FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-9                  3/6/02

 

PRESEASON NATIONAL TV SCHEDULE
OPENS WITH OSAKA AMERICAN BOWL & SPURRIER DEBUT

 

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):

 

The revised 2002 NFL preseason schedule:

 

2002 NFL PRESEASON SCHEDULE
WEEK-BY-WEEK

 

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

  

The realigned NFL:

 

AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

 

 

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE