The NFL preseason may not mean anything when it comes to actual wins and losses, but it's the first chance for fans of all 32 NFL teams to take a close look at just what they're team's roster may look like come Week 1 of the regular season. Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers fans will get first crack in Sunday's NFL Hall of Fame game. Here's 4 things to watch for tonight at 8pm EST on NBC.
The Steelers' Depth Chart
QB Ben Roethlisberger, RB Le'Veon Bell and a host of other stars/veterans won't be playing in tonight's showcase in Canton. While that may be disappointing to the casual fan, it'll actually be very interesting to see just what the Steelers have in guys like current emergency QB Landry Jones and RB/returner Dri Archer. Jones gets a chance to fire the first shot in his competition with Tajh Boyd for the team's #3 signal caller spot. For Archer and others, tonight's the night to cement significant roles with extended playing time.
Teddy Bridgewater
While his starting QB counterpart won't be suited up for tonight's game, second-year standout Teddy Bridgewater will open things off for the Vikings on offense. Despite a family issue that put tonight's start in jeopardy, the Louisville product will kick off his sophomore run with what'll likely be a brief cameo in the first quarter. Teddy set the bar for rookie QBs last year, and we have no doubt he'll do that once again for the crop of second-year signal callers this year.
A New Regime Overseeing Pittsburgh's Defense
What was once one of the most feared defensive units in all of the NFL sputtered at times in 2014 en route to finishing 18th in the NFL in total defense. Now with the departure of Dick LeBeau, it's time to see just what magic new defensive coordinator Keith Butler. Expect Butler to mix and match creative blitz and edge pressure schemes in an attempt to work out the kinks in a unit that finished just 26th overall in total sacks with 33 in 2014.
The Trae Waynes Show
Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer isn't handing the first-rounder a starting spot on name alone, so Game 1 of the preseason will be a pressure-packed showcase for the Michigan State product. He's innately talented enough to be a #1 cornerback in this league sooner rather than later, but he'll have to back up his name value with production starting on Sunday in order to secure a spot next to Xavier Rhodes in Minnesota's secondary.
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