins was signed as the veteran to keep the team competitive, and Coach Klint Kubiak has said it's Cousins' job to lose. But that plan is already being tested. Mendoza took extensive first-team reps for the first time in Tuesday's joint practice with Houston, and Kubiak was direct about why, he wanted to see Mendoza against the Texans' starters. If the rookie keeps producing, Mendoza may take the starting job sooner than the Raiders were expecting.

What to watch for: How Mendoza handles real pressure. Although the Texans starters aren’t expected to play, their backups should still present challenges for Mendoza. Kubiak confirmed Mendoza will get a lot of reps tonight so expect a long look and see if he can back up last week’s outing.

Beyond quarterback, keep an eye on the receiver room for the Texans. Their No. 2 receiver, Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in practice this week and is out for the season. That means the Texans will need to quickly find his replacement with a position group that’s already thin for them.

Skin in the Game: Back the Texans +1.5. Houston is resting most of its starters, so this comes down to backups, and that's where the Texans have the edge. Defense is the strength of this team, and so still expect a well coached unit.

On the other side, Davis Mills is one of the better backups in the league and threw a touchdown on his only drive last week. He'll face a Raiders defense that just got picked apart by Arizona's backup, Gardner Minshew. Remember this is for fun, not your rent money.

The stakes: This is an audition for the future of the position. Mike McCarthy confirmed Wednesday that Will Howard will start and Drew Allar will follow, with neither Aaron Rodgers nor Mason Rudolph playing. That means the two young quarterbacks will split the entire game.

This matters because Rodgers is retiring after this season, so one of these two is likely the guy who takes over in Pittsburgh next year. McCarthy was blunt with his comments noting he's seen what he needs from his veterans, and he wants to max out the opportunities for Howard and Allar.

What to watch for: Whether Allar can back up last week. The rookie was the story of the preseason opener, going 10-of-13 for 153 yards with two passing touchdowns and a rushing score against Green Bay. Howard was efficient in his own right, 7-of-9 for 86 yards, but Allar was clearly better.

Howard gets the start with what should be most of the first-team offense around him. Allar follows and has to prove the opener wasn't a one week thing. Whoever separates here has a real head start to compete for a starting job that opens next season.

On the Jets side, watch their own backup competition behind starter Geno Smith with Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Brady Cook, and Bailey Zappe all fighting for reps behind center.

Skin in the Game: Back the Steelers +1.5. Pittsburgh is playing two quarterbacks who are competing and want to make a statement, while the Jets sort through a backup competition with less established talent. In a game where snap distribution matters expect Howard and Allar to produce a few scoring drives and that can be the difference. Remember this is for fun, not your rent money.

Bills at Browns | Saturday, 1:00 PM (NFL Network): One of the most interesting quarterback battles in football might be settled this week. Deshaun Watson outplayed Shedeur Sanders in Week 1, producing a solid outing with the starters while Sanders finished his day with an interception against Chicago backups.

Coach Todd Monken confirmed Sanders starts and gets the first half with the first-team offense, with Watson taking over in the second half. One Browns reporter called it the biggest week of Sanders' professional life, and that's about right, because Watson is currently the favorite to win the job so he’ll need a big outing to make this a tougher decision.

BMW Championship | Today–Sun (CBS/Paramount+): The FedEx Cup Playoffs cut down again. The field is now the top 50 and only the top 30 advance to the Tour Championship. Scottie Scheffler returns as defending champion and leads the standings. The pressure starts Thursday with the field all pushing to make the final cut.

Must-watch:

Worth tuning in:

— Zach Blumenstein

New to Backdrop Sports? Forward this to a friend who's watching the games with you and follow along on Instagram @backdropsports and Twitter/X @zblumee for content throughout the week.