NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The National Football League has announced its 2013 preseason schedule, including four games for the Tennessee Titans versus playoff teams from last season: the Washington Redskins, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.
The Titans open the preseason at home, facing the Redskins at LP Field during the weekend of Aug. 8-12. The following week they travel to meet the Bengals (Aug. 15-19), followed by a home game against the Falcons (Aug. 22-26). Finally, they conclude their preseason slate by visiting the Vikings (Aug. 28-30).
Final dates and times for the four preseason games will be announced during the next month. All four contests are scheduled to air on Nashville flagship WKRN News 2 and several regional affiliates.
Led by head coach Mike Shanahan, the Redskins won the NFC East Division last year. Their quarterback, Robert Griffin III, was named the Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, capping a season in which he passed for 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns while also rushing for 815 yards and seven scores.
At Cincinnati, the Titans will face a Bengals squad that has earned two consecutive AFC Wild Card playoff berths, which have coincided with the emergence of quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green. Dalton has passed for more than 7,000 total yards in two NFL seasons, while Green has accounted for 162 total receptions and 18 touchdowns in the same time frame.
The Falcons are coming off a 13-3 season and an NFC South title, their second division championship in three years. One of the NFL's most potent passing attacks is spearheaded by Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan, who in 2012 set career highs with 4,719 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. His star-studded cast of targets includes tight end Tony Gonzalez and receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White.
The Titans-Vikings matchup is slated to feature two of the seven players in NFL history to record 2,000 rushing yards in a season. While helping his team clinch a Wild Card in the NFC playoffs last year, Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson put up historic numbers, rushing for 2,097 yards to finish second in league annals (Eric Dickerson). Prior to Peterson's effort, Tennessee's Chris Johnson was the most recent player to reach the 2,000-yard rushing mark, gaining 2,006 yards on the ground in 2009.
The NFL is expected to release the regular-season schedule later in April. Single-game tickets for both the regular season and preseason will go on sale to the general public this summer.
TENNESSEE TITANS 2013 PRESEASON SCHEDULE:
Aug. 8-12 WASHINGTON - WKRN
Aug. 15-19 at Cincinnati - WKRN
Aug. 22-26 ATLANTA - WKRN
Aug. 28-30 at Minnesota - WKRN
* Exact days and times to be announced later.
