The NFL preseason is considered a waste by many in the league and in the media and even for many fans, but the third week of the preseason is the exact opposite in the eyes of many coaches and staffs in the league, as teams try and use the third preseason game and at least the first half as a "dress rehearsal" for the regular season.
Many teams see that opening as an example of how their teams will perform in the regular season, as most starters sit in Week 4 as they prepare to start the actual season the following week. There have been a number of injuries this preseason and summer and that has only made coaches more tuned in to how many plays their starters are on the field for in the preseason. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a knee scare in practice and ended up looking fine in the next preseason game and now the team will face off against the Detroit Lions in the third game of the preseason.
The Carolina Panthers and Ravens will do battle on ESPN on Thursday night, while the Seattle Seahawks and the Green Bay Packers will revisit their crazy game from last season with the replacement refs in Week 3 as well. The Chicago Bears and Oakland raiders will do battle in the Bay area and on Saturday there will be a full slate of games, including teams like the Bills, Washington Redskins, Cleveland Browns, Giants, Jets, Jaguars, Cowboys and more in action.
Sunday's games include New Orleans playing against the Houston Texans as well as the Minnesota Vikings against the 49ers, which will be in San Francisco. Some other games include the Rams and Broncos as well as the Falcons and Titans, Chargers and Cardinals as well as the Buccaneers and Dolphins.
Week 3:
THU, AUG 22 TIME (ET) TV
New England at Detroit 7:30 PM
Carolina at Baltimore 8:00 PM
FRI, AUG 23 TIME (ET) TV
Seattle at Green Bay 8:00 PM CBS
Chicago at Oakland 10:00 PM
SAT, AUG 24 TIME (ET) TV
Buffalo at Washington 4:30 PM
Cleveland at Indianapolis 7:00 PM
NY Jets at NY Giants 7:00 PM
Kansas City at Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Tampa Bay at Miami 7:30 PM
Philadelphia at Jacksonville 7:30 PM
Cincinnati at Dallas 8:00 PM
St. Louis at Denver 8:00 PM CBS
Atlanta at Tennessee 8:00 PM
San Diego at Arizona 10:00 PM
SUN, AUG 25 TIME (ET) TV
New Orleans at Houston 4:00 PM FOX
Minnesota at San Francisco 8:00 PM NBC
