An 11-game national television preseason schedule packed with 2001 playoff teams was announced today by the NFL.
The schedule includes the NFL coaching debut of STEVE SPURRIER, and JON GRUDEN's first game as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The first nationally televised game of the 2002 preseason features two "firsts" -- the first NFL game to be played in Osaka, Japan, and Spurrier's debut. On Saturday night, August 3 on ESPN, the San Francisco 49ers will play the Washington Redskins in the 11th American Bowl in Japan, but the first in Osaka -- a city of three million people on Osaka Bay in southern Japan that is the "sister city" of San Francisco and an American football hotbed.
The game will be the first as an NFL head coach for the Redskins' Spurrier, who in 12 years at the University of Florida compiled a 122-27-1 record and won the 1996 national championship.
Two nights later, on Monday, August 5 on ABC, the Houston Texans will make their NFL debut in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio against the New York Giants. With the addition of the Texans as the NFL's 32nd team this year, the league has realigned into eight divisions of four teams each (see attached chart).
The Hall of Fame game also will mark the debut of JOHN MADDEN as the new analyst on ABC's NFL Monday Night Football.
The following preseason weekend (August 8-12) will feature two national TV games on ESPN between 2001 playoff teams. On Thursday night, August 8, the Buccaneers will host the Florida-rival Miami Dolphins in Gruden's debut as Tampa Bay's head coach. Gruden led the Oakland Raiders to division championships in each of the past two seasons.
On Monday night, the New York Jets will travel to Pittsburgh to take on the AFC Central Division-champion Steelers.
The next weekend features four nationally televised games, the most of any 2002 preseason weekend.
On Thursday night, August 15 on ESPN, the AFC Western Division-champion Raiders will travel to the Tennessee Titans. On Friday night on FOX, the NFC Champion St. Louis Rams host the NFC Central titlist Chicago Bears. On Saturday night on CBS, one of the NFC Championship Game participants, the NFC East-champion Philadelphia Eagles, travels to the Super Bowl XXXVI-champion New England Patriots in the opening of their new stadium, CMGI Field.
The weekend will conclude on Monday night, August 19 when San Francisco travels to Denver to play the Broncos on ABC.
The weekend of August 22-26 will conclude the 2002 preseason national TV schedule with three games.
On Thursday night, August 22 on CBS, the Rams will host the San Diego Chargers. On Friday, FOX will carry the Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia. And on Monday, August 26 on ABC, the Cleveland Browns will play in Green Bay against the Packers.
The NFL also announced today that the opponents in four preseason games have been changed.
In Week 3 of the schedule (August 22-26), the Seattle Seahawks will host the Kansas City Chiefs (instead of the Denver Broncos), and the Arizona Cardinals will host the Broncos (rather than the Chiefs).
In Week 4 (August 29-September 1), the Broncos will host the Seahawks (instead of the Cardinals), and the Oakland Raiders will welcome the Cardinals (rather than the Seahawks).
The 2002 NFL national television preseason schedule (kickoff times to be announced):
Saturday 8/3
ESPN American Bowl (Osaka): San Francisco vs. Washington
Monday 8/5
ABC
Pro Football Hall of Fame Game: NY Giants vs. Houston
Preseason Week 1 (August 8-12)
Thursday 8/8
ESPN
Miami at Tampa Bay
Monday 8/12
ESPN
NY Jets at Pittsburgh
Preseason Week 2 (August 15-19)
Thursday 8/15
ESPN
Oakland at Tennessee
Friday 8/16
FOX
Chicago at St. Louis
Saturday 8/17CBSPhiladelphia at New England
Monday 8/19
ABC
San Francisco at Denver
Preseason Week 3 (August 22-26)
Thursday 8/22
CBS
San Diego at St. Louis
Friday 8/23
FOX
Baltimore at Philadelphia
Monday 8/26
ABC
Cleveland at Green Bay
The revised 2002 NFL preseason schedule:
2002 NFL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
HALL OF FAME WEEKEND – AUGUST 3-5
Washington vs. San Francisco, American Bowl, Osaka, Japan, Aug. 3, 10:00 PM ET (ESPN)
Houston vs. New York Giants, Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, OH, Aug. 5, 8:00 PM ET (ABC)
WEEK 1 – AUGUST 8-12
Arizona at San Diego
Cincinnati at Buffalo
Cleveland at Minnesota
Denver at Chicago
Detroit at Baltimore
Green Bay at Philadelphia
Houston at New Orleans
Indianapolis at Seattle
Kansas City at San Francisco
Jacksonville at Atlanta
Miami at Tampa Bay
New England at New York Giants
New York Jets at Pittsburgh
Oakland at Dallas
St. Louis at Tennessee
Washington at Carolina
WEEK 2 – AUGUST 15-19
Chicago at St. Louis
Cincinnati at Indianapolis
Dallas at Carolina
Detroit at Cleveland
Green Bay at Arizona
Houston at Kansas City
Minnesota at Buffalo
New Orleans at Miami
New York Giants at Atlanta
New York Jets at Baltimore
Oakland at Tennessee
Philadelphia at New England
Pittsburgh at Washington
San Francisco at Denver
Seattle at San Diego
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville
WEEK 3 – AUGUST 22-26
Atlanta at Dallas
Baltimore at Philadelphia
Buffalo at Indianapolis
Carolina at New England
Cleveland at Green Bay
Kansas City at Seattle *
Jacksonville at Chicago
Denver at Arizona*
Miami at Houston
New Orleans at Cincinnati
New York Giants at New York Jets
Pittsburgh at Detroit
San Diego at St. Louis
San Francisco at Oakland
Tennessee at Minnesota
Washington at Tampa Bay
WEEK 4 – AUGUST 29-SEPT. 1
Seattle at Denver *
Atlanta at Cincinnati
Baltimore at New York Giants
Buffalo at Detroit
Carolina at Cleveland
Chicago at Miami
Dallas at Jacksonville
Indianapolis at New Orleans
Minnesota at Pittsburgh
New England at Washington
Philadelphia at New York Jets
San Diego at San Francisco
Arizona at Oakland*
St. Louis at Kansas City
Tampa Bay at Houston
Tennessee at Green Bay
* New opponents
