Jaguars vs Raiders – First Pre-Season Match On The Horizon

August 4 is set to see the first of the NFL pre-season matches take place for the annual Hall of Fame. The game will be played at the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, and marks the debuts for Jaguars coach Doug Pederson and Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.

This fixture kicks off the 103rd NFL season at 8 p.m. ET and is only the 2nd pre-season opener for the Jaguars. It marks the 4th opener for the Raiders.

It’s going to be a tough season for Pederson as he looks to rebuild the Jacksonville side for the upcoming season. And he’ll be keen to see how the roster looks in a big-game setting.

The Jaguars last played in the Hall of Fame game in 1995 when the team first began in the NFL alongside the Carolina Panthers which they lost 20-14. They’ll be desperate to get off to a better start this time.

The Jaguars have a lot to prove following the disappointment of missing out on the playoffs for 4 straight seasons. Last season, it all came crashing down with the week 14 loss to The Tennessee Titans.

Raiders finished stronger in 2021

The Raiders come into the game from a more positive place having finished 2nd in the AFC West decision last season. They ended up with a 4-game win streak, finishing even stronger than Chiefs who went on to win that division.

The LA side will be keen to put their Playoffs disappointment behind them. They lost to the Bengals 19-26 in the NFL wildcard round. But January now seems like a long way away and the Raiders are looking forward to better luck next season as they push to top the division and hopefully take the Playoff dream a step further.