Hall of Fame Game

We finally got some NFL football action after a long off-season. The Hall of Fame game was last night and even though it’s not anywhere close to as exciting as week one, it’s a little something. There was an early finish to this game due to the weather, but it’s all good, there is lots of season left. The Texans and Bears put on a show for us and I’m looking forward to the upcoming weeks for some more preseason action to warm me up for the regular season. 

We also got to see Jason Kelce’s MNF debut, already making his mark sporting a beret he got in France while he was in attendance at the Olympics. I’m excited he’s doing this and I think he’ll do a great job with it. I of course love his personality, but he does a really good job breaking down the sport as well, he’s a great addition to ESPN. 

We also got a first look at the new kickoff rule, which is going to take some getting used to. I’m a fan of the rule as I think it’s a component that is a lot more exciting which will make the game itself more engaging. It was odd seeing the formation with the players that close to each other. Overall, I think it’s good for the players and the fans as it does make the kickoff safer and a lot more fun to watch. 

The Bears got the win in this short game and had some great offense going. Brett Rypien had himself a GAME. He went off and pretty much had as close to a perfect game as you can get. Two of Rypien’s three TDs were caught from former Longhorn Collin Johnson, shoutout Texas. Chicago’s rushing wasn’t anything exciting, but the offensive line didn’t allow a sack. 

The Houston offense, just like Chicago, had success in the air. Davis Mills and Case Keenum also looked pretty damn near perfect as well. Yes, it’s the HOF game and these defenses aren’t the most elite, but I still have to give credit where it’s due. Xavier Hutchinson was Houston’s top WR and I think he’s a very underrated weapon for their offense this year. 

I’m excited to view the rest of the preseason. We’ll have to see if all the QBs have as much success as these guys did. I’m hoping next weekend Caleb Williams will get a few reps. I think the Bears are going to have one of the most entertaining offenses with Williams, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Swift, and Odunze. We’ll have to see if that offensive line can hold up and perform. It’ll be tough to win the NFC North due to Detroit, but I think Chicago gets a wildcard spot. If the 2023 team can get seven wins I think this team could get as many as ten. Caleb Williams has a lot of haters and I’m not one of them. I think he has immediate success and will be exactly the guy Chicago has been searching for all these years.

Houston will be a fun team to watch too. They are my AFC South winner and CJ Stroud might have an even better year than he did last year. It’ll be interesting to see if Diggs has his infamous attitude issues in Houston, but I think he’ll be more than happy in H-Town. Pierce, Mixon, and Akers in the RB room are a big plus. Will Anderson is one of my favorite players in the league and will have that Texans defense ready to go, we’ll see if they can keep up with the hot offenses of the AFC. 

Both of these teams in the regular season will be some of the most fun to watch. Let's get through the rest of the preseason and before we know it, it’ll be September 5th and the Ravens will be in Kansas City, what a great way to open the regular season.