NFL preseason schedule 2016: Mark Sanchez and Broncos close out Thursday’s 6-game slate

The NFL preseason is finally here! No, seriously — preseason football is really starting this time. Since the Hall of Fame Game was canceled due to poor field conditions (and Tim McGraw), Thursday will officially kick off the 2016 preseason.

There are six games scheduled for your enjoyment, and if you prefer keeping an eye on all the action at the same time, then good news: a special edition of NFL RedZone will begin Thursday night at 7:30. And it’s free. Otherwise, games will air in local markets. All TV info can be found at 506sports.com.

Fans are, of course, eager for a first look at their teams this season, but still, we’re using the term “enjoyment” loosely, because this is preseason football. Lots of starters are going to sit, and the ones who play are probably going to get minimal snaps. For your convenience, we’ve taken the liberty of assigning a 1-10 watchability rating to each game, so you can prioritize your preseason football viewing accordingly.

Washington at Atlanta Falcons
7 p.m. ET
Away: CSN, Home: CW69

It’s a tale of two quarterbacks when Washington takes on the Falcons Thursday evening. Kirk Cousins is coming off of a career season that solidified his starting role, and Matt Ryan is hoping to never have to think about 2015 again after throwing 16 interceptions and fumbling the ball 12 times last season.

The Falcons will likely be without rookie strong safety Keanu Neal, who is rehabbing a trunk injury. Expect tight end Levine Toilolo and running back Terron Ward to sit with injuries as well. For Washington, wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Reggie Diggs won’t play, and tight end Jordan Reed will also be sidelined with a thumb injury.

Watchability: 6 - Matt Ryan and Julio Jones should at least get some limited work for Atlanta, and people want to know what to expect from Kirk Cousins this season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles
7 p.m. ET
Away: WFLA, Home: CSN

Two first-time head coaches face off in Philly Thursday evening when Dirk Koetter’s Bucs go up against Doug Pederson’s Eagles. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, who was selected by Philadelphia with the second overall pick, is slated to get significant playing time, which is a point of interest for many.

For Tampa Bay, wide receiver Louis Murphy and guard J.R. Sweezy remain on the PUP list and will not play against the Eagles. Veteran receiver Vincent Jackson and running back Charles Sims are both dealing with minor injuries, so their status is uncertain.

The Eagles will be missing at least 10 players Thursday evening, including receiver Jordan Matthews, left tackle Jason Peters, safety Malcolm Jenkins, linebacker Mychal Kendricks and running back Wendell Smallwood. They may also be missing running back Kenjon Barner, who has a quad injury.

Watchability: 6 - Yes, the Eagles will be missing a ton of players, but the first opportunity to see what Wentz can do provides some allure.

The Eagles and Bucs spent some time Wednesday tweeting Stranger Things GIFS at each other, so if they decided to cancel the game and air the show in its place, the rating goes up to an 11.

Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens
7:30 p.m. ET
Away: PTVN, Home: WMAR

The Panthers are coming off of an excellent 2015 season that culminated in a Super Bowl appearance, and with the departure of Josh Norman, fans are going to want to get a look at the three cornerbacks Carolina drafted this year. The Ravens have several key players working their way back from injury, including quarterback Joe Flacco.

Reigning MVP Cam Newton is expected to play for a series or two, but Flacco will likely sit this one out. The Ravens may be missing first-round pick Ronnie Stanley, as well, after Stanley suffered a knee injury early in the week. Stanley did return to practice Tuesday, but his status is uncertain.

Watchability: 7 - Arguably no NFL team is more fun to watch than the Panthers.

New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots
7:30 p.m. ET
Away: FOX, Home: WBZ

Sean Payton confirmed that Drew Brees will play against the Patriots Thursday, although he will realistically only see the field for a series or so. Tom Brady, who is suspended for the first four games of the season, is expected to sit, although Bill Belichick could always change his mind. When backup Jimmy Garoppolo was asked if he’ll start for New England against the Saints, he said, “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Wide receiver Julian Edelman left practice Tuesday with a foot injury, but he returned on Wednesday, indicating that the injury isn’t serious. However, he’s expected to be held out, as is defensive end Rob Ninkovich, who suffered a torn triceps this week in practice.

The Saints could be without cornerbacks Keenan Lewis, Delvin Breaux and Damian Swann, all of whom are dealing with injures, so that may make things a bit easier on Garoppolo if he does have to start.

Watchability: 5 - The Patriots are going to be vanilla to preserve competitive advantage for the season, and the Saints likely will be, too. Yawn.

Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets
7:30 p.m. ET
Away: WJXT Channel 4, Home: CBS2

The Jaguars made enough improvements, especially on defense, this offseason that they could legitimately compete for the AFC South crown. Quarterback Blake Bortles may not have gotten much recognition for it, but he had a productive season last year, supported by the efforts of receivers Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson. Jacksonville has a couple of injuries along the offensive line that may make playing against the Jets a riskier endeavor for Bortles.

The Jets are pretty thin at running back, and will be facing their lead rusher last season, Chris Ivory, who signed with the Jags in the offseason. Khiry Robinson was activated off of the PUP list, but has been limited to individual drills in camp, and Matt Forte and Bernard Pierce both are unlikely to play against the Jags with hamstring injuries. Receiver Eric Decker was also held out this week with sore legs, so Ryan Fitzpatrick may be down a weapon on Thursday.

Watchability: 5 - Jacksonville has added a ton of talent on defense and should have a dynamic offense this season, but who knows how much of that we’ll see in Week 1 of the preseason.

Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears
8 p.m. ET
National: NFL Network, Away: FOX31, Home: WFLD

Unsurprisingly, the aggressive Broncos defense that paved the way for the team’s Super Bowl 50 win is ready to hit players who aren’t their teammates when they take the field against the Bears. Mark Sanchez will get the start for Denver and will play the entire first quarter. Trevor Siemian will play the second quarter for the Broncos, and rookie Paxton Lynch will get some valuable experience throughout the second half. Also, we don’t want to miss it if receiver Jordan Taylor makes another crazy athletic catch.

After losing center Hroniss Grasu to an ACL tear, the Bears will be taking a close look at how Ted Larsen and Cornelius Edison hold up against an aggressive Broncos front seven. Alshon Jeffery may be unable to play Thursday as he recovers from a hamstring injury, and tight end Zach Miller and receiver Eddie Royal both are dealing with concussions.

Watchability: 7 - We’re bumping up the watchability of this one down just because Von Miller won’t play, and we wanted to see what kind of celebration dance he’d trot out for this preseason. But the Broncos’ three-way quarterback battle has us intrigued.