Finally, it's time for some football! Kind of. The NFL returned with the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 2, and while the 2018 regular season won't kick off for about another month, the preseason shifts into high gear this week thanks to the first league-wide round of exhibition matchups. We've got big-name rookies ready to make their debuts, big-name veterans ready to make their returns and a whole lot of teams anxious to get a couple of snaps under their belt before the real games begin in September. It's Week 1 of the 2018 NFL preseason. And we've got you covered with a glimpse at each and every game on tap: How to watch TV: All preseason games will be shown locally, so check your local listings. Five different games will be shown on national TV. Stream: NFL Game Pass, NBCSports.com, fuboTV Note: Nationally televised games will be designated with an asterisk (*). Preseason Week 1 games Thursday, Aug. 9 *Browns at Giants, 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network: The Baker vs. Barkley Bowl. Here, we'll get our first look at Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley, the first two picks of the 2018 draft, on the field and in action. Both of these teams have high hopes after horrendous 2017 seasons, but they also have lots to prove. Denzel Ward, Nick Chubb and Will Hernandez will also be worth watching. Panthers at Bills, 7 p.m. ET: Will Kelvin Benjamin and Cam Newton speak to each other before the game? On a more serious note, the Panthers will be eyeing their cornerbacks after Ross Cockrell's injury. And the Bills? Well, the Bills need to have their eyes glued to the quarterback position, where Josh Allen, AJ McCarron and Nathan Peterman are vying for the No. 1 job. Bears at Bengals, 7 p.m. ET: New Chicago coach Matt Nagy probably won't get too cute with his revamped offense in the preseason, but at least we'll have another glimpse at some of Mitch Trubisky's weapons. As for Cincinnati, the best Bengals fans can hope for is Joe Mixon and John Ross to stay healthy Steelers at Eagles, 7 p.m. ET: If this were a regular season battle, it might be the best of the week. Neither Carson Wentz nor Ben Roethlisberger nor any prominent star will see much, if any, action, and even Nick Foles won't be going for the Birds. That means this is mostly a chance to see what Mason Rudolph and Nate Sudfeld, two young backup QBs, can do. Saints at Jaguars, 7 p.m. ET: Like Eagles-Steelers, this is a playoff-caliber showdown, but if we get anything beyond extended Cody Kessler drives, it'll be a surprise. The Jags can practice their hard-nosed style against a Saints "D" that got better as it went in 2017, whereas New Orleans will have a shot to peek at new wideouts Michael Floyd and Cameron Meredith. Buccaneers at Dolphins, 7 p.m. ET: It might be a stretch to say that DeSean Jackson's job will be won or lost in the preseason, but then again, it might not be. Chris Godwin has apparently overtaken him on the depth chart, which will be without Jameis Winston early in the regular season, so there's a Bucs story for you. For Miami, it's all about Ryan Tannehill making his return. Redskins at Patriots, 7:30 p.m. ET: Has anyone even talked about Alex Smith and the Redskins this offseason? The spring and summer featured lots of big moves, including Washington's old QB signing a huge deal, but Smith has been overlooked. Here, he'll make his first appearance in burgundy. For the defending AFC champion Pats, cornerback might be a good spot to watch. Rams at Ravens, 7:30 p.m. ET: The Aqib Talib-Michael Crabtree revenge game! Baltimore already got its first look at Robert Griffin III and Lamar Jackson in the Hall of Fame Game, but now they can see Joe Flacco take a few snaps of his own. The Rams' tantalizing talent won't be on full display until September, but their remade defense will be something to behold. Titans at Packers, 8 p.m. ET: This will be Kenny Vaccaro's chance to make a killer first impression and perhaps take a big step toward a starting role in Tennessee. And in Green Bay, while Aaron Rodgers' return will dominate regular-season headlines (and the NFC North race), the QB spot should still be intriguing with Brett Hundley and DeShone Kizer battling out for the No. 2 role. Texans and Chiefs, 8:30 p.m. ET: In Houston, all eyes are on Deshaun Watson (can you sense a theme about returning QBs?). The Chiefs, meanwhile, have their own quarterback spotlight going on with Patrick Mahomes set to make his anticipated debut as Alex Smith's successor. Andy Reid will keep Kansas City's offense vanilla, but he's still got lots of toys to showcase. *Cowboys at 49ers, 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network: This is a prime opportunity for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys to prove they aren't crazy and actually believe their wide receiver corps will be better without Dez Bryant. San Francisco, meanwhile, won't be trotting Richard Sherman onto the field, but it will have an even better piece in the lineup -- hyped QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Colts at Seahawks, 10 p.m. ET: If you're going to tune into a preseason game just to watch a QB returning from injury, you might want to make it this one, if only because Andrew Luck's rehabilitation has been one of the most mysterious and concerning of them all. Can he even complete a pass? Will he look like the Luck of old? We'll see. Seattle, of course, will debut an overhauled defense. Friday, Aug. 10 *Falcons at Jets, 7:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network: If you're sick of us mentioning quarterback situations, skip this game. Because while Atlanta is set and ready to contend in the NFC South, this matchup is all about the Jets' signal-callers. It's anyone's job, really, so rookie Sam Darnold, underdog Teddy Bridgewater and ageless vet Josh McCown should all see plenty of time. *Lions at Raiders, 10:30 p.m.