The Cleveland Browns' opponents for the 2016 preseason were set Thursday, and the all-NFC slate includes a nationally televised matchup and handful of familiar preseason foes.
Here's how it will unfold. Home games at FirstEnergy Stadium are in CAPS.
Week 1 (August 11-15): Green Bay
Week 2 (August 18-22): ATLANTA
Week 3 (August 26): Tampa Bay
Week 4 (September 1-2): CHICAGO
Specific dates and times for all of the team's preseason games will be announced by the Browns in the near future. The league is also expected to release the regular-season schedule this month.
The Browns, with Hue Jackson on the sidelines for the first time as Cleveland's head coach, will open the preseason on the road at Green Bay's historic Lambeau Field. The Browns last traveled to Green Bay for a regular season game in 2013 and squared off with the Packers one year earlier in the preseason, a game Cleveland won, 35-10. This marks the 25th meeting between the clubs in preseason action, as the Browns opened the preseason against Green Bay from 2009-11.
The Browns will play their first of 10 games at FirstEnergy Stadium against the Falcons in Week 2 of the preseason. Cleveland last played the Falcons in 2014, winning 26-24, but hasn't matched up with them in the preseason since 2003.
The Browns will travel to Tampa for a second consecutive year, and the game will be broadcast by CBS, marking the third straight year Cleveland has a nationally televised preseason game and the first on CBS since 2003. The Browns beat the Buccaneers last year, 31-7, and it will mark the third time Cleveland has played at Raymond James Stadium in the preseason since 1999. This is the only game on the slate that currently has a set date (August 26).
This marks the 13th straight year that Cleveland and Chicago will face off during the preseason finale. During that span, the series is tied at 6-6, but the Browns own a 19-12 edge in the all-time preseason series.
WEWS (NewsChannel 5) is the preseason television home of the Cleveland Browns. All preseason games will air on the PNC Bank Cleveland Browns Radio Network, including the team's flagship stations 92.3 The Fan, ESPN 850 WKNR and 98.5 WNCX.
Cleveland Browns 2016 season ticket deposits are now available. Fans can sign up to purchase season tickets by calling (440) 824-3434, toll free at (888) 891-1999 or online at www.ClevelandBrowns.com.
