Are you ready for some football? While most of the US is currently daydreaming of summertime, beaches, cold drinks and lazy sunny days, fans of the pigskin are already counting down the time until August 2 and the first preseason NFL matchup.

Of all the four major sports in America, none of them seems to compare to the hype of a new NFL season. In fact, the Nfl Preseason is the biggest exhibition season of all sports here in the US by far. While baseball, hockey, and basketball are lucky to see half-filled stadiums during the preseason, NFL fans go all-out for their teams.

Crowds of over 40-50,000 and some preseason tailgating are very common for an NFL exhibition tilt. This year should be no different.

Hall of Fame Game

The first game of the preseason will once again take place from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio. According to Bleacher Report, that match-up will take place on Thursday, August 2 and will feature the Baltimore Ravens taking on the Chicago Bears. The game will be aired live nationally on NBC.

Preseason must-see action

Sure, the preseason games mean nothing in terms of wins or losses, and usually, three of the four contests feature the second team along with players trying to make the squad. Nevertheless, preseason football is better than no football!

While the Bears and Ravens get things underway in Canton, Ohio, several other intriguing match-ups will also be worth checking out.

Matt Patricia makes his coaching debut against Jon Gruden when the Detroit Lions take on the Oakland Raiders in Week 1. Gruden, who has been a fixture in the "Monday Night Football" booth since 2009, has decided to jump back into the coaching game for the first time since the 2008 season when he was the leader of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

This game will be worth checking out if only to see Patricia and his familiar beard wearing Lions gear, and Gruden once again roaming the sidelines for the Silver and Black.

One other preseason game that will get more than its fair share of media attention will be the Super Bowl 52 rematch between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots.

These two NFL heavyweights will meet up at Gillette Stadium in Week 2 of the campaign.

Ironically, Tom Brady had one of the best games of his career that day, throwing for an insane total of 505 yards and three touchdowns. However, in the end it was Eagles QB Nick Foles who stole the show, Foles was named MVP after throwing for 373 yards with four total touchdowns, three passing and one receiving.

Below is a look at the NFL games that will air nationally for the upcoming 2018 preseason.

Thursday, Aug. 2: Ravens vs. Chicago, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

Thursday, Aug. 16: Jets at Redskins, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Monday, Aug. 20: Ravens at Colts, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Thursday, Aug. 23: Eagles at Browns, 8 p.m. ET (FOX)

Friday, Aug. 24: Lions at Buccaneers, 8 p.m. ET (CBS)

Saturday, Aug. 25: Saints at Chargers, 8 p.m. ET (CBS)

Sunday, Aug. 26: Bengals at Bills, 4 p.m. ET (FOX)

Sunday, Aug. 26: Cardinals at Cowboys, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED