Among the telltale signs that the NFL regular season is approaching is the annual Hall of Fame game. The first game of the NFL’s preseason, the Hall of Fame Game brings excitement for what’s to come while also paying homage to former gridiron greats. This year’s game will feature the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, two teams that will face off during Week 9 of the regular season.
Thursday night’s game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, a stone’s throw from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. With a capacity crowd of 23,000, the stadium provides a unique atmosphere that harkens back to a simpler time in professional football. As usual, the stadium will be packed Thursday night with eager football fans whose six-month wait to watch NFL football will finally be rewarded, even if the game is officially a final win. Do not count in numbers.
Below is a preview of Thursday night’s showdown, along with how to follow the action in real time.
How to see
History: Thursday, August 4 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium (Canton, Ohio)
Television: NBC (On Stream fuboTV, try it for free.)
Follow up: The CBS Sports app
Preview
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Las Vegas Raiders PK
This edition of the Hall of Fame Game will feature two teams that have undergone 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 disappointing season that included the late-season firing of former coach Urban Meyer. Jaguars fans are hoping that Pederson can repeat the magic with Trevor Lawrence that he did with Nick Foles during the Eagles’ magical Super Bowl run five years ago.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, is hoping to end their 2022 season with the franchise’s first trip to the Super Bowl since 2002. The Raiders’ Super Bowl hopes rest largely on last year’s success as well as several offseason acquisitions, including all-pro wideout Deonte Adams and pass rusher Chandler Jones. Like the Jaguars, the Raiders have a new head coach in Josh McDaniels, who comes to Las Vegas after a long, successful run as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator. Thursday’s game will be homecoming for McDaniels, who played high school football inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Injuries plagued the Raiders during the early stages of training camp. Those injuries will likely hinder how many players Las Vegas will field in the first of its five preseason games. Thursday night will be a chance for Raiders fans to get a look at rookies Dylan Parham, Matthew Butler and Neil Ferrell Jr. While none of these players are expected starters, each is expected to be a key contributor to the Raiders’ offensive and defensive lines.
The Jaguars also have several rookies to keep an eye on, most notably Luke Fortner and linebackers Devin Lloyd and Trayvon Walker. While he’s no rookie, the 2022 season is in many ways the first for running back Travis Etienne, a 2021 first-round pick who missed the entire regular season with an injury. Pederson has announced that both Etienne and Lawrence will not play in the Hall of Fame game.
