Who Should I Start? Marcus Mariota or Mitchell Trubisky

Wednesday, August 6, 9:20 PM

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (leg) won't travel with the team for their preseason opener against the New England Patriots. Head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday that Mariota is dealing with a mild lower leg strain. Luckily, it sounds like a minor injury as Quinn said his level of concern was low. The Commanders will take the cautious approach and rest their backup quarterback. Mariota served as the backup to Jayden Daniels last season. He completed 34-of-44 passing attempts for 364 passing yards and four touchdowns in three games with Washington last year. There won't be any fantasy value here with Mariota while Daniels is healthy. Sam Hartman figures to see the bulk of the snaps in the preseason opener.

Saturday, August 9, 7:21 PM

With reigning MVP Josh Allen sitting out Saturday's preseason opener against the New York Giants, the Buffalo Bills handed the reins to reserve quarterback Mitch Trubisky to start the game. The 30-year-old performed well in a 34-25 loss in the first half, completing nine of his 13 passing attempts for 138 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown to tight end Dawson Knox. In his final drive of the day, Trubisky found wide receiver Tyrell Shavers downfield for 58 yards to set the Bills up for a chip-shot field goal in the waning seconds of the half. Trubisky appeared in nine games for the Bills last year, mostly working in mop-up duty, and connected on 19 of 26 passes for 179 yards and two scores. Formerly a starter with the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers, Trubisky has spent the summer battling Mike White for the No. 2 role in Buffalo. White also played well on Saturday, meaning neither quarterback has pulled away in the race. The next opportunity to do so will come Aug. 17 against the Bears, who made the ill-fated decision to draft Trubisky second overall in 2017.