The Houston Texans and Chicago Bears will kick off the NFL Preseason from Canton, Ohio hoping to break a 56-year old Hall of Fame Game curse.
Dane ArlauckasdfinesttweetsUpdate: Aug 1st, 2024 17:28 EDT0
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It’s the moment NFL fans have been feverishly waiting for since the Kansas City Chiefs took down the San Francisco 49ers back in February. After nearly six months, football is back as the Houston Texans and the Chicago Bears kick off the preseason in the Hall of Fame Game from Canto, Ohio.
The Canton Curse
Unfortunately for the Texans and the Bears, they will be battling history from the very first snap of the ball tonight from Tom Benson Stadium. While neither team will be all too concerned with historical stats, it’s worth noting that no team that has ever played in the Hall of Fame Game has gone on to win the Super Bowl.
The commencement game to the NFL preseason has actually been around longer than the Super Bowl. The first Hall of Fame Gama was played on August 11, 1962 when the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals played to a 21-21 tie four years before Super Bowl I in January of 1967. Since Super Bowl I, it has been a rough go for teams that are chosen to feature in the spotlight game from Canton.
This field is ready for football. 📺: @ProFootballHOF Game — Tonight 8pm ET on ESPN/ABC📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8TRgN45bSN
— NFL (@NFL) August 1, 2024
Only three teams out of the 116 teams that have played in the Hall of Fame Game have gone one to play on Super Bowl Sunday. Of those teams, none of them have finished the season hoisting the Lomardi Trophy. The first team to reach the Super Bowl after kicking off the preseason was Boomer Esiason’s Cincinnati Bengals in the 1988 season. They would end up losing to San Francisco 20-16. Next came the San Diego Chargers in 1994. They got lit up by the Niners in the Super Bowl, losing 49-26. Finally, the St. Louis Rams took their “Greatest Show of Turf” from the Hall of Fame Game to Super Bowl Sunday, but lost to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on a last second Adam Vinateri field goal.
Season preview
Neither DeMeco Ryans, nor Matt Eberflus will be chalking up the season as a wash just because their teams have to play in this game, but the Texans are more likely to break the Hall of Fame Game curse considering the course of recent history with the two franchises. The Bears have been desperately trying to return to relevance over the last decade and a half, while the Texans might be in the most promising era of their short history.
February 3, 2002: Adam Vinatieri nails a 48-yard field goal on the final play to give the 14-point underdog Patriots a 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams at Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans. pic.twitter.com/CKtnMITgdU
— This Day In Sports Clips (@TDISportsClips) February 3, 2021
