NFL Preseason Schedule 2015: Week 3 TV Coverage, Ticket Info and Key Storylines

The third week of the NFL preseason is traditionally the most important. Starters normally play until halftime and sometimes into the third quarter as a dress rehearsal for the regular season before receiving little to no playing time in the exhibition finale.

It's always a delicate balancing act for coaching staffs, though. While they want to get some prep work in so the team hits the ground running when the games actually count, the injury risk could lead to some earlier exits this year.

Let's check out the schedule for Week 3 of the preseason, including details for the nationally televised games. That's followed by a look at some of the notable stories to track this week. And for all ticket information, visit Score Big.

Week 3 Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Team	Team	National TV
Friday, Aug. 28	7:30 p.m.	Patriots	Panthers	-
Friday, Aug. 28	8 p.m.	Titans	Chiefs	-
Friday, Aug. 28	8 p.m.	Lions	Jaguars	CBS
Saturday, Aug. 29	4 p.m.	Steelers	Bills	NFL Network
Saturday, Aug. 29	7 p.m.	Jets	Giants	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	7 p.m.	Falcons	Dolphins	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	7 p.m.	Vikings	Cowboys	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	7 p.m.	Browns	Buccaneers	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	7:30 p.m.	Redskins	Ravens	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	7:30 p.m.	Bears	Bengals	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	8 p.m.	Eagles	Packers	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	8 p.m.	Colts	Rams	-
Saturday, Aug. 29	8 p.m.	Seahawks	Chargers	CBS
Saturday, Aug. 29	9 p.m.	49ers	Broncos	-
Sunday, Aug. 30	4 p.m.	Texans	Saints	FOX
Sunday, Aug. 30	8 p.m.	Cardinals	Raiders	NBC

Key Storylines

Green Bay Packers Move Forward Without Jordy Nelson

The connection between Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson was one of the most lethal in football last season. The wideout made 98 catches for over 1,500 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. Now the Packers are forced to play the 2015 season without him due to a knee injury.

It's undoubtedly a setback for Green Bay, especially in the short term as the team is forced to reshuffle the receiving depth chart on the fly. That said, the presence of Rodgers gives the team a much better chance of finding success despite losing such a key cog.

That's the advantage teams with a top-tier quarterback hold. It's a lot easier to cover up weakness with somebody like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady under center. Rodgers is also in that group, and, as Bleacher Report's Ian Kenyon pointed out, he's had success without No. 87 before:

Randall Cobb will move into the No. 1 role while Davante Adams should see a serious uptick in targets with Nelson out. But it's likely to become a collective effort, giving Ty Montgomery and Jeff Janis, among others, a chance to increase their involvement with a good showings against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Buffalo Bills Seek Quarterback Answers

The Bills defense is among the league's best, and their talent at the skill positions is intriguing, assuming LeSean McCoy and Percy Harvin return to full strength for Week 1. A promising season could easily be derailed by poor quarterback play, though.

Buffalo has held a competition throughout training camp to fill the starting spot. Matt Cassel entered as the default leader, an uninspiring veteran who will simply hold down the fort. He's still a better option than EJ Manuel, who hasn't shown enough yet to warrant another chance.

Then there's Tyrod Taylor. He's easily the most dynamic of the bunch with arm strength to make any throw and the ability to hurt defenses with his legs. He hasn't been able to pull away from the pack, though. As Joe Buscaglia of WKBW highlighted, head coach Rex Ryan is keeping all of his avenues open:

At this point, the only surprise would be if Manuel starts Week 1. Neither Cassel nor Taylor is likely to light the world on fire, but they both bring something to the table: stability and upside, respectively. Their performances against the Pittsburgh Steelers could be the deciding factor.

Baltimore Ravens Look For Defensive Improvement

At this time of year, everything needs the "it's only preseason" tag. It's far too soon to press the panic button because what happens now doesn't always translate to the regular season, when the focus shifts to winning. That said, it's fair to at least be concerned about the Ravens defense.

Baltimore ranks last in both points allowed (33.5 per game) and yards allowed (421 per game) through two weeks of preseason action. They're also allowing opponents to convert 57 percent of the time on third down, the worst rate in the league.

Head coach John Harbaugh attributed most of the problems to limited game-planning for the preseason, per Ryan Mink of the team's official site. But he stated there were also some fundamental mistakes last week while facing the Eagles that must be cleaned up over the next couple of games.

"Part of it is game plan, but at the end of the day you have to execute your job," Harbaugh said. "Some of it was game plan, some of it was being fundamentally sound. Some plays they gashed us, we got pushed a little on the line and our linebackers didn't press down enough."

The coach also noted there's usually more planning for the third game. In turn, the team will be looking to get a little more out of its defense against the Washington Redskins. If not, the concern will become a little more intense with opening day on the horizon.