Raiders-Eagles to open NFL preseason

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 · Last updated 8:12 a.m. PT
Raiders-Eagles to open NFL preseason
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The NFL preseason will open with the Oakland Raiders playing the Philadelphia Eagles in the Hall of Fame game Aug. 6 in Canton, Ohio.
The prime-time game will be the first televised by NBC under the new contract that gives it the rights to Sunday night telecasts. Analyst John Madden, the former coach of the Raiders, will be inducted into the hall that weekend. Former Eagles star Reggie White, who died in 2004, also will be inducted.

Other prime-time national telecasts will be Indianapolis-St. Louis Rams on Aug. 10; New England Patriots at Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 11; Washington Redskinsat Cincinnati Bengals on Aug. 13; Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 14 in ESPN's debut as the Monday night outlet for games; Kansas City Chiefs at the New York Giants on Aug. 17; San Diego Chargers at Chicago Bears on Aug. 18; Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots on Aug. 19; Seattle Seahawks at Indianapolis on Aug. 20; Dallas Cowboys vs. New Orleans Saints at Shreveport, La., on Aug. 21; Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers on Aug. 24; Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 25; Tampa Bay at Jacksonville on Aug. 26; Houston at Denver Broncos on Aug. 27; and Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati on Aug. 28.
The Cardinals-Patriots and Texans-Broncos will be shown on NFL Network, which begins live coverage of regular-season games on Thanksgiving.
The first full weekend of preseason play will be Aug. 10-14, when Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh is at Arizona and NFC champion Seattle hosts Dallas.
Geographic rivalries are featured in Week 3 of the preseason (Aug. 24-28), including the Steelers at the Eagles, the Buccaneers at the Jaguars, the Rams at the Chiefs, and the Giants at the Jets.

The Saints, scheduled to play their first game back in New Orleans on Sept. 24 against Atlanta - the third week of the regular season - will play their home exhibitions against the Cowboys in Shreveport and against the Colts in Jackson, Miss., on Aug. 26.