The NFL has officially announced the preseason schedule for this fall, and the Indianapolis Colts will play five preseason games rather than the normal four.
Here's the Colts' full 2016 preseason schedule (exact dates and times will be announced at a later date):
Hall of Fame game - vs. Green Bay Packers (Canton, Ohio) - Sunday, August 7, 2016 - 8:00 p.m. - ESPN
week 1 - at Buffalo Bills - August 11-15
week 2 - vs. Baltimore Ravens - August 18-22
week 3 - vs. Philadelphia Eagles - August 25-28
week 4 - at Cincinnati Bengals - September 1-2
We already knew that the Colts would play five games, as they will play in the Hall of Fame game against the Green Bay Packers a week earlier than all of the other teams begin their preseasons. The Colts will be there because of Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy going into the Hall of Fame, while the Packers have Brett Favre going into Canton. That will allow the Colts to begin training camp earlier, and it also means they will have an extra preseason game.
Just like normal, the last week of the preseason will feature a matchup between the Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. The starters don't typically play in that game (and they may not play in the Hall of Fame game either), but it's a chance for backups and players on the bubble to try to make one last impression. On the positive side of things, the third preseason game will be at home for the Colts (against the Eagles), meaning the fans should be able to see quite a bit of the starters. The only nationally televised preseason game for the Colts this year will be the Hall of Fame game, which will be broadcast on ESPN.
The preseason isn't the most exciting thing in the world, but at least it's football, and by the time the preseason rolls around we'll have been talking about training camp for a few weeks and then will be able to watch five games to see the Colts in action and begin to see what players may make an impact in 2016. The regular season schedule is expected to be announced later this month, but for now, at least we have the Colts' preseason schedule.