<doc-sep>Seth Wenig/Associated Press After six long months, NFL fans saw their first game since Super Bowl LII. The Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears kicked off the 2018 preseason in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday. Now that we've celebrated the 2018 Hall of Fame inductees for their hard work and dedication to the game, exhibition play comes into full focus, with four weeks of action on the slate before the regular season begins September 6. Coaching staffs will assess rosters of up to 90 players as September 1 cuts approach, mandating an active headcount of 53. Every team has at least one starting spot up for grabs—two clubs have major decisions at quarterback. In other scenarios, head coaches will test the strengths and weaknesses of their projected starters. Secondly, players on the bubble are prepared to fight for roster spots and avoid meetings with the Turk. Take a moment to check out the full 2018 preseason schedule, with television and live-stream viewing information for national broadcasts. We'll also highlight the biggest storylines to follow through August. Video Play Button Videos you might like 2018 Preseason Schedule Hall of Fame Weekend Thursday, August 2 Ravens 17, Bears 16 Week 1 Thursday, August 9 Carolina at Buffalo: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Chicago at Cincinnati: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Tampa Bay at Miami: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Cleveland at New York (Giants): 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Pittsburgh at Philadelphia: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass New Orleans at Jacksonville: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Washington at New England: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Los Angeles (Rams) at Baltimore: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Tennessee at Green Bay: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Houston at Kansas City: 8:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Dallas at San Francisco: 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Indianapolis at Seattle: 10 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Friday, August 10 Atlanta at New York (Jets): 7:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Detroit at Oakland: 10:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Saturday, August 11 Minnesota at Denver: 9 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Los Angeles (Chargers) at Arizona: 10 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Week 2 Thursday, August 16 Philadelphia at New England: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Pittsburgh at Green Bay: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass New York (Jets) at Washington: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN Friday, August 17 Kansas City at Atlanta: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass New York (Giants) at Detroit: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Buffalo at Cleveland: 7:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Miami at Carolina: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Arizona at New Orleans: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Saturday, August 18 Jacksonville at Minnesota: 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Oakland at Los Angeles (Rams): 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Cincinnati at Dallas: 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Tampa Bay at Tennessee: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass San Francisco at Houston: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Chicago at Denver: 9:05 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Seattle at Los Angeles (Chargers): 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Monday, August 20 Baltimore at Indianapolis: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, WatchESPN Week 3 Thursday, August 23 Philadelphia at Cleveland: 8 p.m. ET, Fox, Fox Sports Go Friday, August 24 New York at New York: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Denver at Washington: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass New England at Carolina: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Seattle at Minnesota: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Detroit at Tampa Bay: 8 p.m. ET, CBS, CBS All Access Green Bay at Oakland: 10:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Saturday, August 25 Kansas City at Chicago: 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Houston at Los Angeles (Rams): 4 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Tennessee at Pittsburgh: 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass San Francisco at Indianapolis: 4:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Baltimore at Miami: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Atlanta at Jacksonville: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass