The NFL’s preseason schedule was released Wednesday and right away we were reminded of the riveting plots that may unfold following the very first kickoff.
The first — and most important — item on the preseason agenda will actually surround NFL kickers.
The opening preseason matchup between the Bills and Giants at the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio Aug. 3 will be the first to test the new, longer extra-point rule. The new rule is an effort to make extra points more difficult (kickers made PATs at a 99 percent clip last year) by placing the ball on the 20-yard line, essentially making extra points 38-yard field goals. The proposed change was unanimously accepted amongst the league.
The rest of the schedule is below, but a few notable games include:
Week 1 – Seahawks at Broncos: Rematch of Super Bowl XLVIII.
Week 1 – 49ers at Ravens: Steve Smith’s first game with Joe Flacco and a rematch of Super Bowl XLVII.
Week 3 – Giants at Jets: The battle of NYC will feature questions surrounding the starting QB situation with the Jets — Geno Smith or Michael Vick?
2014 PRESEASON WEEK-BY-WEEK SCHEDULE
NFL/HALL OF FAME GAME (Aug. 3)
N.Y. Giants vs. Buffalo (NBC)
WEEK 1 (Aug. 7-10)
Buffalo at Carolina
Cincinnati at Kansas City
Cleveland at Detroit
Dallas at San Diego
Green Bay at Tennessee
Houston at Arizona
Indianapolis at NY Jets
Miami at Atlanta
New England at Washington
New Orleans at St. Louis
Oakland at Minnesota
Philadelphia at Chicago
Pittsburgh at NY Giants
San Francisco at Baltimore
Seattle at Denver
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville
WEEK 2 (Aug. 14-18)
Jacksonville at Chicago (ESPN, Aug. 14)
Kansas City at Carolina (Fox, Aug. 17)
Cleveland at Washington (ESPN, Aug. 18)
Arizona at Minnesota
Atlanta at Houston
Baltimore at Dallas
Buffalo at Pittsburgh
Denver at San Francisco
Detroit at Oakland
Green Bay at St. Louis
Miami at Tampa Bay
NY Giants at Indianapolis
NY Jets at Cincinnati
Philadelphia at New England
San Diego at Seattle
Tennessee at New Orleans
WEEK 3 (Aug. 21-24)
Oakland at Green Bay (CBS, Aug. 22)
New Orleans at Indianapolis (CBS, Aug. 23)
San Diego at San Francisco (Fox, Aug. 24)
Cincinnati at Arizona (NBC, Aug. 24)
Pittsburgh at Philadelphia
Jacksonville at Detroit
Tennessee at Atlanta
Chicago at Seattle
Tampa Bay at Buffalo
Dallas at Miami
Carolina at New England
NY Giants at NY Jets
Washington at Baltimore
St. Louis at Cleveland
Houston at Denver
Minnesota at Kansas City
WEEK 4 (Aug. 28)
Arizona at San Diego
Atlanta at Jacksonville
Baltimore at New Orleans
Carolina at Pittsburgh
Chicago at Cleveland
Denver at Dallas
Detroit at Buffalo
Indianapolis at Cincinnati
Kansas City at Green Bay
Minnesota at Tennessee
New England at NY Giants
NY Jets at Philadelphia
San Francisco at Houston
Seattle at Oakland
St. Louis at Miami
Washington at Tampa Bay
Josh Helmuth is the editor of CraveOnline Sports – @JHelmuth – ‘Like’ on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Getty
