NFL preseason schedule: Best games to watch in Week 3 of the preseason

The final week of the 2023 NFL preseason is upon us, offering fans one last glimpse at a few position battles before the regular season kicks off in early September. Week 3 of the preseason begins on Thursday, Aug. 24 with the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Atlanta Falcons. No. 2 overall pick CJ Stroud and Houston Texans will wrap up the slate when they face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Aug. 27.

Ahead of the final week of preseason action, we spotlight which games should be entertaining to watch.

Here are some of our favorite games to watch in the Week 3 of the 2023 NFL preseason.

Steelers vs. Falcons: Kenny Pickett has arguably been the best signal-caller throughout the preseason, coming off a 9-for-11 performance for 113 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a 149.1 passer rating in a Week 2 win over the Bills. On the other side, fans could get one more preview of Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who finished with 20 yards on the ground on four carries and caught his lone target for six yards last week, while logging a 12-yard gain on his first career NFL carry.

Lions vs. Panthers: After a bumpy Week 1 preseason debut, No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young fared a bit better against the Giants last weekend, completing 3-of-6 passes for 35 yards while taking a sack for a loss of seven yards. Truth be told, Young’s offensive line didn’t do him any favors, but Week 3’s matchup against Detroit offers one more chance to get valuable reps ahead of his regular-season debut.

Raiders vs. Cowboys: There’s a quarterback controversy brewing in Las Vegas, and it’s a tussle for the backup job. Rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell has completed 72.2 percent of his passes while throwing for 304 yards and three touchdowns across two games of preseason action. Another efficient performance from the signal-caller out of Purdue could propel him to second on the quarterback depth chart for the Silver and Black.

Week 3 preseason schedule

Thursday, August 24

Steelers @ Falcons, 7:30 p.m. — NFL Network

Colts @ Eagles, 8 p.m. — Prime Video

Friday, August 25

Lions @ Panthers, 8 p.m. — CBS
Patriots @ Titans, 8:15 p.m. — NFL Network
Chargers @ 49ers, 10 p.m. — NFL Network

Saturday, August 26

Bills @ Bears, 1 p.m. — Local, NFL+
Seahawks @ Packers, 1 p.m. — Local, NFL+
Browns @ Chiefs, 1 p.m. — NFL Network
Cardinals @ Vikings, 1 p.m. — Local, NFL+
Jets @ Giants, 6 p.m. — NFL Network
Bengals @ Commanders, 6:05 p.m. — Local, NFL+
Ravens @ Buccaneers, 7 p.m. — Local, NFL+
Dolphins @ Jaguars, 7 p.m. — Local, NFL+
Raiders @ Cowboys, 8 p.m. — Local, NFL+
Rams @ Broncos, 9 p.m. — NFL Network

Sunday, August 27

Texans @ Saints, 8 p.m. — Fox