New Orleans at Los Angeles (Chargers): 8 p.m. ET, CBS, CBS All Access Sunday, August 26 Cincinnati at Buffalo: 4 p.m. ET, Fox, Fox Sports Go Arizona at Dallas: 8 p.m. ET, NBC, NBC Sports Week 4 Thursday, August 30 Miami at Atlanta: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Indianapolis at Cincinnati: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Cleveland at Detroit: 7 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass New England at New York (Giants): 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass New York (Jets) at Philadelphia: 7 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Carolina at Pittsburgh: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Jacksonville at Tampa Bay: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Washington at Baltimore: 7:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Buffalo at Chicago: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Minnesota at Tennessee: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Los Angeles (Rams) at New Orleans: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Dallas at Houston: 8 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Green Bay at Kansas City: 8:30 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Denver at Arizona: 10 p.m. ET, NFL Network, NFL Game Pass Los Angeles (Chargers) at San Francisco: 10 p.m. ET, Regional Service Network, NFL Game Pass Oakland at Seattle: 10 p.m.<doc-sep>For the first time in seven months, all 32 NFL teams are scheduled to play in the same week. Sure, it’s only preseason, but you can still watch and bet on every game just like you could in the regular season. Week 1 of the 2018 NFL preseason features 16 contests over the span of three days. Five of the games will be broadcast on national TV, and the rest of the schedule can be seen on each team’s local affiliate. Because it’s the start of the preseason and few starters will see much playing time, no betting line is higher than 3.5 points. No road team is favored. The game totals range from 34-37. The Dallas Cowboys are the week’s biggest underdog, getting more than a field goal in their road game against the San Francisco 49ers. The contest between the Washington Redskins and New England Patriots is expected to be the week’s highest-scoring affair. The preseason officially kicked off last week when the Baltimore Ravens beat the Chicago Bears 17-16 in the Hall of Fame Game. Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images Below is the complete Week 1 preseason schedule, including TV Channels and start times. Betting odds are provided by OddsShark. Thursday, Aug. 9 Carolina Panthers (+2.5, 34) at Buffalo Bills, 7 p.m. EDT, WCCB (Carolina)/WIVB (Buffalo) Chicago Bears (+2.5, 35.5) at Cincinnati Bengals, 7 p.m. EDT, FOX-32 (Chicago)/WKRC (Cincinnati) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+1.5, 34) at Miami Dolphins, 7 p.m. EDT, WFLA (Tampa)/WFOR (Miami) Cleveland Browns (+2, 35.5) at New York Giants, 7 p.m. EDT, NFL Network Pittsburgh Steelers (+3, 35) at Philadelphia Eagles, 7 p.m. EDT, KDKA (Pittsburgh)/NBC 10 (Philadelphia) New Orleans Saints (+3, 34.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars, 7 p.m. EDT, FOX 8 (New Orleans)/FOX 30 (Jacksonville) Washington Redskins (+3, 37) at New England Patriots, 7:30 p.m. EDT, NBC 4 (Washington)/WBZ-TV (New England) Los Angeles Rams (+3, 36) at Baltimore Ravens, 7:30 p.m. EDT, KCBS (Los Angeles)/WBAL (Baltimore) Tennessee Titans (PK, 35.5) at Green Bay Packers, 8 p.m. EDT, WKRN (Tennessee)/NBC 26 (Green Bay) Houston Texans (+2.5, 34.5) at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:30 p.m. EDT, ABC 13 (Houston)/KCTV5 (Kansas City) Dallas Cowboys (+3.5, 35) at San Francisco 49ers, 10 p.m. EDT, NFL Network Indianapolis Colts (+3, 34.5) at Seattle Seahawks, 10 p.m. EDT, FOX59 (Indianapolis)/Q13 (Seattle) Friday, Aug. 10 Atlanta Falcons (+2.5, 35) at New York Jets, 7:30 p.m. EDT, NFL Network Detroit Lions (+3, 36) at Oakland Raiders, 10:30 p.m. EDT, NFL Network Saturday, Aug. 11 Minnesota Vikings (PK, 34.5) at Denver Broncos, 9 p.m. EDT, NFL Network Los Angeles Chargers (+2.5, 36) at Arizona Cardinals, 10 p.m. EDT, ABC7 (Los Angeles)/Channel 12 (Arizona)<doc-sep>The Cowboys will have each of their first three 2018 preseason games televised to the world. Dallas was initially placed on the NBC schedule for the most important of the four exhibition games; their Sunday, August 26 battle against the Arizona Cardinals is the dress rehearsal game and where most starters play around a half of football. The release of the NFL Network’s live broadcast schedule, the importance of Dallas to the ratings is proven once again. The Cowboys first and second exhibition games will be carried live on the network, allowing fans not local to the DFW area the chance to watch the team develop. Cowboys 2018 Preseason Schedule Week Date Time (CST) / National TV Opponent 1 Thursday, August 9 9:00 p.m. CT / NFLN @ San Francisco 49ers 2 Saturday, August 18 6:00 p.m. CT ? NFLN vs Cincinnati Bengals 3 Sunday, August 26 7:00 p.m. / NBC vs Arizona Cardinals 4 Thursday, August 30 7:00 p.m. @ Houston Texans The team will travel to San Francisco this Thursday, then host Cincinnati in Week 2. In year’s past, the NFL Network has carried the broadcast of the road team, meaning broadcaster Bill Jones et al will be back in the lives of Cowboys’ fans at the earliest possible date. The only game not being broadcast nationally is the preseason finale, which is generally reserved for players trying to make impressions to latch on with other clubs. One note: The Week 1 game is the second part of a doubleheader, which means fans could very likely miss a part of the first quarter if the prior game runs long. It always runs long.<doc-sep>
