Top 25 Reasons to Watch Preseason Football This Weekend

It's finally here, preseason football is back and fans across the country can celebrate America’s new national pastime.

Some of your favorite players are in new area codes, as well as coaches. Now that the excitement of free agency has died down, you’ll finally get a chance to see how those players will fit into their teams and systems.

There’s a smell of newness in the air with the arrival of the preseason, and here are 25 reasons why you should watch preseason football this weekend.

Nnamdi Asomguha as an Eagle

2011’s most prized free agent decided to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Seeing Nnamdi in a different uniform won’t have the same impact as seeing Emmitt Smith as a Cardinal, but it will be interesting to see how he fits in with the Eagles.

The Philadelphia Eagles

I think the Eagles signed every single free agent available this off-season and for some strange reason still have more money to sign more players.

Vince Young is new in town and so is receiver Steve Smith. Defensive end Jason Babin is back in Philly, and I believe Donovan McNabb is on his way back as well.

Seeing the Eagles in action and how all of their new moving parts will work together will be interesting to see. The Redskins tried this tactic for a few years and the only place it got them was back in the line, looking for more free agents.

Can Vince Young Impress?

Back to the Eagles we go. Vince Young should be a starting quarterback in the NFL right now, but for the time being, he’ll have to prove himself again and do it as a backup.

The Eagles take off against the Ravens for their first preseason game and Young should see a little action. Preseason isn’t a great judge of true ability and talent, but if Young is able to show any type of growth, then maybe he’ll get a second look once the season is over.

The Cowboys' Offensive Line

The Cowboys' offensive line looked atrocious at times last season. As a result, the ‘Boys drafted former USC tackle Tyron Smith to help bring some stability to the offensive front.

Dallas won’t receive a true test against the Broncos, but it will be interesting to see how the young fella moves and reacts in his first action as an NFL player.

Tim Tebow and the Broncos

Will Tim Tebow regain his starting job against the Cowboys? Probably not, but the theater surrounding his “benching” has become quite comical.

At this point, nobody knows just how good or bad Tebow will be until there is a large enough sample size to pass judgment.

But if Tebow has a grand showing against Dallas on Thursday night, we may well see the beginning of the end of the Kyle Orton era in Denver.

Albert Haynesworth and Chad Johnson in New England

The interesting part of preseason is that even if the player everyone’s clamoring to see doesn’t play, there is still intrigue in seeing him on a new sideline.

Remember when Brett Favre arrived in Minnesota and he didn’t play in the first preseason game but people still wanted to see him on the Vikings sideline?

Not exactly the same thing here, but folks just wonder how both guys will fit into New England’s system and locker room. Can Johnson and Haynesworth return to their Pro Bowl form to help the Pats return to the Super Bowl?

Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars

Gabbert is the future in Jacksonville as long as Jack Del Rio is the head coach. David Garrard won’t be around for much longer, and seeing how Gabbert handles himself against the Pats is intriguing.

Gabbert isn’t a project, but he may have to step up soon if the Jags season goes south.

Buffalo vs. Chicago

Two reasons we should watch this game. The Bills have new uniforms and the Bears have a new offense.

Maybe if the Bills change their outward look, they’ll change their fortune on the field. Maybe if the Bears sign a bunch of old Cowboys players, the same will happen for them.

Former Cowboys players Roy Williams and Marion Barber are now Bears and should help to add a little firepower to the Bears offense.

Should make for interesting TV to say the least.

Tarvaris Jackson in Seattle

The Seahawks decided to part ways with long-time quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the offseason to go with future NFL journeyman Tarvaris Jackson as the starter.

No diss to Jackson, as I believe he’s a decent player, but the move to grab Jackson from the jaws of free agency seems lateral.

But if Hasselbeck and his injured body can lead the Seahawks to the playoffs, why can’t Jackson?

Cardinals vs. Raiders

In one of the most futile match-ups of the weekend, the Nnamdi-less Raiders will face off against the Cardinals and their new quarterback, Kevin Kolb.

Kolb signed a $63 million contract off of about seven starts, and he’s expected to lead the Cardinals back to their former glory when Kurt Warner ran the show.

The crazy part is that he just may do it. The NFC West is probably the league’s weakest division and with Kolb and Larry Fitzgerald on offense, the Cardinals may have enough to make another serious playoff run.

The Ray Lewis Retirement Tour

Ray Lewis says that if the Ravens win the Super Bowl, he’ll hang up his cleats. So this very well may be your last shot to see Lewis’ famous dance, his motivational speeches and animated sideline gestures.

The Ravens have a great shot at winning it all this season, and I believe that Lewis is serious that he’ll call it a career if they do.

Just too bad that Ray can’t play quarterback when the Ravens play the Steelers, because I’m not sure that Joe Flacco can get it done against one of the Ravens’ most hated rivals.

Saints vs. 49ers

Jim Harbaugh makes his coaching debut against the New Orleans Saints in San Fran this weekend. Alex Smith is still the field general for the Niners and will attempt to lead Frisco to the playoffs.

The Saints are without running back Reggie Bush and have new blood in the backfield with Mark Ingram. Can he carry the load for N.O.?

