The Raiders have announced their preseason schedule and it is good news for those diehard Raider fans who would like to attend. The good news is that the Raiders won’t be traveling far for any of their games. The furthest distance they will travel is Seattle.
The exact dates and times of the games are not yet set, except for the week three contest against the Saints. That game is a prime time contest that will be nationally televised.
The Raiders open the preseason at home against the Arizona Cardinals. This is in contrast to last preseason which saw them come home for the first time in the third preseason game.
Week two of the preseason will have them across the water for the yearly “Battle of the Bay” game versus the San Francisco 49ers. The Raiders traveled to San Francisco for a regular season game last year in one of their worst performances of the season. The Raiders gave the Niners their first win of the season on a damp day at Candlestick. The Raider starters will look to have a solid first half to show the Niners which team really carries the momentum from last season.
Week three has the Raiders back home to play the New Orleans Saints. Week three is always the most pivotal game of the preseason because the starters play through the third quarter. They have a tough test in Drew Brees and the Saints. How the Raiders play will go a long way in telling what kind of season they will have in 2011.
The final preseason game is when the Raiders will head up to Seattle to play the Seahawks. This is the final game of the preseason and will be the last test for rookies and bubble players to make an impression with the hopes of surviving the final cutdown.
Here is what the Schedule looks like:
Week 1 August 11-15 ARIZONA Time TBA
Week 2 August 18-22 at San Francisco Time TBA
Week 3 August 28 NEW ORLEANS 5pm PST
Week 4 September 1-2 at Seattle Time TBA
This schedule is of course dependant upon training camp — and therefore the season — starting on time. With the lockout still in effect, nothing is for certain. But the Raiders and the NFL are going about their business expecting/hoping everything gets settled and we can get back to football.
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