The NFL on Wednesday announced the complete preseason schedule for 2018, featuring the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Thursday, Aug. 2.
Check out the schedule for each team below. Dates aren't yet set, but here is the range when each game will be played:
-
Week 1: Aug. 9-13
-
Week 2: Aug. 16-20
-
Week 3: Aug. 23-27
-
Week 4: Aug. 30-31
AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West
NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West
AFC EAST
Week 1: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 2: at Cleveland Browns
Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Week 4: at Chicago Bears
Analysis: The Bills' preseason schedule features Browns quarterback Tyrod Taylor facing his former team in Cleveland, assuming Taylor plays in the second preseason game. The most important game, the third against Cincinnati, will be nationally televised on Fox. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, whose last-second touchdown pass in the regular-season finale last season propelled Buffalo into the playoffs, will receive a warm welcome at New Era Field. That game will also feature former Bengals and current Bills quarterback AJ McCarron and center Russell Bodine playing against their former team. Former Bills and current Bengals offensive tackle Cordy Glenn and linebackeran Preston Brown will also return to Buffalo. For the first time since 2001, the Bills will not conclude their preseason with the nearby Detroit Lions, instead traveling to Chicago. -- Mike Rodak
Week 1: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 2: at Carolina Panthers
Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons
Analysis: The Dolphins' most important preseason game, their third against Baltimore, will be a rematch of Miami's worst loss last season -- a 40-0 defeat at M&T Bank Stadium. It should be a good test for Miami's retooled roster and for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, whose participation in the preseason after ACL surgery last year will be a point of focus. -- Jeff Legwold
Week 1: vs. Washington Redskins
Week 2: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Week 3: at Carolina Panthers
Week 4: at New York Giants
Analysis: Bill Belichick enjoys the opportunity to increase the competition level in training camp by holding joint practices, and the possibility of doing it with the Eagles in Week 2 is intriguing because of the recent history between the teams in Super Bowl LII. In 2014, Belichick's Patriots and Jay Gruden's Redskins held joint practices and perhaps they'd consider doing it again. This will be the 14th year in a row the Patriots and Giants meet in the preseason finale. -- Mike Reiss
Week 1: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 2: at Washington Redskins
Week 3: vs. New York Giants
Week 4: at Philadelphia Eagles
Analysis: The Jets play four NFC teams and will have their first nationally televised preseason game since 2012 -- Aug. 16 at Washington on ESPN. The big storyline, as usual, will be the quarterback situation. Assuming the Jets draft a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick, this schedule will allow them to unveil their QB of the future before the home fans. It'll be against a fast and aggressive Atlanta defense, but at least he'll have the support of the home crowd. -- Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Hall of Fame Game: vs. Chicago Bears (in Canton, Ohio)
Week 1: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week 2: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 3: Miami Dolphins
Week 4: vs. Washington Redskins
Analysis: The typically meaningless preseason finale could get some added drama if new Ravens backup quarterback Robert Griffin III gets extended playing time against his former team. Griffin has yet to play the Redskins since they released him last offseason. The big challenge for Baltimore will be protecting Joe Flacco in the third preseason game, when the Ravens must block pass-rushers Cameron Wake and Robert Quinn. -- Jamison Hensley
Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears
Week 2: at Dallas Cowboys
Week 3: at Buffalo Bills
Week 4: vs Indianapolis Colts
Analysis: The Bengals will get a chance to see the one that got away if their former quarterback, AJ McCarron, suits up as the Bills' Game 3 starter. The Bengals attempted to keep McCarron on as a restricted free agent but lost a grievance, allowing him to sign with Buffalo, where he might get a chance to start. There's a reason this game is nationally televised, as the Bengals and Bills have developed a chummy relationship ever since the Bengals' win against the Ravens in Week 17 sent the Bills to the playoffs, prompting fan donations and a gift of buffalo wings to Cincinnati. That's not to mention the players the teams have swapped this offseason (in addition to McCarron, Bills LT Cordy Glenn, Bills LB Preston Brown and Bengals C Russell Bodine all switched sides). -- Katherine Terrell
Week 1: at New York Giants
Week 2: vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles (FOX, Aug. 23)
Week 4: at Detroit Lions