There are now two Harbaughs in the league as head coaches, and if the newest one makes out any better than the first, then we may soon see an all-Harbaugh Super Bowl. Spooky.

Peyton Manning’s Neck

The Colts' window of opportunity is just about shut, but it will always have a crack because Peyton Manning is playing quarterback. Manning had minor neck surgery this offseason and couldn’t properly rehab it due to the lockout.

Now that he’s back under the care of team doctors, Manning should be okay to start the season.

But nevertheless, pundits will talk about his neck and how it will affect his play, how he throws the ball and if he sleeps on it wrong.

The Colts will be just fine with Manning firing bullets down the field, but is this the last hurrah for any chance of making a Super Bowl?

The New York Jets

As long as Rex Ryan is the head coach of the Jets, there will always be a reason to watch the Jets play football.

He was the talk of the town when the Jets allowed NFL Films cameras to film their training camp for the HBO series “Hard Knocks,” and Ryan is always good for a sound bite.

The Jets have all the confidence in the world that a Super Bowl is well within their grasp, and with their tenacious defense, there’s no reason to think otherwise.

Well, maybe the quarterback position, but that’s another slideshow.

Will the departures of Braylon Edwards and Sean Ellis make the Jets lose a little bit of their bite? If so, they may be in for a long season.

Donovan McNabb and the Vikings

The Donovan F. McNabb train made a pit stop in Washington last season and now he’s parked in Minnesota. McNabb was told all offseason that he should be a backup quarterback in 2011 and that not many teams had interest.

The Vikings did and McNabb is now a proud member of the Minnesota family.  Donovan will always throw balls in the dirt, but how far can he take this talented Vikings team?

The new-look McNabb and his team of purple people eaters will travel to Tennessee to find out just how good they may be.

The Titans and Chris Johnson

The Titans don’t really have much without Johnson, and that will be on full display when they face the Vikings on Saturday. Johnson wants a new contract and has decided to hold out until the Titans show him the money.

How will the Titans look with new quarterback Matt Hasselbeck under center and without Johnson as a safety valve?

I doubt that Johnson’s holdout will last until the regular season, but until then, we’ll get our chance to see the Chris Johnson-less Titans against the Vikings.

Green Bay Packers

The Super Bowl champs won’t officially start the defense of their title until Sept. 8 against the Saints. The preseason is still a great chance to see if there is any type of Super Bowl hangover from the Super Bowl champions.

Last season, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a video game-like preseason and most predicted that he would go on to have an MVP-caliber season.

Didn’t necessarily work out that way, but leading your team to a Super Bowl surely makes up for it. How will the Pack respond to having the pressure of defending a title on their hands?

Aaron Rodgers MVP Run

Rodgers has the ring and now he needs the MVP award. He has the talent, the skill and the personnel around him to make a serious run at the MVP award.

If his 2011 preseason starts anything like 2010, then we may be in store for a great season from Brett Favre’s former backup.

Colt McCoy and the Browns

I think that if Colt McCoy receives the right protection and a decent running game, he can take the Browns to the playoffs. He had a decent showing last season against some tough opponents and never backed down.

We’ll get our first look at McCoy against the Pack this weekend and just how much the second-year quarterback has grown.

The Detroit Lions

The Lions are one of the NFL’s most intriguing teams because they have so much potential.

If quarterback Matthew Stafford can stay healthy and defensive linemen Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh work out like everyone thinks, the Lions will be a force to reckon with.

They are still a few years away from being a playoff-caliber team, but watching their growth during the preseason and regular season is something to look forward to seeing.

Matthew Stafford

Speaking of the Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford is back and healthy. Stafford has to remain that way if he wants to keep his job in Detroit.

There is a ton of young talent on the Lions squad, and if Stafford can keep himself off of the injured list, the Lions may have a shot at a wild-card spot when the second season starts.

Steelers vs. Redskins

It’s the John Beck and Rex Grossman show in Washington as the team sent quarterback Donovan McNabb packing this off-season.

The Steelers have the same team as last season. Yes, the same old boring stable, successful group of players from 2010 who made it to the Super Bowl.

Washington seems to revel in futility, and watching John Beck lead the ‘Skins in the NFC East may be one of the best comedy shows of the season. Still, it’s the NFL, and on any given Sunday, any team can win.

The show starts on Friday at 7:30 Eastern time.

The Panthers and Cam Newton

First overall pick Cam Newton isn’t listed as the starter for the Panthers, but he’ll see plenty of action this preseason.

He’ll get his first test this weekend against the Giants. Newton is known more for his legs than his arm, and against a team like NY, he’ll have to show that he can beat teams by passing instead of running.

The Bengals Without Carson Palmer

Is Carson Palmer really going to retire if the Bengals fail to trade him? Better yet, which team in the NFL wants Palmer as a starter? Maybe the 49ers or the Redskins?

Even with Palmer behind center, it's tough to believe that the Bengals would have a winning season.

It's Football!

I know that its just the preseason, but the NFL is back! The last NFL action we were privy to was way back in February for the Super Bowl.

Hearing the ESPN Monday Night Football music, listening to Terry Bradshaw's outlandish comments and Gus Johnson's excitement is enough to make any fan excited.

Welcome back, NFL, you have been sorely missed.