FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced the dates and times for each of their 2005 preseason games today. The entire 2005 NFL regular season schedule will be announced tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. EDT on NFL Network.
The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will open their 2005 preseason on the road at Cincinnati on August 12 at 7:30 p.m. It is the second consecutive year in which the Patriots will travel to the Queen City for a preseason clash.
On Thursday, August 18, the Patriots will host the New Orleans Saints in a prime time matchup that will be nationally televised on FOX. It will be the Patriots' first game at Gillette Stadium since their 20-3 divisional playoff victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the snow on January 16. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 p.m. EDT start. It will be the first of two games against the Saints in 2005. The Patriots are also scheduled to host New Orleans in the regular season.
On Thursday, August 25, the Patriots will travel to Green Bay for the first time since 1997 to battle the Packers. Kickoff will be at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
The Patriots will conclude their 2005 preseason schedule by hosting the New York Giants on Thursday, September 1. It will be the fourth time in the last five years that the two teams have squared off in the preseason.
