NFL Preseason

NFL Preseason Preview

A few days after the Hall of Fame Game got the preseason started, the rest of the NFL makes their gridiron debut starting Thursday night.

NFL fans will get their first look at rookie Calvin Johnson on Thursday when the Detroit Lions host the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Colts start their bid for a Super Bowl repeat when Indianapolis travels to Dallas to take on the Cowboys.

Johnson, the Lions' first-round pick, finally ended his short holdout late last week after signing a huge six-year $64 million contract. The addition of Johnson to Roy Williams and Mike Furrey gives the Lions a terrific trio of receivers, and if Johnson is able to live up to his immense potential he could put up huge numbers next to Williams. The Lions' ultimate success will depend upon veteran QB Jon Kitna who showed a great rapport with Williams and Furrey late last season, and could be even better with another solid target in Johnson. While the Lions work on their passing game during the preseason they'll also have to get their rushing game in order. Kevin Jones is coming off major foot surgery and is nowhere near being back to 100 percent. Detroit brought in Tatum Bell as an insurance marker for Jones and he could take over the starting job with a solid preseason.

The Bengals will be hoping for better results both on and off the field this season. Despite going 8-8 and missing the playoffs last season, the Bengals are legitimate contenders in the AFC North. Carson Palmer is another year away from a brutal knee injury and should be back to his old self from the first snap. Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are two top-notch targets for Palmer, but the Bengals will need to find a No. 3 to replace Chris Henry for at least the first half of the season. Despite his off-field problems, Henry was productive last season with nine touchdowns in 13 games.

The Colts' biggest concern during the postseason should be to sort out their defense, because offensively they should be sound once again. With Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne all in tow, the Colts should be a high-scoring team once again. Joseph Addai will need to show he can carry the full load this season with Dominic Rhodes departed for Oakland, but Addai looks to be just fine. On defense the Colts need to find replacements for Cato June and Nick Harper, but at least they were able to hold on to Dwight Freeney.

Dallas begins a new era under head coach Wade Phillips, which could mean big things for the Cowboys' defense. Phillips led an aggressive pass-rush in San Diego and he has the tools to do the same in Dallas with DeMarcus Ware, Greg Ellis and Roy Williams. The addition of Ken Lucas should shore up the secondary and leave Williams to play up front more and utilize his hard-hitting talents. The offense remains intact and the starters will likely see very little action during the preseason. Terry Glenn is out a week or two after having his knee scoped, while Terrell Owens has been bothered by nagging leg pain, so he could spend a lot of time on the sidelines until the regular season begins.