Hall of Fame Game winners, losers: Biggest standouts with Bears vs. Texans called early

When one is talking about the onset of a new NFL season which is almost six months after the culmination and matchless drama of the Super Bowl especially that which ends in an overtime – it cannot really get much less … inspiring than the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, the herald of the preseason.

Nevertheless, at least in terms of the cliché shortcomings, it restored our focus to the fact that football is (almost) here, the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans being the fortunate recipients of the honours of kicking things off this year with a 21-17 ‘win’ for the Bears but only so until the third quarter when the heavens opened in Canton, Ohio, and declared that sufficient was enough of this halfway humour.

Yet despite the fact it doesn’t count in the standings or mean much to anyone, aside from the platform it provides to bottom-of-the-roster players, there’s still enough to sift through here to find some material winners and losers:Yet despite the fact it doesn’t count in the standings or mean much to anyone, aside from the platform it provides to bottom-of-the-roster players, there’s still enough to sift through here to find some material winners and losers:

WINNERS

New NFL kickoff rule

Given a general disregard for the connected game — one which is devoid of star power – at the very least, actual star power—maybe watching the league’s new kickoff architecture held the germination of more anticipation than anything prior to Thursday’s kick-off. To bring the play back into the game and in a safer way after it became too easy to simply take a touchback in 2023, the NFL adopted the XFL’s concept of set up and landing zones that (*after a kickoff is caught*) look more like a running play.

“Honestly, the line is to do the best possible and attempt to promote, I would say, a structure that will resemble the game much more – more like a scrimmage game – in order to encourage this return and, potentially, help decrease the number of injuries as well,” added former league referee Walt Anderson, now an officiating and rule analyst for NFL Media.

While there were no Field-Flipping runbacks Thursday there were seven aggregate returns averaging a modest $22. 7 yards. There were also two actual and two potential examples of a more technical foul known as the ‘illegal formation. ’ The two violations can be seen when one or more players step forward of the ball before it has been touched. Here teams and players are still continuing to adapt and one can readily see that the possibility for a significant new play is ever present.

Brett Rypien and the backup quarterbacks

Starting Texans QB1 C. J. Stroud and Bears rookie QB1 Caleb Williams, understandably, did not feature in this match. But their backups were collectively surprisingly proficient as they teamed up to connect on 34 of 47 passes for 382 yards and five touchdowns all the while not throwing a single interception in slightly over two quarters and three minutes. However, Rypien who is a journeyman trying to make it to Chicago’s roster – Williams and Bagent taken in the second round last year seem like they have the first two quarterbacking positions sewn up – had a great dress rehearsal, for whoever he plays for. Yes, it was August football; however, completing 11 of 15 precise pinpoint passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns will not go unnoticed.

Collin Johnson

Other first-team bears who were given a rest for the night were the top receivers’ DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze selected in the first round. And that means that the chance is there for a fourth-year player such as Johnson, who is 6-6, 222 pounds and also knows he has to shine preeminently at almost every turn just because there are already not that many open spots left on the Chicago Bears’ list of wide outs. Rypien completed two TD passes to Johnson but the latter really came to life Thursday and connect well with the back-up passer as he featured three catches for 56 yards. Johnson has not had a scoring grab in a standard season since his days as a rookie with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. . . but maybe he’s ready to come out now June in the Windy City or some other place.

Jonathan Owens

Though not with the Bears Thursday or even in his former capacity as a core special teamer/backup safety — he was in Paris, taking in wife Simone Biles’ latest golden helping at the Olympics: helping to win the gymnastics all-around. Already given time off by the team to support Biles – and the Bears have both been fully behind Team USA’s star – Owens is to fly back to Chicago on Saturday. Ah, you didn’t miss anything major here in the states, my friend.

Cam Akers

A seasoned running back fighting for a roster spot with three other solid backs in Houston and given just seven touches he acquitted himself well and scored a receiving touchdown with four receiving yards. Not a bad start for the guy over 6’0 that wants to have a career by coming back from 2 Achilles injuries. ‘I think most people wouldn’t even be on the field again,’ he said to NFL Network after the match.

Jason Kelce

The referenced party now ejected from the NFL is the former Philadelphia Eagles – can a center be a superstar? – and Travis’ big brother got off to a good start as an analyst for ESPN’s pre-game and halftime studio show. But his dedication to the beret, after his own pilgrimage to the city of lights in the aftermath of the Olympics proved that Kelce was really something special.

LOSERS

Canton, Ohio

As expected, the enshrinement weekend, held in this NFL birthplace an hour’s drive from Cleveland, is nothing less than top-notch. But since the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is awarded for something as serious as the players’ following snapshot and since the typical Hall of Fame Game participant is likely to be remembered merely as a nobody who will never make a roster of an NFL team featured in the regular season, the league wisely changed the date of the game in 2017 and moved the game to Thursday night that annually precedes the centrepiece of the entire weekend – the en However, yet again – before Dwight Freeney, Randy Gradishar, Devin Hester, Andre Johnson, Steve McMichael, Julius Peppers, and Patrick Willis appear in their new busts and wear gold jackets – the game itself left certain circumstances, a storm from the Midwest hit Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium this time. To understand the cancellations of the game one must look back in time for the past thirteen years with three times the game had to be called off due to work stoppage in the 2011, unplayable field conditions in 2016, and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020; however, the final nail in the coffin came early on Thursday evening before the game because of the weather.

Value of preseason

Exhibition football will (most likely) always remain more or less a marginal activity in the league’s year calendar continually appearing to expand. But this game, in particular, has always felt a bit dispensable and is often played, by the teams mandated to play it, as the extra event that it is; a chance to have an extended look at some prospects on the periphery. And by continuously stretching the unavoidable progress of 18 games regular season, should we not liberate the HOF game and much more of the preseason? As the concentration has risen on joint practices – meetings where it is more reasonable to provide top-tier vets reps in constrained surroundings – and as players, especially on playoff-bound teams, may request more time-off in the offseason with the new earlier training camp reporting date this showdown annually allows to its squads, perhaps it is time to exclude real football pretenders from the Hall of Fame weekend and dedicate the whole event to the legends exclusively.

Defeated duel of League’s toddlers

That being said, it was not really the time to be taking it easy on Stroud and Williams – or any other of the team’s signal callers – but starting the ‘season’, or as it is commonly known; ‘preseason’ with only a taste of action for both was always on the cards anyway. However, it would not come as a surprise if Stroud, the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year, skips August games entirely, while the debut of Williams, will have to be conducted despite the fact that he said he would like the on-field work as he transitions to the pros. Conversely, Chicago GM Ryan Poles said in an interview with NFL Network that Williams is expected to feature in the Bears’ next three preseason matches.

Defense

Neither of the backup defenders provided much comfort, perhaps somewhat concerning because normally at this stage of the season, defenses are ahead of offenses. However, the Bears and Texans account for the total of 38 points and 6. 2 yards per play … in a game that did not even stretch into the fourth quarter. Right, no one is rushing beyond elementary installations in August, but there is more than enough for the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans to prepare for in the days and weeks to come if they wish to compete in the playoffs – both are led by head coaches who cut their teeth in the NFL as defensive coordinators.

Houston’s new uniforms

They will need a little of acclimatization. Since their creation, the Texans’ home and away jerseys remained relatively simple in design for the first 22 seasons of their franchise. Still both was revamped in the off-season and the team will also have two “away” uniforms – both of which will come with different helmet design. Houston wore its road whites Thursday … and they just don’t look familiar yet, the bull horns wrapping around the shoulders and thick striping on the pants some of the several fashion departures for a team that was stylistically staid for so long.