FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-PRE-3        8/12/03

FOUR NATIONAL TV GAMES HIGHLIGHT WEEK’S SCHEDULE

The NFL reaches the heart of its preseason schedule this week with four national telecasts, the most of any preseason week this year, and each matchup has a compelling storyline. 

On Thursday night (FOX, 8:00 PM ET), it will be a renewal of the “Battle of the Bay Bridge” as the 2002 AFC Champion Oakland Raiders travel 30 miles south to face their “neighborhood” rival, the NFC West Division champion San Francisco 49ers.

The Raiders want to go one step further than last season when they lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII.  The Niners also are aiming to go farther than they did in 2002 when they were stopped at an NFC Divisional Playoff game, also by the Bucs.

And what would “Raiders-Niners” be without a familiar face?  And we don’t mean JERRY RICE or CHARLIE GARNER, former 49ers now with the Raiders.  This year, the switch from the red and gold of San Francisco to the silver and black of Oakland was made by defensive tackle DANA STUBBLEFIELD.

“I think everybody is curious, especially when you play so close together,” says Stubbfield of the players’ interest in their nearby rival.  “I’m getting my opportunity.  I talked to Jerry and he says it doesn’t take you too long to get used to this team.  Once you’re in there, you’re in there, doing what you do best.”

On Friday night in Cleveland (CBS, 8:00 PM ET), it will be “Couch vs. Holcomb vs. Favre,” also known as the Cleveland Browns against the Green Bay Packers. 

The Browns’ quarterback competition is heating up.  Will TIM COUCH or KELLY HOLCOMB start the season?  Head coach BUTCH DAVIS says he will name the starter by next week’s game in Detroit.  In Green Bay, the only QB controversy is “Who’s BRETT FAVRE’s backup?”

The 13-year veteran has started an NFL quarterback-record 173 regular-season games (the top active mark at any position), forcing such Packers backups as AARON BROOKS, MARK BRUNELL, MATT HASSELBECK and KURT WARNER to move on to other clubs.  This year’s batch vying for the two backup spots are CRAIG NALL, DOUG PEDERSON and AKILI SMITH.

The competition, says Pederson, “strengthens the quarterback position overall.”

On Saturday (ESPN, 8:00 PM ET), two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks meet as DREW BLEDSOE and the Buffalo Bills travel to Tennessee to face STEVE MC NAIR and the Titans.

Bledsoe, in his first year with the Bills after a nine-year career with the New England Patriots, took the club from a 3-13 to an 8-8 record in 2002.  But this year, he wants the playoffs. 

“I think we can beat any team in the league,” says Bledsoe.

McNair led the Titans to 11 wins last season – tying Oakland for most in the AFC – but lost to the Raiders in the AFC Championship.  This year, he wants to take that one step beyond.

The week concludes on Monday night (ABC, 8:00 PM ET) with a matchup of NFC teams that have played in three of the past four Super Bowls.  It’s the Super Bowl XXXVII champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Super Bowl XXXIV titlist St. Louis Rams.        

That means JON GRUDEN vs. MIKE MARTZ…BRAD JOHNSON vs. KURT WARNER…MIKE ALSTOTT vs. MARSHALL FAULK…KEYSHAWN JOHNSON vs. ISAAC BRUCE…and SIMEON RICE vs. ORLANDO PACE.  

Sounds like a Super Bowl right there.
 

LAST WEEK’S NFL RESULTS (AUGUST 7-11)
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NEXT WEEK’S NFL SCHEDULE (AUGUST 14-18)
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