The Baltimore Ravens will be playing the Chicago Bears in the 2018 Hall of Fame game to open up the NFL season.
The Ravens and Bears are playing in the 2018 Hall of Fame game. Here’s what you need to know.
Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher will appropriately be inducted to the Hall that weekend.
When is the game?
The game will take place on Thursday, Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. ET at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Traditionally it was held on a Sunday, but that was changed starting in 2017.
The Ravens are playing in their first-ever Hall of Fame game, while the Bears will be playing in their fifth. The Bears are 4-0 in their previous appearances in the game, with the most recent being in 2005.
Who is being inducted into the Hall of Fame?
The two teams will be playing the same weekend that Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. They were two of the best linebackers during their NFL careers, but Urlacher gives Lewis the edge. “I think I am pretty good, but Ray is the best of all-time,” Urlacher told NFL Network in 2013 via the Ravens.
Others being inducted into the Hall include Bobby Beathard, Robert Brazile, Brian Dawkins, Jerry Kramer, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens.
What happened last year?
Last year, the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Cardinals lacked stars like Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Carson Palmer, and Larry Fitzgerald — but still ended up being a good game.
Blaine Gabbert looked like a real quarterback, the Cowboys got creative with their playcalling, and Zeke Elliott ate his beard — really.
The Hall of Fame game allows both teams to start training camp early, which could be a benefit to new Bears head coach Matt Nagy.
It should be a good weekend for both teams involved, as they get an early start to the 2018 season while honoring two of the best players their franchises have ever seen.
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