NFL Preseason Schedule 2015: Dates, Ticket Info and More

The NFL season feels closer than ever, with the official start of the preseason taking place Sunday in Canton, Ohio, with the Hall of Fame Game featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings.  

The full NFL preseason schedule can be found here, but we've highlighted the nationally televised games below.

Then, we'll break down which preseason games could be previews of playoff matches come January, making them must-watch TV. If you're lucky enough to attend the games in person, tickets can be purchased at ScoreBig.com. 

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

Potential Preseason Playoff Previews 

We all know the preseason doesn't mean anything. Starters play a series or two only, position battles are still ongoing, and coaches are still tweaking players' usage. 

Still, the preseason can reveal useful information about a team's upcoming season, especially in Week 3, when starters tend to play the most snaps. Make a point to catch the following three games; you might be seeing them again on national TV come January. 

Week 3: Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers

Date: Saturday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m. ET 

Location: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

This game won't be broadcast nationally, making it a little trickier to watch, though subscribers to NFL Preseason Live will be able to watch live or on demand.

But it's almost definitely a potential NFC playoffs matchup. 

In its recent round of record projections for all 32 NFL teams, USA Today had the Packers going 12-4 and winning the NFC North, while the Eagles had a projected record of 10-6 and were expected to win the NFC East. 

Those records would see the Eagles start off in the NFC Wild Card Round and the Packers as the No. 1 seed in the divisional round, but there's a chance if the Eagles do a little better than projected, they could meet the Packers in the divisional playoffs. 

As for what to watch during this preseason matchup, it all starts with the quarterbacks. Though new backfield addition DeMarco Murray could potentially carry the Eagles this season if new quarterback Sam Bradford doesn't produce at a high level, it will be difficult. 

As for the Packers, they're set to have what could be one of the league's most high-octane offenses this season, but how will the defense look? The Eagles, with their varied offensive weapons, will be a good test for an inexperienced and young inside linebacking corps for the Packers.

The same goes for Green Bay's secondary after losing veteran corner Tramon Williams in free agency. Bradford and Mark Sanchez will test the youth on that unit. 

Week 3: Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys 

Date: Saturday, Aug. 29, 7 p.m. ET

Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

The Vikings got an extra preseason game in the form of the Hall of Fame Game against the Steelers. This is a sneakily good team, better than most will give it credit for.

Moreover, the balance of power has been shifting not only in the NFC North with the decline of the Chicago Bears, but also in the NFC as a whole with once-upon-a-time contenders New Orleans, Atlanta and the New York Giants having all missed the playoffs in 2014. 

The USA Today record predictions have Minnesota reaching the playoffs as the No. 5 seed, but not Dallas. There's no telling how much the loss of running back Murray in the offseason will hurt Dallas' offense until the regular season, but we'll get a hint of that during the preseason slate of games. 

Most importantly, the preseason should give something of an indication on how up-and-comer Joseph Randle is faring in the backfield.

At this point in camp, Randle is projected to be the Cowboys' Week 1 starter. "He's clearly the leader in the clubhouse at this point," wrote Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News in an Aug. 7 column. "I'd be very surprised if he isn't in the starting lineup Week 1."

That will also depend on if Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar can recover from their respective injuries (hamstring and ankle). If healthy, look for those players to be involved against Minnesota. 

Speaking of running backs, how will Adrian Peterson look after a year out of football? ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Aug. 9 that Peterson would likely sit out the rest of the preseason action, so we may not know until Week 1 what kind of shape he's in. 

If the Vikings do make it to the NFC playoffs this year, it will have to be as a result of solid play by both Peterson and second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Subpar play in one area will make it difficult for the other to get much going. 

In the Hall of Fame Game Sunday night, Bridgewater and tight end Kyle Rudolph appeared to have good chemistry. A reliable tight end is an invaluable weapon for a young quarterback, so Minnesota will hope that Rudolph remains healthy this year. 

Week 4: Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts 

Date: Thursday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m. ET

Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

The USA Today projections have the Bengals missing the playoffs in the AFC and the Colts as the No. 1 seed. Needless to say, if Cincinnati does manage to sneak in, it would have to be the No. 4 seed in order to face Indianapolis, with a first-round bye, in the divisional round. 

Why the lack of faith in Cincinnati? Quarterback Andy Dalton is entering his fifth year as the signal-caller for the Bengals, and fans are still waiting for him to solidify himself as a consistent and game-changing element at quarterback. 

But this year, it's not all about Dalton and top weapon A.J. Green. Running back Jeremy Hill broke out late in the 2014 season, giving Bengals fans a lot of hope the backfield will continue to be dynamic this season. 

Dalton will also have a new go-to weapon in tight end Tyler Eifert after the departure of veteran tight end Jermaine Gresham in training camp. According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Eifert has been a constant target of Dalton's during camp. 

"Nobody has been able to cover Eifert since training camp began last week and Dalton throws to him whenever he’s in a jam or needs a big play," Hobson wrote. 

As for the Colts, Andrew Luck has had to do it all on his own for far too long with a weak backfield, but that could change with the addition of veteran Frank Gore in the backfield, which could make this offense deadly.

Because this game is in Week 4 of the preseason, none of the starters will get much, if any, playing time. So for second-stringers, watch tight end Tyler Kroft and wideout Marvin Jones on Cincinnati's side; for Indianapolis, keep an eye on rookie receiver Phillip Dorsett and safety Clayton Geathers.