NFL preseason kicks off Thursday night
NFL preseason: The games begin Thursday night, with five contests. One NFL preseason matchup Thursday features a pair of playoff teams from a year ago.
NFL preseason: Baltimore Ravens running backs Ray Rice, left, and Ricky Williams, right, walk past quarterback Joe Flacco during NFL football training camp in Owings Mills, Md., Tuesday, Aug. 9.
Patrick Semansky/AP
The NFL preseason slate of exhibition games kicks off Thursday night from coast to coast.
The Jaguars travel to New England to play the Patriots, while Oakland plays host to Arizona.
One contest on opening night features a matchup of NFL playoff teams from 2010: the Ravens will face the Eagles on Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.
Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco will get a chance to see new Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. The former Raider and all-Pro was one of the biggest free-agent acquisitions this summer.
In Dallas, the Cowboys will host the Broncos. Observers will be keen on watching how much Denver quarterback Tim Tebow plays, as he battles Brady Quinn for the No. 2 quarterback position. Dallas fans will be watching quarterback Tony Romo as he returns from a season-ending injury last year.
After being traded to Arizona following the NFL lockout earlier this summer, former Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb gets another shot at leading his own NFL offense as the Cardinals play the Raiders.
The Seahawks are in San Diego, where they will take on the Chargers in the fifth game of the preseason's opening night.