What to look forward to in tonight’s Hall of Fame game

It may not be a game that matters Cheap Kamalei Correa Jersey , but for the first time since February, we’re getting some actual football. Tonight at 8 PM eastern time, the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens will face off in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game at (where else) the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. While both teams missed out on the playoffs last year, there’s actually plenty of reason to be excited about what they have in store for 2018.If you follow me on Twitter, you know how excited I am about the 2018 Bears. The biggest issue this team had in 2017 was indisputably the receiving corps, where the only players that had more than one touchdown were tight ends and running backs. The team responded by signing Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson, Falcons receiver Taylor Gabriel, and Eagles TE Trey Burton, while selecting Memphis receiver Anthony Miller in this year’s draft. Combine that with Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Adam Shaheen, and (maybe) a healthy Kevin White, and the Bears have playmakers everywhere, with former Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy pulling the strings. The defense features a promising safety duo in Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson, and the team drafted Roquan Smith out of Georgia in the first round to a defensive line that includes Leonard Floyd, Akiem Hicks, Danny Trevathan, Eddie Goldman, etc. It’s hard to see the Bears not having a better record this season than last, and they could be a sneaky playoff contender in a loaded NFC.The Ravens have one of the league’s best defenses Womens Ben Jones Jersey , and have made an effort to form some identity on offense in an attempt to contend for the playoffs. The team signed receivers Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead in the offseason, and drafted tight end Hayden Hurst and quarterback Lamar Jackson in the first round of last year’s draft.I had Lamar Jackson as the best quarterback out of the 2018 draft class. He’s a much better passer than his critics give him any credit for, and as a runner he may be the best prospect since Cam Newton. His combination of speed, elusiveness, and ability to be lined up in all sorts of areas as a runner makes him dangerous. As a passer, he’s excellent down the field, is extremely poised under pressure, and can fit the ball into tight windows.If Lamar Jackson starts for the Ravens, there’s actual reason to be excited about that offense. Michael Crabtree is a high quality receiver that is a master at sideline catches, putting himself in a position for yards after the catch, and someone that offers great route running and ball skills. John Brown has been a quality receiver when healthy, and he gets a second chance to do some damage in Baltimore. Combined with a well coached running game, and this Ravens team could be fun to watch as long as Joe Flacco doesn’t start.On the Bears’ side of the ball, guys like Kevin White, Anthony Miller, and Adam Shaheen are expected to play tonight. For the Ravens, expect guys like Lamar Jackson, Hayden Hurst, Jaleel Scott, Breshad Perriman Womens Tajae Sharpe Jersey , and Jordan Lasley to play tonight.And, of course, expect the infamous helmet contact rule the league enforced in the offseason to rear its ugly head tonight. I expect to be infuriated about this rule early on. I’m hoping that will change as the season progresses, but this is the NFL, where nothing is run correctly.With that said, the game will be on at 8 pm eastern time on NBC, and can be streamed live via NBC Sports Live as well.See where the top Titans rank in the leaked Madden 19 ratings The release (or leak) or Madden ratings — and me getting mad about them — is one of those things that reminds me that football season is quickly approaching each year. Today, Madden-School.com posted all the ratings above 80 for each team except for the Bears, Broncos, Bucs, Bills, and Bengals (not sure why its all the “B” teams, but whatever).

They did note that this was from an early build of the game so ratings may change slightly prior to the final release, but these should be pretty close to what you see when the latest version of the game drops on August 10th. So where did the top Titans end up? Jurrell Casey – 88Dion Lewis – 88Malcolm Butler – 87Kevin Byard – 85Delanie Walker – 84Adoree Jackson – 81Rishard Matthews – 81Taylor Lewan – 80Let’s start with the most egregious issue here first. Taylor Lewan as an 80 is absurb, particularly when you look at some of the tackles they ranked above him. Nothing against Jake Matthews, Duane Brown, Donald Penn, and Nate Solder, but none of those guys are near Lewan’s level. Does Madden think it’s an accident that he’s been to two straight Pro Bowls and consistently ranked near the top of everyone’s “best left tackles in the NFL” lists recently? Also, if I asked you to name the top 3 players on the Titans offense right now and your list didn’t include Taylor Lewan, I’d slap you. One of the other big issues I have with this list is the omission of Brett Kern. Look Womens Ryan Succop Jersey , there simply aren’t that many metrics by which punters can possibly be measured. You’ve got average yards per punt and net punting average and that’s about it. Well, Brett Kern led the NFL in both categories last season and turned in the 7th best punting season OF ALL TIME, so he should be the top punter in the game, right? Apparently not, as Madden somehow has at least 5 punters ranked above him (probably 6 since Marquette King is on one of the teams that wasn’t leaked). That’s indefensible. Let’s talk real quick about Kevin Byard. He’s quickly become one of the best safeties in the game, leading the NFL in interceptions and earning a First Team All-Pro selection in 2017. If that doesn’t earn him a 90+ rating, I don’t know what does. Even more ridiculous are some of the safeties that the game ranked above him. Andre Hal (get well soon), D.J. Swearinger, Lamarcus Joyner, and Keanu Neal are all fine players, but none of them belong in Byard’s class, much less ranked ahead of him. I find it interesting that Dion Lewis is rated so high, but there is no sight of Derrick Henry. You all know how I feel about Lewis, but the gap between the two backs isn’t nearly that big. Finally, Madden has Avery Williamson rated as an 83 for the Jets which means they thought he was the 4th best player on the Titans last season behind Casey, Byard, and Walker. Imagine really believing that. I know that its not easy to rank every active player in the NFL and there are always going to be some differences of opinion, but it seems every year there are some real head scratchers in there. You can find the full list of leaked rankings here.Which rating (or omission) do you find most offensive?