COWBOYS’ NEW STADIUM AND REX’S RETURN TO BALTIMORE HIGHLIGHT WEEK 2 OF NFL PRESEASON! - Ingles

It’s Week 2 of the NFL preseason and the schedule calls for five national TV games.

Among the highlights is the opening of the NFL’s new stadium – 80,000-seat Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

“Our focus for the stadium was creating the ultimate fan experience,” says Cowboys owner JERRY JONES. “With this stadium, more people will have the experience of what the Cowboys are and what our mystique is all about. The Cowboys have been about Dallas in the sense that it represents the idea of Texas, and it represents a larger-than-life idea. That’s the image we want for the stadium.”

The Cowboys will host the Tennessee Titans on Friday, August 21 (FOX, 8:00 PM ET) in the first NFL game played at the venue.

“It’s exciting,” says Dallas quarterback TONY ROMO. “As a team, we’re really looking forward to getting out there and playing in the new stadium. It means a lot to all of us. We’re going to try and make it special.”

The final game of Week 2 will be a homecoming for New York Jets rookie head coach REX RYAN when he leads his team into Baltimore to face the Ravens on Monday night (ESPN, 8:00 PM ET).

Ryan spent the past 10 years with the Ravens, including last year as the team’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

“Of course I feel extra special about this game,” says Ryan. “I was there for 10 years. I care dearly for that organization, but not nearly as much as I care about this one. This is my team.”

Ravens head coach JOHN HARBAUGH, who led the Ravens to the AFC Championship Game last year in his rookie season, believes that Ryan will succeed in New York.

“Rex isn’t just ready to be a head coach in this league, he’s ready to be a successful head coach,” says Harbaugh. “He has a knack for getting the most out of his players. He makes it interesting and fun for them, and they play hard for him.”

The game will also be a homecoming for defensive coordinator MIKE PETTINE as well as linebacker BART SCOTT, safety JIM LEONHARD and defensive end MARQUES DOUGLAS, three players signed by the Jets this offseason after playing for the Ravens last year.

Starting at quarterback for the Jets will be rookie MARK SANCHEZ, the club’s first-round draft pick and the fifth overall selection. In his NFL debut last week, Sanchez led the team to a touchdown on his only drive, completing three of four passes for 88 yards, including a 48-yarder on the first attempt of his career.

“He has earned the reps with the first-team,” says Ryan of his rookie QB. “The guy had to earn his reps, and he’s done that. Without question, he’s done that.”

The other three national TV games in Week 2 of the NFL preseason:
* PHILADELPHIA at INDIANAPOLIS
(Thursday, FOX, 8:00 PM ET): Two of the NFL’s most successful teams in the past 10 seasons will meet on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Since 1999, the Colts have a league-best .713 regular-season winning percentage (114-46) and the Eagles are fourth with a .609 mark (97-62-1). Indianapolis’ nine playoff berths are the most in the NFL during that span while Philadelphia ranks second with seven postseason appearances.

TEAM, WINS, LOSSES, TIES, PCT., PLAYOFF BERTHS
Indianapolis, 114, 46, 0, .713, 9
New England, 110, 50, 0, .688, 6
Pittsburgh, 100, 59, 1, .628, 6
Philadelphia, 97, 62, 1, .609, 7
Tennessee, 96, 64, 0, .600, 6

“Obviously, winning is important to us, and we want to win every time we take the field,” says Indianapolis first-year head coach JIM CALDWELL.

* PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON
(Saturday, NFLN, 7:30 PM ET): The defending Super Bowl champions will look to make it two wins in a row when they travel to Washington to face the Redskins on Saturday night.

The Steelers opened the preseason with a 20-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII. While head coach MIKE TOMLIN was pleased with the win, he knows there is still much work to be done for the Steelers to repeat as champions.

“We had some guys make plays and that was enough for us to win,” says Tomlin. “From that standpoint, it was good. But we are not going to pat ourselves on the back. We have a lot of work here in front of us, and we will continue to work hard to build for the 2009 season.”

For the Redskins, the game is expected to mark the debut of Pro Bowl defensive tackle ALBERT HAYNESWORTH, who signed with Washington after spending the first seven years of his career with the Tennessee Titans.

Joining Haynesworth on defense is rookie linebacker/defensive end BRIAN ORAKPO, the team’s first-round draft pick and the 13th overall selection. Orakpo saw action in the preseason opener and impressed his head coach.

“I think Brian Orakpo did a nice job running around,” says Redskins head coach JIM ZORN. “I thought he got a real good dose of the NFL and I think he’s going to be fine.”

* DENVER at SEATTLE
(Saturday, NFLN, 10:30 PM ET): This Saturday-night contest on NFL Network will feature two new head coaches – Denver’s JOSH MC DANIELS and Seattle’s JIM MORA.

Mora’s Seahawks earned a victory in his first game as the team’s head coach, defeating the San Diego Chargers 20-14.

“It was a good start for our football team,” says Mora. “There were a lot of good things and a lot of things we can build upon to get better.”

For Denver, the Broncos will look to rebound from last week’s one-point loss at San Francisco and give McDaniels his first NFL victory.

“I feel very confident in where we’re at,” says McDaniels.

One of the more interesting matchups of the game will feature two Pro Bowl veterans new to their teams – Seattle wide receiver T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH against Denver safety BRIAN DAWKINS.

WINNING IS A HABIT: The past 15 Super Bowl winners have a combined preseason record of 39-23 (.629) in their Super Bowl winning seasons.

Posted by Necesitamos Mas Football on 11:32 a. m.. Filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0