After a long wait, the 2022 NFL season is finally around the corner.
It wasn’t long ago when teams were building their rosters through free agency.
Then, prospects went through the Scouting Combine before the annual rookie draft.
Voluntary OTAs happened next before mandatory training camps.
Not too long ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Las Vegas Raiders played in the Hall of Fame Game.
Now, the calendar moves into the preseason, meaning that the games that matter are just weeks away.
There are games today… as the preseason kicks into gear pic.twitter.com/fHz0qsuJvE
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 11, 2022
NFL Network national insider Ian Rapoport tweeted, “There are games today… as the preseason kicks into gear.”
Those words are like music to the ears of football fans even if the games do not reflect on the win-loss record yet.
What matters most is that football is back and they can witness the games.
In the first matchup, the New York Giants will face the New England Patriots.
The Patriots are coming off a season wherein they reached the playoffs with quarterback Mac Jones.
They hope to enter the postseason again with an offense led by Jones, Damien Harris, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, and Jonnu Smith.
On defense, the Patriots will parade Deatrich Wise Jr., Matthew Judon, and Devin McCourty.
Meanwhile, the Giants are hoping to bounce back from five straight losing seasons by bringing in head coach Brian Daboll.
There has been renewed enthusiasm in the squad with the former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator now calling the shots.
Ravens Take On The Titans
In the other preseason pairing, both the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans would like to see if their rosters are back to full strength.
The Titans will pay attention to Derrick Henry‘s status after suffering a foot injury last season.
Meanwhile, the Ravens have been decimated by injuries, especially Lamar Jackson‘s ankle issue.
Both the Titans and Ravens hope for a healthy season for their key players.