FOXBOROUGH, Mass. ā The National Football League released the preseason pairings for 2003 today, and for the second consecutive season the Patriots and the Eagles will christen a new stadium during the preseason. Last year, the Patriots hosted the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 17, 2002. It was the first football game played at Gillette Stadium. This year, the Patriots will travel to Philadelphia for the first game to be played at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia's new $512 million stadium.
Dates and times for the games have not yet been determined, but the order of their opponents is now known. The Patriots will kickoff the 2003 preseason by hosting the New York Giants (between Aug. 7-11), before traveling to Washington (Aug. 14-18) to battle the Redskins. They will travel to Philadelphia Week 3 (Aug. 21-25) and return home to Gillette Stadium to host the Chicago Bears for their 2003 preseason finale (between Aug. 28-31).
A complete list of the Patriots home and away 2003 opponents is listed below:
**Patriots 2003 Preseason Opponents** | **Stadium** |
Week 1: New York Giants | Gillette Stadium |
Week 2: at Washington Redskins | FedEx Field |
Week 3: at Philadelphia Eagles | Lincoln Financial Field |
Week 4: Chicago Bears | Gillette Stadium |
**Patriots 2003 Home Opponents** | **Patriots 2003 Away Opponents** |
Buffalo Bills (8-8) | Buffalo Bills (8-8) |
Miami Dolphins (9-7) | Miami Dolphins (9-7) |
New York Jets (9-7) | New York Jets (9-7) |
Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10) | Houston Texans (4-12) |
Tennessee Titans (11-5) | Indianapolis Colts (10-6) |
Dallas Cowboys (5-11) | Philadelphia Eagles (12-4) |
New York Giants (10-6) | Washington Redskins (7-9) |
Cleveland Browns (9-7) | Denver Broncos (9-7) |