2016 NFL Preseason Schedule Released: Opponents, Dates, Times and More

The NFL released its 2016 preseason schedule on Thursday through NFL.com.

The Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, on Sunday, Aug. 7, marks the kickoff to the exhibition slate, pitting the Indianapolis Colts against the Green Bay Packers.    

The showdown between Green Bay and Indianapolis is one of eight nationally televised games slated for the preseason. Below is a listing of all those marquee matchups:

Week	Date	Matchup	Time (ET)	TV
HOF Game	Sunday, Aug. 7	Green Bay Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts	8 p.m.	ESPN
1	Saturday, Aug. 13	Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams	8 p.m.	ESPN
3	Thursday, Aug. 25	Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins	8 p.m.	NBC
3	Friday, Aug. 26	Cleveland Browns at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8 p.m.	CBS
3	Saturday, Aug. 27	Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders	8 p.m.	CBS
3	Sunday, Aug. 28	San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings	1 p.m.	Fox
3	Sunday, Aug. 28	Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans	4 p.m.	Fox
3	Sunday, Aug. 28	Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars	8 p.m.	ESPN

Fans ought to be eager to see the Colts-Packers clash primarily because of the quality of quarterback play that figures to be on display.

Green Bay superstar Aaron Rodgers will be well worth watching if only briefly, while Indy may trot out Andrew Luck for the first time since the middle of the 2015 campaign.

On the other hand, the Colts might do all they can to preserve Luck for the 2016 season. Head coach Chuck Pagano recently talked with NFL Media's Judy Battista about how Luck needs to change his style of play to keep himself out of harm's way (via NFL.com's Kevin Patra):

"

He's a competitive guy. He plays the position like a linebacker, with a linebacker's mentality. He can't do that all the time. We love how he can extend plays, but he's got to be smart and know it's OK to slide. You don't have to take some of those hits.

[...]

He obviously understands, going through what he went through in not being there for those nine weeks, he's learned a lot, sitting there on the sidelines and being away being out.

"

A mere six days after the preseason opener, a big-market duel between the recently relocated Los Angeles Rams and the visiting Dallas Cowboys will unfold in a game that should draw monster ratings.

America's Team has its own QB in Tony Romo coming off an injury-plagued prior season, which caused the Cowboys to slump to a 4-12 record. Rams fans have to be ecstatic to see stud running back Todd Gurley in action, now a spectacular rookie season and more than a full year removed from a torn ACL.

The most interesting of the nationally televised tripleheader finale figures to be a battle of two reigning division champions in the AFC South's Houston Texans and the NFC West's Arizona Cardinals.

Houston has a couple of new offensive cornerstones in QB Brock Osweiler and running back Lamar Miller. The duo couldn't ask for a much stiffer test than the Cardinals and figures to see extended action in Week 3.