Getting Ready For Preseason

Your heiner is in the recliner. You are ready for a football festival. Nothing can spoil this. Except … it’s preseason. The second game of four for most teams. Starters will play some, backups will play some, future insurance salesmen will play some.

But it’s the NFL. And your fantasy draft is coming up. So enjoy this quadruple-header, take copious notes and let your mind drift (zzz).

That’s the bulk of our Weekend TV Six-Pack. We’ve been clamoring for football, so here it is, all on the NFL Network. Your feast will be served in this order on Saturday, all times Eastern:

• 1 p.m., Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings. Jags cornerback Jalen Ramsey did a lot of talking this week about quarterbacks. Let’s see if Minny’s Kirk Cousins throws at him.

• 4 p.m. Oakland Raiders at L.A. Rams. The animated Jon Gruden will be on the Raiders’ sideline and that will draw the TV cameras. The Rams remain without holdout star defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

• 7 p.m., Cincinnati Bengals at Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have been working on throwing the ball deep. The Bengals are working on not being the Bengals.

• 10 p.m., Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers. Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is looking for an explosive season; the Seahawks are still trying to piece a once-fearsome defense back together.

If the NFL starts wearing you out, NASCAR offers the Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol. That’s 500 laps on NBC Sports Network at 7:30 p.m.

For Sunday’s early risers, the English Premier League soccer match to see is Manchester City vs. Huddersfield Town at 8:30 a.m. on NBC Sports Network. Man City are the better side (ooh, soccer lingo).

Football and futbol and NASCAR. Your move.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman