Thursday night marks the preseason opener for several teams in the NFL, as the matchups continue every night through the weekend. Here’s a look at what to expect in some of the upcoming games.
Giants Take On Patriots In Foxborough
The New York Giants and New England Patriots meet for the second straight preseason in the opener for both teams tonight. New York went 0-3 in the preseason last year and is optimistic about their chances this season after making upgrades in many areas of their roster.
They now have a solid backup quarterback in Tyrod Taylor, who started for three seasons in Buffalo. The Giants may put some pressure on Daniel Jones to perform better this season.
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T&C APPLY | NJ, PA, IN, CO, NJ, MI, IA, LA, MS, OH ONLY Join NowThe Patriots were perfect in the preseason last year, posting a 3-0 record and winning over the Giants 22-20 on the road. Second-year quarterback Mac Jones outperformed everyone’s expectations his rookie season, passing for 3,800 yards with 22 touchdowns while leading New England to a 10-7 record.
The team is in a great position to make a playoff run in 2022 after finishing sixth in points scored and second in points against last season. Bill Belichick also plays to win in every preseason game, as the team has a 9-2 record in the previous 11 exhibition matchups.
New England wins as slight underdogs at home.
Titans Open Preseason against Ravens
The Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens kick off their preseason on Thursday night as the former AFC Central rivals play at M&T Bank Stadium. The Titans won the AFC South last season with a 12-5 record and later lost to the Cincinnati Bengals at home in the first round of the playoffs.
Tennessee hopes to improve its passing offense after finishing 24th in the league last year. However, they lost their top two receivers, Julio Jones and A.J. Brown, to free agency in the offseason.
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T&C APPLY | NJ, PA, IN, CO, NJ, MI, IA, LA, MS, OH ONLY Join NowBaltimore started last season with an 8-3 record before injuries ruined the remainder of their season. After losing Lamar Jackson, they lost the last six games and finished with their first losing season since 2015.
However, their offense finished third in the league in rushing with 145.8 yards per game and looks to improve on last season’s collapse with Jackson now healthy to start the season. The Ravens also have not lost in the preseason in seven years, posting a 20-0 record.
Baltimore wins to continue their impressive preseason streak.
Falcons Face Lions In NFC Matchup
The Atlanta Falcons go to Detroit to face the Lions on Friday in the first preseason game for both teams. The Falcons open the 2022 season without Matt Ryan at quarterback for the first time since 2007 after he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts.
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T&C APPLY | NJ, PA, IN, CO, NJ, MI, IA, LA, MS, OH ONLY Join NowInstead, Marcus Mariota is favored to take over the starting role against rookie Desmond Ridder, whose last game was with Cincinnati in the College Football Playoffs last season. Ridder will have a lot of snaps to try to impress the coaches tonight, with the starters expected to play just one quarter.
Detroit finished 3-13-1 in 2021 and is looking to improve this season with one of the youngest rosters in the league. The Lions have their work cut out if they expect a winning season this year.
They averaged 19.1 points per game on offense, with the defense not doing much better by finishing 31st in the league while giving up 27.5 points per game. The Lions may have the advantage in the first quarter, but their lack of depth will be an issue for the remainder of this contest.
Atlanta wins with better play at the QB position.
