Media by Associated Press – Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jamal Agnew (39) runs sprints during an NFL football practice, Sunday, July 31, 2022, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The NFL Preseason gets underway this week with the annual Hall of Fame game and induction ceremony. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders have the honor of getting the 2022 season underway, though neither team is likely to play their starters very much, if at all.
Kickoff at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, is set for 8:00 p.m. ET, streaming on Peacock and airing on NBC.
Last year the Jaguars went 1-2 in the preseason and 3-14 in the regular season, firing head coach Urban Meyer in December. The Raiders were 2-1 in the 2021 preseason and 10-7 in the regular season. They also changed coaches from Jon Gruden (3-2) to Rich Bisaccia (7-5) and made the playoffs, losing to Cincinnati.
The Raiders are 3-0 in their history in the Hall of Fame Game, with wins in 1979, 1993, and 2006. The Jaguars lost their only previous appearance as an expansion team in 1995.
Doug Pederson Takes Over in Jacksonville
With the disastrous Urban Meyer year behind them, the Jaguars have turned the controls over to Super Bowl winning coach Doug Pederson. The former Eagles coach won’t have all of his weapons on display in Canton as starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence won’t play, and backup C.J. Beathard is out with a groin injury.
The Jaguars will have both Jake Luton and Kyle Sloter on the field. Luton started three games last season, and it didn’t go well as he had more interceptions than touchdowns. Sloter is coming off a championship in the USFL with the New Orleans Breakers though he also had more interceptions than touchdowns on the season.
Running back Travis Etienne, who missed his rookie season with an injury, will not play on Thursday. They also have James Robinson out, so expect Snoop Conner, Ryquell Armstead, and Nathan Cottrell to lead the backfield on Thursday.
The Jaguars brought in tight end Evan Engram from the Giants and wideout Christian Kirk from Arizona and expect both to have an impact this season. Wideout Jamal Agnew is out with a hip injury, and the Jags still have Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault, and Laquon Treadwell competing for targets.
Raiders Start a New Era
Josh McDaniels finally gets another chance to be a head coach after a disaster in Denver and his about-face with Indianapolis. The Raiders made the big move in the offseason to add wideout Davante Adams from Green Bay. Adams teamed with quarterback Derek Carr at Fresno State, and now the duo reunite in the NFL.
That reunion will likely have to wait a while as neither are expected to take the field Thursday night. Carr has just nine pass attempts in the preseason over the last three years, and he didn’t play at all in the 2021 preseason. These teams also play in November, so putting plays on tape with the number ones doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Without Carr, the Raiders have Nick Mullens, Jarrett Stidham, and Chase Garbers at quarterback. Mullens has the most experience though Stidham got preseason action with the Patriots in 2019 and 2020 before missing last year with a back injury.
The backfield is crowded for the Raiders, with Kenyan Drake, Ameer Abdullah, Brandon Bolden, and Zamir White battling for carries behind starter Josh Jacobs. Adams and Hunter Renfrow should form a formidable 1-2 punch at wide receiver this season. Demarcus Robinson, Keelan Cole. Mack Hollins and Jordan Veasy should all see action on Thursday.
Betting Analysis
- Jacksonville Jaguars +2.5 (-110). Moneyline +115
- Las Vegas Raiders -2.5 (-110). Moneyline -135
- Total Points: 30.5. Over -105. Under -115
Both teams have new coaches and new offenses to implement, and they’ve had limited practices. Neither team has done much hitting at all, and the majority of starters will sit this one out.
The Hall of Fame Game is traditionally low scoring, with the winning team scoring 20 or less points in each of the last five games.
Betting Pick: Under 30.5 points (-115)
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