It has been 182 days since the end of Super Bowl 50 and NFL fans have felt every hour, minute, and second leading up to the first game of the year. The 54th annual Hall of Fame Game will be played by the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers, two teams who failed to achieve their Super Bowl aspirations from a year ago.
Like every Hall of Fame game, both the Colts and Packers have a single goal in mind: get better and get everyone out healthy. For the Packers - who will have franchise stallwart Brett Favre inducted into the hall this year - the methodology will be prudent. Both starter Aaron Rodgers and backup Brett Hundley sat out of Thursday's practice and are unlikely to play tomorrow night. Jordy Nelson is also a projected no-go and coming off of last pre-season's ACL tear.
Like the Packers, the Colts will also have one of their own entering Canton in Marvin Harrison. Aslo like the Packers, the Colts will be cautious with their franchise quarterback. Chuck Pagano didn't assure Andrew Luck - who will be coming off a mid-season kidney laceration - will see playing time on Sunday night. Further, first round center, Ryan Kelly, is ruled out due to a reported minor shoulder injury.
Either way, the motivation is low for starters who will not see much time during the Hall of Fame game. Both teams will still play four more games after Sunday and will have more time to hone the starting offense throughout training camp. Instead, the spotlight will be on players on the bottom of the roster who may end up being key depth contributors during the year. Here are some players to watch heading into 2016's inagural game:
Josh Ferguson
Last season's free agent acquisition of Frank Gore was viewed by many as a shrewd move for a Colts team poised for Super Bowl stardom. Instead, Gore rushed for his lowest total since 2010 and will play the 2016 season at a ripe 33-years old. Undrafted rookie Josh Ferguson could have the inside track on a big day on Sunday. While only 5'9 and under 200 lbs., Ferguson is very likely the most explosive athlete in the Colts' backfield, albiet the most inexperienced, amidsts a collection of forgotten journeymen, including Robert Turbin and Jordan Todman.
Jeff Janis
"What is going on with Jeff Janis" seems to be a recurring theme since he was drafted by the Packers in 2014. The last time Janis was seem in an NFL game, he was scorching the Arizona Cardinals seconday in the playoffs for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Since then, he's been succeeded in the depth chart by Jared Abbredaris. While Abbredaris was a fine player at Wisconsin, there's few good reasons why a 6'3", sub 4.5 running, and 38" vertical jumping Jeff Janis can't keep his name in the mix. Hopefully he'll take advantage of the stage on Sunday night.
Kenny Clark & Blake Martinez
There are two voids on the Packers defense which may rely on rookie contributors early on. Both Kenny Clark and Blake Martinez were brought in to rectify position groups in perpetual flux for the Packers. Clark will look to replace a "retired" B.J. Raji and Martinez looks to finally fix the problem at inside linebacker. Clark, a first round pick, will play a big role on early downs as he plays the pivotal nose tackle position for the Dom Capers' 3-4 alignment.
With Clay Matthews moving back to his original habitat on the edge, the Packers hope Blake Martinez takes ownership of one of the inside linebacker positions. As rookies with strong starting potential, venues like the Hall of Fame game will go a long way for toward their development.