Football is officially back and it begins tonight in Canton, Ohio, with the Chicago Bears taking on the Baltimore Ravens. Here’s how to tune in and watch.
Chicago and Baltimore kick off the Hall of Fame weekend festivities with their matchup at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Both teams will be celebrating the start of football, but more importantly the accomplishments made from former players and 2018 inductees; Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis.
This is the second time a pair of linebackers have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the same year. The first pair was Jack Lambert and Ted Hendricks in 1990. The linebackers combined for 3,403 tackles, 83 sacks, 53 interceptions and 31 forced fumbles. They played instrumental roles on their respective teams and were two of the most feared players during their time.
Baltimore will be participating in its first-ever Hall of Fame game and this will be the second time they take on the Bears during the preseason. The Ravens missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, despite finishing above .500.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh did not give much information about the quarterback rotation, but it’s likely Joe Flacco will not play in tonight’s game. With that being said, rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson and veteran Robert Griffin III will see the field as they battle to be named Flacco’s backup.
Meanwhile, the Bears haven’t made the postseason since 2010. Last season they finished 5-11 and under .500 for fourth consecutive season. Expectations are beginning to grow for second-year quarterback Mitch Trubisky.
Trubisky biggest project this offseason has been learning the teams new offense under head coach Matt Nagy. Prior to being hired by the Bears in January, Nagy was the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs. When Nagy took over the play-calling responsibilities, the Chiefs’ offense experience a boost. They averaged nearly 29 points per game in the final five games of the season.
Similar to Flacco, it is unlikely Trubisky plays. Bears running back Jordan Howard confirmed he will not be playing.
Date: Thursday, Aug. 2
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Canton, Ohio
Venue: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
TV Info: NBC – (Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth on the call)
Live Stream: NFL Game Pass and NBCSports.com
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According to Oddsshark.com, the Ravens are 2.5-point betting favorites. The moneylines are set at Ravens -14o and Bears +130. This game’s over/under is 34 points.
Because the Bears and Ravens are playing in the Hall of Fame game, they have five preseason games, compared to four. It is safe to assume that most starters will not be in action. Never the less, football is back.