What I'm Watching For: Hall of Fame Game

The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio

OK, now we get serious--about preseason football. In years past, preseason football has come around and it has been such a letdown; this year, I am determined to make preseason relevant; I am determined to care. And I am going to help you care, too. This is the first article in a series I am launching that will give you an idea of what to look for in the preseason that might help you appreciate it more. The preseason is not about the score, and certainly not about the record; it is about preparation--preparing the best possible 53-man roster (or is it 54 now?) to compete with the other 31 clubs in the league. It is a four-week process for each team, and it begins tonight with a rematch of Super Bowl XXV (Wide Right!) as the Buffalo Bills take on the New York Giants on the hallowed turf of Canton, Ohio. You know Scott Norwood has to be dreading this day.

Without further ado, five things I am watching for in the 2014 Hall of Fame Game.

1. How will the Bills replace Kiko Alonso?

It did not take long for the injury bug to begin its annual sweep of the NFL. It started with Cowboys middle linebacker Sean Lee (no surprise there), and then made its way up to Oregon where Bills linebacker Kiko Alonso was preparing a follow-up to his stellar rookie campaign. Alonso blew out his ACL, and will miss the season. The good news for the Bills, is that--unlike the Cowboys--they have a lot more starpower beyond Alonso on defense--particularly up front, where they have one of the deepest defensive lines in the NFL, consisting of Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Kyle Williams, and Alan Branch--three of whom are All-Pro-caliber players. The linebacking corps without Alonso, however, has become the weak spot of this Bills defense. Right now, we are looking at free-agent acquisition Brandon Spikes manning the MIKE, former Bengals first-round bust Keith Rivers on the strong side, and third-year guy Nigel Bradham taking up Alonso's would-be spot on the weak side. Bradham is the big question mark here. He replaced the one-dimensional pass-rusher Arthur Moats on the weak side beginning in week six of 2013, and gave the Bills a boost on run defense for the remainder of the season, but the addition of middleman Spikes shifted Alonso into Bradham's WILL position, jeopardizing not only Bradham's starting status, but his very roster spot. Now, Bradham is back on duty with Alonso out, though third-round rookie Preston Brown, and newly signed veteran Stevenson Sylvester may contest him for the starting role.

2. Questions on offense for the Giants:

Finishing 7-9, 2013 ranked as the Giants' second-worst season under Tom Coughlin. Only Coughlin's first season (2004) was worse at 6-10. Most will agree that the main problem was the Giant's anemic defense, but Eli Manning's league-high 27 interceptions and the continued ineffectiveness of the offense certainly did not help. The scary thing is that quarterback might be the Giants' strongest position on offense entering 2014, despite Manning's struggles. The once-great Giants O-line of five years ago is gone, and Victor Cruz is the only proven pass-catcher on the team. The biggest question marks, however, are at running back and tight end. The Giants used a first-round pick on David Wilson in 2012, only to see neck injuries ravage his young career. Wilson's most recent burner might be his last. That leaves the workload of tailback duties to Rashad Jennings, a 29-year-old free agent acquisition of Raiders and Jaguars backup "fame." Twenty-nine is ancient for a running back getting his first starting opportunity. It could be a good thing in that Jennings is still fresh and not too worn down; it could be bad just because he is past his athletic prime. Regardless, a healthy David Wilson was the plan all along. Behind Jennings, there is some depth--questionable depth. Peyton Hillis is the direct backup, but has not been relevant since his Madden cover days in Cleveland. Behind him, Michael Cox, and rookie Andre Williams.

No longer a backup at age 29, Rashad Jennings finally has his chance to shine as a lead back in New York (Photo: AP)

The tight end spot might be even more dubious. Can you name any of the tight ends on New York's roster? Right now, Larry Donnell (uh, who?) is running as the starter with Daniel Fells in the mix, too. Fells has spent time in St. Louis and Denver, but has never developed into a viable offensive tool. Next is Kellen Davis, who spent some somewhat meaningful seasons in Chicago, but has never caught more than 20 passes in a season. After that, you've got Adrien Robinson and Xavier Grimble. Grimble is an undrafted free agent, who will be hard-pressed to make the team, while Robinson, though a fourth-round pick two seasons ago, is also in danger of being cut. With the Brandon Myers experiment flopping big-time in 2013, the Giants have not had a reliable tight end since the days of Kevin Boss.

3. The Bills' rookie tackles:

This is one of the juiciest position battles in the NFL. No joke. Unfortunately, it is left tackle Cordy Glenn's mysterious and ominous-sounding illness that gives an opportunity to one of the 2014 draft's most interesting selections, Seantrel Henderson. Henderson was a highly coveted recruit out of high school who eventually found his home at the University of Miami. Unfortunately, he had a little too much fun in Coral Gables, and paid for it with his draft stock, plummeting to the seventh round despite possessing (arguably) first-round talent. In Glenn's absence, Henderson has manned E.J. Manuel's blind side admirably, and drawn serious praise from coach Doug Marrone. On the right side, veteran Erik Pears is likely to be (eventually) supplanted by second-rounder Cyrus Kouandjio, though Pears will likely get the starting nod for now.

4/5. XP distance experimentation AND kicking competitions:

I have my own ideas about how to make extra points more meaningful and interesting, but, obviously, it is not my ideas that count. So, the NFL will test 33-yard extra points (ball on the 15) for the first two weeks of preseason. Will it make a difference? Probably not. NFL kickers should be able to knock down 33-yarders without fail, but we will see, I suppose.

Both teams will audition two kickers tonight, the more interesting--and probably more competitive--battle being between Buffalo's second-year draftee Dustin Hopkins, and incumbent Dan Carpenter. Hopkins was slated to take over for Rian Lindell at the beginning of 2013, but suffered a groin injury, much to the luck of Dan Carpenter who had recently been released by the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Jets. Carpenter went on to have a comeback season, nailing 92 percent of his field goals as a Bill, and earning a four-year contract from his new employers. Carpenter's well-earned contract puts young Hopkins at a serious disadvantage despite his big leg and draft status, but anything can happen.

Cut by three teams a summer ago, Dan Carpenter finally found a home in Buffalo

The Giants' competition pits incumbent Josh Brown against challenger Brandon McManus. McManus was unable to dethrone Adam Vinatieri in Indianapolis a season ago, but will take a crack at the less-stable Brown this season. I predict Brown to retain his spot.

One thing is for sure: Scott Norwood will not be kicking for either team.

Last thing: call up the best pizza joint in town, get yourself some wings and a cold pitcher to go with your slice, and enjoy it, everybody. Preseason football is here, and the real deal will be here soon!