(via Tampa Bay Buccaneers Communications) - The National Football League today released its 2019 preseason slate, announcing the matchups that will take place each week, with exact game dates and times to be confirmed after the finalization of the national broadcast schedule.
For the sixth consecutive season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will open preseason play on the road, this year facing the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Week 1 (Friday, August 9, 7:30 p.m. ET). This will mark the first preseason meeting between the two teams since 1998, when they faced off in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Tampa Bay makes the team’s second ever preseason trip to Pittsburgh, following a contest in the 1996 preseason.
After facing the Steelers, the Buccaneers will host the Miami Dolphins at home in their Week 2 preseason home opener (August 15-19). In the days leading up to the game, the two teams will have joint practices, with details to be announced at a later date. The Dolphins are the Buccaneers’ most commonly played preseason opponent, with the two teams having faced each other 31 times, including 16 consecutive seasons from 2000-2015. While Miami leads the all-time preseason series 17-14, Tampa Bay has won five of the past six.
Following the Dolphins contest, the Buccaneers will host the Cleveland Browns in Week 3 (August 22-25). The Buccaneers and Browns have faced off 10 times in the teams’ preseason history, splitting the series at five games apiece.
Tampa Bay closes out the preseason on the road, facing the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 (August 29-30). The two teams have never faced each other in the preseason.
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