Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

It's only the preseason, but football fans are desperate for the NFL to be back in their lives. No more replays of last year's games, no more reading training camp reports. There is football to be watched, regardless if wins and losses mean nothing at this point.

With Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill going down with a severe left knee injury Thursday during practice, per ESPN's Jeff Darlington, look for many teams to pull the plug on their string players during the preseason in fear of leaving star players on the field, vulnerable to injury in games that don't count.

But the preseason isn't so much about watching some of the NFL's best players play, it's about discovering new talent and watching young players fight for a spot on the 53-man roster.

Not every preseason game will be nationally televised, but there are still a lot of games to enjoy over the next few weeks before the 2017 regular season officially kicks off.

Full NFL Preseason Schedule

Preseason Week 1



Wednesday, Aug. 9

Texans vs. Panthers, 7:30 pm ET

Thursday, Aug. 10

Broncos vs. Bears, 8 pm ET

Friday, Aug. 11

Steelers vs. Giants, 7 pm ET

49ers vs. Chiefs, 10 pm ET

Saturday, Aug. 12

Cowboys vs. Rams, 9 pm ET

Sunday, Aug. 13

Lions vs. Colts, 1:30 pm ET

Seahawks vs. Chargers, 8 pm ET

Preseason Week 2



Thursday, Aug. 17

Buccaneers vs. Jaguars, ESPN, 8 pm ET

Friday, Aug. 18

Vikings vs. Seahawks, 10 pm ET

Saturday, Aug. 19

Panthers vs. Titans, 3 pm ET

Colts vs. Cowboys, 7 pm ET

Broncos vs. 49ers, 10 pm ET

Sunday, Aug. 20

Falcons vs. Steelers, 4 pm ET

Saints vs. Chargers, 8 pm ET

Monday, Aug. 21

Giants vs. Browns, ESPN, 8 pm ET

Preseason Week 3



Thursday, Aug. 24

Dolphins vs. Eagles, 7 pm ET

Friday, Aug. 25

Chiefs vs. Seahawks, CBS, 8 pm ET

Saturday, Aug. 26

Chargers vs. Rams, CBS, 8 pm ET

Sunday, Aug. 27

Bears vs. Titans, Fox, 1 pm ET

Bengals vs. Redskins, Fox, 4:30 pm ET

49ers vs. Vikings, NBC, 8 pm ET

Preseason Week 4



Thursday, Aug. 31

Eagles vs. Jets, 7 pm ET

Seahawks vs. Raiders, 10 pm ET

Tickets available via ScoreBig.com

Top Games to Watch

Buccaneers vs. Jaguars

When: Thursday, Aug. 17

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live stream: WatchESPN

Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

If this was a regular season matchup, a casual NFL fan might change the channel. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars is an intriguing matchup full of young talent, including tight end O.J. Howard and running back Leonard Fournette.

Howard and Fournette were, arguably, the two most talented players in their respective positions to come out of college this year.

Howard's ability to stretch the field during his career with the Crimson Tide at Alabama made him a can't-miss prospect, and with the likes of Jameis Winston and his rocket arm throwing him the ball downfield, the sky's the limit for his rookie season.

For Fournette, it'll be interesting to see if he can become the bell-cow running back right away for the Jaguars. After all, that's why they drafted him with the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft.

Jaguars play-by-play announcer and senior correspondent for Jaguars.com Brian Sexton thinks Fournette is as advertised:

While it's possible Winston won't see much time on the field, the same can't be said for Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, who could use all the help and field time he can get after another poor outing in training camp, including one practice last week where he threw five interceptions.

It might not be the best of games, but this matchup is destined to be entertaining, to say the least.

Chargers vs. Rams

When: Saturday, Aug. 26

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: CBS

Live stream: CBS All Access

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the game we've all been waiting for. Battle LA is finally here.

The Los Angeles Chargers vs. the Los Angeles Rams is anything but an epic fixture, but it'll be really interesting to see how many fans will be rooting for either team on August 26.

The game itself will actually be one of the more competitive preseason games you'll see, as the Rams will most likely play second-year signal-caller Jared Goff for an extended period of time, giving him an opportunity to secure his starting spot under center.

For the Chargers, they'll have to get used to playing in Los Angeles instead of San Diego this season and win over some fans. There won't be much to see from the likes of quarterback Philip Rivers or tight end Antonio Gates, but one player who could possibly get some runout time for a couple of series is Keenan Allen, who is coming back from yet another season-ending injury last year.

Allen, when healthy, is one of the league's most dynamic, young pass-catchers. The only problem with his game is that he has trouble staying on the field.

Even Allen feels the same way:

It would go a long way for Allen and Chargers fans to see Allen take the field again against the Rams and play for an extended period of time to shake off some rust and show that he's back 100 percent.