The third week of the NFL preseason is upon us. This means that the starters on each team will see the most in-game action out of any preseason game.
It is the last time the majority of the starters will be seen at all until the regular season begins, as the last preseason game for each team typically serves to cut down rosters by seeing who earns the last few spots.
The top two picks in April’s draft – Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III – will face off during the preseason’s third week. (Image source: The New Yorker)
NFL Preseason Week 3 Schedule
Thursday, August 23
- Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals (7 PM ET)
- Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens (7:30 PM ET)
- Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans (8 PM ET on ESPN)
Friday, August 24
- Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns (7:30 PM ET)
- Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins (7:30 PM ET)
- New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7:30 PM ET)
- Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs (8 PM ET)
- San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings (8 PM ET)
- Chicago Bears at New York Giants (8 PM ET on CBS)
Saturday, August 25
- Indianapolis Colts at Washington Redskins (4 PM ET on NFL Network)
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (7 PM ET)
- Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders (7 PM ET)
- St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys (8 PM ET)
- Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints (8 PM ET on CBS)
Sunday, August 26
- San Francisco 49ers at Denver Broncos (4 PM ET on FOX)
- Carolina Panthers at New York Jets (8 PM ET on NBC)
NFL Preseason Week 3 Storylines
Luck vs Griffin III
The top two picks in the draft will square off in Washington on Saturday. Luck has received a bulk of the focus during the preseason, and deservedly so, but it is time for RGIII to show why he was taken second in this year’ s draft.
The talk about Kirk Cousins challenging Griffin III needs to stop, and Griffin III can show why on Saturday.
Jake Locker Begins Reign as Starter
Jake Locker was just announced as the Titans’ starting quarterback over Matt Hasselbeck, and he will play his first game as starter on ESPN in primetime against the Cardinals.
Locker was a highly regarded prospect throughout his time in college, and he was seemingly punished simply for returning to school to play another year. He has earned this starting spot, and it should be a role that is permanent for years to come.
Jets Look to Have Better Performance Third Time Around
The New York Jets have failed to score a single touchdown this preseason, which is not a good sign for Mark Sanchez. The preseason truly does not matter all that much, but the starters failing to score a touchdown is still not a good sign.
With Tim Tebow on the roster, bad play by Sanchez will quickly turn to talk of Tebow stepping in to start. After his heroics from last year and the frequent turmoil in New York, anything is possible.
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What will you be watching during this week’s slate of preseason games?
About Steve Kubitza
Thanks for the list of NFL game times and which ones will be on the national broadcast; it’s always difficult to keep track of them during the preseason. There are several interesting matchups since week three is the closest we get to a regular-season scenario until September. My Hopper will be working overtime to record several different games this weekend. I’ve been able to record my favorite team’s games and other shows with more than enough hard drive space on my DVR. My coworkers at Dish are excited about the 49ers/Broncos game since Manning is starting to get the rust off his arm. It’s going to be a great season to be a Broncos fan!