The final day of the preseason has begun. While the Cleveland Browns secured a commanding victory over the New England Patriots, Fernando Mendoza put in a poor performance.

The final day of preseason games for the 2026 NFL season is in full swing. While most games so far have featured only backups, a few (future) starters also saw some action.

San Francisco 49ers @ Las Vegas Raiders 18:12

In a field goal festival par excellence, the San Francisco 49ers prevailed over the Las Vegas Raiders 18–12. Not a single point was scored on a touchdown; instead, there were a combined ten (!) field goals.

The Raiders, in particular, were a disappointment, even though they fielded a few starters. Fernando Mendoza finished the game with a 50 percent completion rate, 57 passing yards, and one interception. Kirk Cousins managed a meager 51 yards on eight pass attempts.

At least running back Mike Washington put in a solid performance: In just eight carries, he gained 61 yards.

The 49ers fielded nothing but backups. Quarterback Adrian Martinez put in a good performance with 130 passing yards on 12 passes, and receiver Jordan Watkins also delivered with 64 receiving yards.

New England Patriots @ Cleveland Browns 1:37 PM

The New England Patriots’ game against the Cleveland Browns ended up being a clear-cut victory for the Browns, 37–13. But here, too, both teams fielded only players fighting for a spot on the roster.

Neither Shedeur Sanders nor Deshaun Watson took the field. Dillon Gabriel played the most snaps and was thoroughly impressive, finishing with 12 of 15 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns.

For the Patriots, third-string quarterback Behren Morton had an off day: of his 28 passes, only 18 were completions for 123 yards; he was also sacked three times and threw two interceptions.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills 27–28

As is customary in the final preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills, none of the starters saw action.

For the Bills, quarterback Shane Buechele was only somewhat convincing, finishing with 38 pass attempts, no touchdowns, and just 196 yards. Running back Frank Gore Jr. racked up 73 total yards and a touchdown.

For the Steelers, the competition for the backup spot behind Aaron Rodgers continues, with both Drew Allar and Will Howard getting a chance to prove themselves. While Allar completed only nine of his 18 passes for 88 yards, he finished with no touchdowns but also no turnovers.

Howard, on the other hand, completed nine of his 15 passes but recorded only 69 yards. He also threw two touchdown passes but also an interception; as a result, Howard leads in quarterback rating.

Los Angeles Rams @ Los Angeles Chargers 20:18

In the Los Angeles derby, the Rams and the Chargers played an exciting game. After the Chargers’ starting lineup’s only drive ended with a deep 65-yard touchdown pass from Justin Herbert to Quentin Johnston, the Rams stepped up their game.

Stafford’s backup, Ty Simpson, put in a strong performance, missing only five of his 23 passes; on his only touchdown pass, he rolled out sharply to the left and threw a precise pass into the corner of the end zone against his direction of travel.

While the Chargers at least let their stars play one drive, Sean McVay opted not to use his starters in his final preseason game.