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Among the telltale signs that the NFL regular season is just around the corner is the annual Hall of Fame Game. The first game of the NFL preseason, the Hall of Fame Game brings excitement for what lies ahead while also paying tribute to past gridiron greats. This year’s game will feature the Las Vegas Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars, two teams that will face off in Week 9 of the regular season.
Thursday night’s game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, just a stone’s throw from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. With a capacity of 23,000, the stadium offers a unique atmosphere reminiscent of a simpler era in professional football. As always, the stadium will be packed Thursday night with eager fans whose six-month wait to watch NFL football will finally be rewarded, even if the game doesn’t officially count in the final win-loss tally.
Here’s a preview of Thursday night’s matchup, along with how to watch the action in real time.
How to watch
Date: Thursday, August 4 | Year: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio)
TV: NBC (stream enable fuboTV, try it for free)
Follow: CBS Sports app
Preview
Latest odds:
Las Vegas Raiders +1
This edition of the Hall of Fame Game will feature two teams that had major changes in the offseason. The Jaguars, led by first-year coach Doug Pederson, are using the ’22 season as a foundation for future glory. Jacksonville is coming off a dismal season that included firing former coach Urban Meyer late in the season. Jaguars fans are hoping Pederson can repeat the magic with Trevor Lawrence that he had with Nick Foles during the Eagles’ Super Bowl magic five years ago.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, is hoping the 2022 season ends with the franchise’s first trip to the Super Bowl since 2002. The Raiders’ Super Bowl hopes rest heavily on last year’s success along with a series of offseason acquisitions that include All-Pro Davente Adams and forward Chandler Jones. Like the Jaguars, the Raiders have a new coach in Josh McDaniels, who comes to Las Vegas after a long, successful run as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. Thursday’s game will be a homecoming for McDaniels, who played high school football at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Injuries have hurt the Raiders during the early goings in training camp. Those injuries will likely hinder how many players dress in Las Vegas for the first of five preseason games. Thursday night will be a chance for Raiders fans to get a look at rookies Dylan Parham, Matthew Butler and Neil Farrell Jr. While none of these players are expected to start, each is expected to serve as a key contributor to the Raiders offense and defense. lines.
The Jaguars also have several rookies to watch, namely center Luke Fortner and defensive ends Devin Lloyd and Travon Walker. Although not a rookie, the 2022 season is in many ways the first for Travis Etienne, a 2021 first-round pick who missed the entire regular season with an injury. It will be interesting to see how much work Etienne puts in in his first game in almost a year.
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