Michael Conroy/Associated Press NFL fans can breathe easier because the preseason has started. While the NFL games in August bear little resemblance to what they will see once the regular season begins in early September, players are on the field, they are competing against opponents and the league is keeping score. The last factor may not matter much to coaches, but it matters to NFL fans who have an interest in the point spread because many will bet on preseason games. The Baltimore Ravens edged the Chicago Bears 17-16 in the Hall of Fame Game played in Canton, Ohio, Thursday night, and that gave fans a taste of NFL action. The Bears were 2.5-point underdogs and covered the spread, per OddsShark. The full schedule begins August 9, and there will be four full weeks of preseason games before the regular season commences when the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons September 6. Here's a look at the full preseason schedule, per NFL.com, along with the more notable games that will be televised nationally. NFL preseason games can be live-streamed through NFL Game Pass. Video Play Button Videos you might like Nationally Televised Preseason Games Thursday, Aug. 16: New York Jets at Washington Redskins, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) Monday, Aug. 20: Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) Thursday, Aug. 23: Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns, 8 p.m. ET (Fox) Friday, Aug. 24: Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8 p.m. ET (CBS) Saturday, Aug. 25: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Chargers, 8 p.m. ET (CBS) Sunday, Aug. 26: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills, 4 p.m. ET (Fox) Sunday, Aug. 26: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys, 8 p.m. ET (NBC) 2018 Preseason Week-by-Week Schedule Week 1: August 9-13 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals Los Angeles Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens Carolina Panthers vs. Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears vs. Cincinnati Bengals Minnesota Vikings vs. Denver Broncos Tennessee Titans vs. Green Bay Packers New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Houston Texans vs. Kansas City Chiefs Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Miami Dolphins Washington Redskins vs. New England Patriots Cleveland Browns vs. New York Giants Atlanta Falcons vs. New York Jets Detroit Lions vs. Oakland Raiders Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers Indianapolis Colts vs. Seattle Seahawks Week 2: August 16-20 Kansas City Chiefs vs. Atlanta Falcons Miami Dolphins vs. Carolina Panthers Buffalo Bills vs. Cleveland Browns Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears vs. Denver Broncos New York Giants vs.Detroit Lions Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Green Bay Packers San Francisco 49ers vs. Houston Texans Baltimore Ravens vs. Indianapolis Colts (ESPN, Aug. 20) Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers Oakland Raiders vs. Los Angeles Rams Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Minnesota Vikings Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots Arizona Cardinals vs. New Orleans Saints Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Tennessee Titans New York Jets vs. Washington Redskins (ESPN, Aug. 16) Week 3: August 23-26 Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills (FOX, Aug. 26) New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers Kansas City Chiefs vs. Chicago Bears Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cleveland Browns (FOX, Aug. 23) Arizona Cardinals vs. Dallas Cowboys (NBC, Aug. 26) San Francisco 49ers vs. Indianapolis Colts Atlanta Falcons vs. Jacksonville Jaguars New Orleans Saints vs. Los Angeles Chargers (CBS, Aug. 25) Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Rams Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings New York Giants vs. New York Jets Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders Tennessee Titans vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (CBS, Aug. 24) Denver Broncos vs. Washington Redskins Week 4: August 30-31 Denver Broncos vs. Arizona Cardinals Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons Washington Redskins vs. Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills vs. Chicago Bears Indianapolis Colts vs. Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions Dallas Cowboys vs. Houston Texans Green Bay Packers vs. Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Rams vs. New Orleans Saints New England Patriots vs. New York Giants New York Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Los Angeles Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers Oakland Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Minnesota Vikings vs. Tennessee Titans While many fans see avoiding injuries as the primary goal during preseason, the games are vital to players who will fill out the bottom spots on the roster. A big play or two in a preseason game combined with solid work in practice sessions can often be the difference between making the team and getting cut.