NFL Hall of Fame Game 2014: Giants knock off Buffalo in preseason opener

Football isn’t really back until we get a good old-fashioned Manning face, and Eli didn’t make us wait long.

This is a special face, rarely seen -- especially on live TV. Now we just need to work out what he looks like.

Discussions of “tablet technology” are all the rage during the Hall of Fame game. Teams will have access to Microsoft Surface tablets in addition to traditional photos to help them break down the game better and watch video.

It seems Tom Coughlin is enjoying his tablet.

Bon Jovi has a decent chance of his group winning an ownership bid to buy the Buffalo Bills, but it seems he’ll be “Livin’ on a Prayer” to win over fans.

Shirts like this one have been popping up around Canton over the weekend while Andre Reed was entered into the Hall of Fame and the Bills face the Giants in the Sunday night Hall of Fame Game.

Game Date/Time and Location: Sunday, Aug. 3, 8 p.m. ET at Fawcett Stadium, Canton, Ohio

TV schedule and distribution map: NBC; The506.com

The NFL season is finally underway after almost six months of offseason activities. After inducting a new class of Hall of Famers on Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium, the mood will turn from nostalgia to hope as the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills clash in the Hall of Fame Game.

The Giants come into the 2014 season hoping to make the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl XLVI. Buffalo is looking to end the longest postseason drought in the NFL, not having been to the playoffs since 1999. It all starts on Sunday night under the lights in Canton.