The NFL is BACK!

     It's been a long offseason.  However, there's never really a break in the NFL.  February was spent trying to figure out how the Broncos fell apart in the Super Bowl.  March was filled with analysis of the combine and pro days, as well as free agency.   April was full of mock draft after mock draft until you got sick of mock drafts.  May was the draft and analyzing every pick.  June was time for OTAs.  July was training camp.  No matter how big these events felt at the time, they mean nothing now.  Why?  Because now it's football season.

     I just watched the Hall of Fame game from Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio.  Man, all I can say is that it feels great to be watching football again.  Now there's only about a month until the season starts, and it's time to see the rookies take the field for the first time, and how each team's offseason acquisitions and losses will affect the team.  You see the starters, but also the third stringers.  It's a great idea.  I know I'd like to see my backup quarterback play just in case the starter goes down.

     Who better to play in the game than my New York Football Giants and the Buffalo Bills, two great franchises who just yesterday celebrated the Hall of Fame induction of two of their all-time greats, Michael Strahan and Andre Reed.  This game was for them.

     There's also a benefit in playing in the Hall of Fame game.  I believe a fifth preseason game gives much needed extra experience in seeing how the team performs and making the correct cuts in the preseason.  

     While the game wasn't pretty, it was great to see a real NFL football game again.  Each side made a huge error.  On the Giants side, Eli Manning fumbled on the second drive of the game.  As a Giants fan, that moment reminded me of the beginning of last season, something Big Blue can not have happen again if they want to make the playoffs.  However, the drive that followed proved to be a good one as Eli looked back to form as the Giants put six on the board.

     For the Bills, the interception thrown by Jeff Tuel right before halftime was a real missed opportunity.  However, it was a decent outing from Tuel and he looks like a solid backup.  Plus, he did have a nice 13 yard scramble.  

     In the end, Big Blue came out with a 17-13 victory in a game that really could've gone either way.  Here's five things I took away from the NFL's  first preseason game.  

     1) The NFL's extra points from the 20-yard line looked ridiculous.  I've already written about this, but come on.  The 37 yard extra point was longer than a Bills field goal in this game.  It just doesn't look right, and I hope this change doesn't happen. 

     2) The Giants will have a better running game this year than last.  Perhaps Eli's biggest issue last season was that he was forced into so many 3rd and longs due to the lack of a running game.  Rashad Jennings was a solid back, and Andre Williams really looked like a high potential player.  How did the NCAA's leading rusher slip to the fourth round of the draft anyway?  He has a good combo of size and speed that should benefit the Giants for years to come.

     3) The Bills have a good group of receivers.  A total of 11 guys caught passes for Buffalo today.  And that doesn't even include the fourth pick in the draft, Sammy Watkins.  Robert Woods had a very good game, and Watkins was able to display his speed, even if he didn't end up on the stat sheet. 

     4) EJ Manuel failed to impress.  The second year QB went only 2-7 for 19 yards in two series.  Two of his passes we're batted down by Jason Pierre-Paul and Mathias Kiwanuka.  I don't believe the QB job is up for grabs, but Bills fans will want to see a better showing from their man, and fast.

     5) It's great to be back.  It's really hard to describe the feeling of watching a football game.  There's something so special about it, and it's a feeling that's hard for me to describe.  But man, it feels good.

     Happy preseason and go Big Blue,

     Connor