NFL Preseason Schedule 2015: Dates, Game Times, TV Coverage and More

Thursday marked the release of the 2015 NFL preseason schedule. Only professional football could garner this type of attention for exhibition games.

Until the draft comes and goes, it will be difficult to pinpoint the most significant matchups to watch and the top storylines to monitor. First-round picks are going to be under the microscope, and unknown, undrafted free agents will rise to the occasion and nab surprise roster sports.    

The preseason is the stage for everyone to strut their stuff. All 32 teams solidify their depth charts by the end, providing fans with ample excitement before the real games begin.

NFL.com has the complete schedule along with TV coverage information. Check out the national slate below, along with the top games to watch in Week 3, when the preseason means the most.

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
Sunday, Aug. 9	Pittsburgh Steelers vs Minnesota Vikings (NFL Hall of Fame Game)	8 p.m.	NBC
Thursday, Aug. 20	Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns	8 p.m.	ESPN
Sunday, Aug. 23	St. Louis Rams at Tennessee Titans	8 p.m.	Fox
Monday, Aug. 24	Cincinnati Bengals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8 p.m.	ESPN
Friday, Aug. 28	Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars	8 p.m.	CBS
Saturday, Aug. 29	Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers	8 p.m.	CBS
Sunday, Aug. 30	Houston Texans at New Orleans Saints	4 p.m.	Fox
Sunday, Aug. 30	Arizona Cardinals at Oakland Raiders	8 p.m.	NBC

Top Preseason Week 3 Matchups

Seattle Seahawks vs. San Diego Chargers

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The reigning NFC champions travel to San Diego, hoping to put their narrow defeat in the Super Bowl behind them.

Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has been one of the most prolific pass-catchers at his position. Now Jimmy Graham is among the best in the game in that department, which is why Seattle traded its 2015 first-round pick to New Orleans for him.

Week 3 figures to be the most time Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has to establish a rapport with Graham in live-game reps. With the way Wilson can extend the play and how big and fast a target Graham is, the two ought to be a lethal combination.

Wilson's counterpart, Philip Rivers, is in a contract year. Sometimes overlooked as one of the NFL's elite passers, more eyes will be on Rivers than ever as he approaches a career crossroads.

The 2015 campaign is also a pivotal juncture for Seattle. After a ton of recent success, one has to wonder whether the NFL's parity variable will finally catch up to the Seahawks.  

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

This is when interested onlookers will know a little better whether the multitude of personnel moves made by Eagles coach Chip Kelly will pan out.

The hope for Philadelphia is that prospective starting quarterback Sam Bradford, who is coming off a twice-torn ACL, is healthy enough to take valuable reps in Kelly's unique offensive system. Bradford will likely be protected in terms of limited reps, but fans would no doubt like to see flashes from him before the real Week 1.

And of course, it's always fun to watch the Packers offense in action, catalyzed by stud QB Aaron Rodgers.

Green Bay did well to retain wide receiver Randall Cobb this offseason, keeping the most versatile, explosive weapon in its passing attack in the fold. Rodgers will test a revamped Eagles secondary headlined by former Seattle cornerback Byron Maxwell.

What will truly test Philly is the power of bruising Packers running back Eddie Lacy. Although Kelly places an emphasis on conditioning and speed, it will be interesting to see whether his front seven can hold up against a bruising runner like Lacy.

Cleveland Browns vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

These are two teams that didn't make the playoffs last year but will nevertheless be exciting to watch battle each other in the preseason's most vital week.

The Browns might be in the midst of another quarterback competition, with Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel as the primary candidates. They also have two first-round draft picks, players Cleveland hopes will contribute more than Manziel and Justin Gilbert did in 2014.

All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas weighed in on teammate Manziel recently, as the young signal-caller prepares to exit a rehab facility, per ESPNCleveland.com's Tony Grossi:

"

You know, I think he lost probably a lot of trust among the guys on the team last year by the way he handled himself once he became the starter. And I think he had a lot of time to reflect, I'm guessing, after the season was over by the comments he made in the media and by his actions, checking himself into rehab … I think those were really positive steps. I'm hoping when we comes back in April we see a new Johnny and everybody's blown away with his commitment. And I think he's got the talent, so it's just a matter of if he commits himself to it, we can have a really good quarterback on our hands.

"

Tampa Bay holds the top choice in the draft and is likely to use it on either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota. Either of those QBs will make for a hot-button topic in the preseason.

It would be fascinating to see a rookie signal-caller shred what should be a strong Browns defense, as Cleveland continues a seemingly endless search for a long-term answer under center.

Alarms will sound in Cleveland if the Browns fall to the team that chose at the top of the draft. An upgraded defensive backfield, thanks to the free-agent acquisition of Tramon Williams, helps Cleveland's cause, and at least one first-round pick figures to be spent on defense.   

Manziel's former college teammate, Mike Evans, is one of the better young wide receivers in the NFL, part of an amazing 2014 draft class at his position. Whoever throws passes in Tampa Bay has Evans and Vincent Jackson to increase the margin for error. 

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