Analysis: The Browns will get a gauge on how much they've improved from a winless season when they host the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the third preseason game. That game should provide a small barometer of where the Browns are because both teams should play their starters for at least a half. In Week 2, Tyrod Taylor will face the Bills, the team that let him go after last season. Taylor started 43 game for the Bills the last three seasons. The opener will also feature the top two picks in the draft (assuming no trades change the order). -- Pat McManamon
Week 1: at Philadelphia Eagles
Week 2: at Green Bay Packers
Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
Analysis: The Steelers need to fortify their linebacker and secondary depth, so facing the Super Bowl champs in Week 1 will be a good test for the middle of the defense. Many offensive starters might not play until Tennessee, which gave up four touchdowns to Ben Roethlisberger in Week 11 last season. New safety Morgan Burnett will return to Green Bay, where he started 104 games since 2010. -- Jeremy Fowler
AFC SOUTH
Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs
Week 2: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 3: at Los Angeles Rams
Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Analysis: If the Texans offense is looking for a good test to get ready for the season, they'll get it in Week 3 against the Rams and their improved secondary. Deshaun Watson is expected to be ready to get back on the field sometime this spring, so the unit should be nearing regular-season form by this game. -- Sarah Barshop
Week 1: at Seattle Seahawks
Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 4: at Cincinnati Bengals
Analysis: The preseason will be centered around quarterback Andrew Luck's return -- if that remains the case -- from his right shoulder injury. If healthy, every snap Luck takes in preseason games will be important because he hasn't played against an opponent since the last week of the 2016 regular season. He has to work on finding his rhythm and confidence again while playing in a new offense under coach Frank Reich. He also has get used to being hit by an opponent again. -- Mike Wells
Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 2: at Minnesota Vikings
Week 3: vs. Atlanta Falcons
Week 4: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Analysis: There's a feeling around the franchise that the offense should be more consistent and explosive in the second full season under coordinator Nathaniel Hackett after the additions of G Andrew Norwell, WR Donte Moncrief, and TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins and the continued growth of QB Blake Bortles and RB Leonard Fournette. That will be tested throughout the first three weeks of the preseason because the Saints, Vikings and Falcons all finished in the top 10 in scoring last season and the Vikings and Falcons both had top-10 run defenses. -- Mike DiRocco
Week 1: at Green Bay Packers
Week 2: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Analysis: Our first glimpse of Marcus Mariota under the new Titans' offensive scheme and Mike Vrabel as a head coach will come in a showcase against Aaron Rodgers' Packers. The highlight of the preseason schedule, however, comes a week later against the Bucs. It will be the first time that Jameis Winston and Mariota, the top two picks of the 2015 NFL draft, have faced off since Week 1 of their rookie seasons. Mariota outdueled Winston that day throwing four touchdowns, a perfect passer rating and a 42-14 win. Both quarterbacks are at a crossroads going into their fourth season. The Titans also get a great test for their confident secondary in a regular-season dress rehearsal against a Steelers team that embarrassed them on national TV last November. -- Cameron Wolfe
AFC WEST
Week 1: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 2: vs. Chicago Bears
Week 3: at Washington Redskins
Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals
Analysis: It will be just the second time over the past 22 years the Broncos will open their preseason schedule with a home game. And while newly minted quarterback Case Keenum will likely only get a cameo in the game, it will be against his former team. The Broncos defense figures to get an extended look at their former starting quarterback in Trevor Siemian, who was traded to the Vikings last month. -- Jeff Legwold
Week 1: vs. Houston Texans
Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons
Week 3: at Chicago Bears
Week 4: vs. Green Bay Packers
Analysis: The featured game is against former offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, the new head coach of the Bears. That Week 3 game should also match the first two quarterbacks drafted last season in Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes II and Chicago's Mitch Trubisky. -- Adam Teicher
Week 1: at Arizona Cardinals
Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks
Week 3: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week 4: at San Francisco 49ers
Analysis: The Chargers will host the Saints for a second straight season in preseason play, a nationally televised game on Aug. 25. That opens up the possibility of the Chargers and Saints competing in joint practices again. The Bolts finish preseason play against the 49ers for the 15th time in 16 years. The Chargers finished 1-3 in exhibition play in Anthony Lynn's first season as a head coach last year and are 133-120-4 as a franchise. -- Eric D.
0 Response to "2018 NFL preseason schedule for all 32 teams - ESPN (blog)"
Post a Comment