Darron Cummings/Associated Press
The 2018 NFL preseason got underway Thursday night with the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Five days from now, things will actually get underway as play starts across the league.
We all know the drill for preseason games at this point. Don’t take things seriously whatsoever, cross your fingers no one gets hurt and try your best to identify fantasy sleepers.
Of course, we all fail to follow the drill. Every single play is dissected endlessly on social media, careers are made and written off and, most importantly, we all try and fail to correctly identify which Drew Brees receiver will make the leap this season.
Here is a look at the national television schedule for the preseason.
NFL Preseason TV Schedule
Week 2
New York Jets vs. Washington Redskins, Thursday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts, Monday, Aug. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
Week 3
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cleveland Browns, Thursday, Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on Fox
Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Friday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS
New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Saturday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills, Sunday, Aug. 26 at 4 p.m. ET on Fox
Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC
Tickets available via StubHub.
Storylines to Watch
Can Andrew Luck Throw in an Actual Football Game?
The Colts’ franchise quarterback hasn’t played football in 19 months. His shoulder rehabilitation has featured numerous starts and stops and even a trip to Europe in hopes of rebuilding strength.
Based on all the words coming out of Colts camp, Luck is fully on his way to being on the field in Week 1. Colts coach Frank Reich said Luck will feature more regularly in the preseason to wear off his field rust.
“The plan is to play him a little bit more than he would normally would if he’d had a normal year last year,” Reich said, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “But I don’t want to overreact. He’ll get enough snaps in, we’ll recreate enough out here in practice by the way we practice and the speed at which we practice, and all the situational stuff we practice. We’ll build a confidence lever there. And sure, he needs to get his snaps, and maybe a little bit more. But I’m not gonna be dramatic with it.”
As with all things with Luck, we’ll have to wait and see. He’s gone through practice without any hitches, but we won’t get to see him on a national stage until Week 2 against the Baltimore Ravens. It’s unclear if he’ll play a quarter or an entire half, but Luck getting through the preseason will be the first major hurdle for him to return to Pro Bowl form.
Can the Browns Be Competent?
Like…probably not.
But the Browns at least think they can.
Winners of one of their last 35 games, the Browns added some actual football players this offseason, have built a young core thanks to their truckload of draft picks and appear to be approaching some sort of competency.
Baker Mayfield and the ever-solid Tyrod Taylor are battling for the starting quarterback spot. Nick Chubb could wind up being the best running back in this draft class. The wide receiving corps is spearheaded by Jarvis Landry and Josh Gordon, who will enter the regular season without a drug suspension lingering over his head for the first time since 2012.
So could the Browns be good? Again, probably not.
But we could get a good sign of their competency level in Week 3 when they play the defending champs. Unlike most Super Bowl winners, the Eagles didn’t get discernibly worse. There was no mass exodus of stars, and they brought a few new ones in. Michael Bennett should bring an added flavor to the pass rush. Carson Wentz is nearing health.
It won’t be a full squad, but the Browns could use the Eagles as a litmus test for where they stand in the league.
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