Getting Inside

Dwyane Wade continues to insist he's 100 percent recovered from the left knee and left shoulder problems that have slowed him the past two seasons, and pre-Olympic evidence supports his case.

Wade has sliced and diced international opponents in the pre-Olympic games. His explosion is there. The first step is back. The crossover is lethal once again. And the step-back jumper he perfected during the Heat's championship season of 2006 is an offensive weapon once again.

"I look forward to every day to see how it's going to respond," Wade said, "and it's been responding well so I'm just trying to get in the best shape I can."

Wade, who comes off the bench for Team USA, has averaged about 15 points per game per game and has been a shining star in the American Olympic effort.

Of course, this doesn't mean Wade's body will hold up through the rigors of the six-month NBA season. That won't be known until the All-Star break, or even after the entire season. But it's a good sign that Wade hasn't had any problems from the month-long Olympic effort to this point.

Notes, Quotes

a€¢ G Dwyane Wade said he'd be "playing angry for a lot of different reasons" this season. He said he's healthy and he's "not into proving it anymore."

a€¢ The Heat signed G/F Yakhouba Diawara, who spent the past two seasons with Denver. Last year, he played in 54 games with the Nuggets, starting--, averaging 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10 minutes per game.

a€¢ The Heat is off on Christmas Day this season for the first time since 2004-05, when it acquired C Shaquille O'Neal. Miami has 19 sets of back-to-backs on its 2008-09 schedule, two fewer than last season. O'Neal, who had unflattering things to say about Heat president Pat Riley, the team training staff and a couple of players, visits Miami on March 4.

Quote To Note: "I think this year we're really going to live the experience."a€"G Dwyane Wade, on both himself and his fellow Olympic basketball players seeing more Olympic events this year than they did in 2004.

Roster Report

Draft Picks:

Michael Beasley, F, 6-8, Kansas Statea€"The second overall pick is a superb talent, possibly the most talented player in the draft. He should make a big contribution.

Mario Chalmers, G, 6-1, Kansasa€"Nice player acquired in draft-night trade with Minnesota. He should contend for minutes at backup point guard. Not likely to enter the season as the starter, but a solid addition.

Biggest Needs: Miami has to get a point guard and a center. And more specifically at center, Miami needs someone who can rebound and defend the rim. Most likely the Heat has to go the free agent route at both positions. But there are trade possibilities with F Shawn Marion, who is in the final year of his $17.8 million contract. Heat president Pat Riley continues to insist Marion will be on the team for training camp, and that Miami will try to negotiate and extension.

Free Agent Focus: Miami still seeks a starting point guard and starting center. But everything could depend on what the Heat does with F Shawn Marion. He's attractive trade bait to acquire a pair of quality players. But he's also a uniquely talented player who could help Miami tremendously. The problem is there's not much of a future for Marion in Miami because of his desire for a contract extension.

"We made him what we felt was a very good offer," Heat president Pat Riley said, "and we never got an offer back."

Depth seems to be OK for now, although a seasoned veteran or two could be needed. It appears F Dorell Wright and G Chris Quinn will return to provide depth at small forward and point guard. G Marcus Banks also provides depth at point guard, as does rookie G Mario Chalmers.

Miami has to decide if it wants to offer swingman Ricky Davis a contract. He'd add excellent depth, too. G Daequan Cook offers depth at shooting guard, although Davis is the better choice the way the roster stands now.

If Miami finds a starting center it has veteran Mark Blount as a backup, which is good. And if the roster stays in its current form, either Michael Beasley or Udonis Haslem could come off the bench, providing even more depth.

And C Alonzo Mourning is still trying to rehabilitate his serious knee injury.

Player Notes:

a€¢ G Jason Williams signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

a€¢ F Michael Beasley has been busy traveling around the nation recently. He hasn't signed an endorsement deal with an athletic company yet (hence the traveling) and said he isn't in a rush to do so.

a€¢ F Dorell Wright's return remains unknown. Wright, a restricted free agent, has drawn moderate interest. The Heat has tendered an offer.

a€¢ G Chris Quinn, an unrestricted free agent, has had a few offers but his return to Miami isn't certain. Quinn is a restricted free agent who has been tendered an offer by the Heat.

Getting Inside

Dwyane Wade continues to insist he's 100 percent recovered from the left knee and left shoulder problems that have slowed him the past two seasons, and pre-Olympic evidence supports his case.

Wade has sliced and diced international opponents in the pre-Olympic games. His explosion is there. The first step is back. The crossover is lethal once again. And the step-back jumper he perfected during the Heat's championship season of 2006 is an offensive weapon once again.

"I look forward to every day to see how it's going to respond," Wade said, "and it's been responding well so I'm just trying to get in the best shape I can."

Wade, who comes off the bench for Team USA, has averaged about 15 points per game per game and has been a shining star in the American Olympic effort.

Of course, this doesn't mean Wade's body will hold up through the rigors of the six-month NBA season. That won't be known until the All-Star break, or even after the entire season. But it's a good sign that Wade hasn't had any problems from the month-long Olympic effort to this point.

Notes, Quotes

a€¢ G Dwyane Wade said he'd be "playing angry for a lot of different reasons" this season. He said he's healthy and he's "not into proving it anymore."

a€¢ The Heat signed G/F Yakhouba Diawara, who spent the past two seasons with Denver. Last year, he played in 54 games with the Nuggets, starting--, averaging 2.8 points and 1.1 rebounds in 10 minutes per game.

a€¢ The Heat is off on Christmas Day this season for the first time since 2004-05, when it acquired C Shaquille O'Neal. Miami has 19 sets of back-to-backs on its 2008-09 schedule, two fewer than last season. O'Neal, who had unflattering things to say about Heat president Pat Riley, the team training staff and a couple of players, visits Miami on March 4.

Quote To Note: "I think this year we're really going to live the experience."a€"G Dwyane Wade, on both himself and his fellow Olympic basketball players seeing more Olympic events this year than they did in 2004.

Roster Report

Draft Picks:

Michael Beasley, F, 6-8, Kansas Statea€"The second overall pick is a superb talent, possibly the most talented player in the draft. He should make a big contribution.

Mario Chalmers, G, 6-1, Kansasa€"Nice player acquired in draft-night trade with Minnesota. He should contend for minutes at backup point guard. Not likely to enter the season as the starter, but a solid addition.

Biggest Needs: Miami has to get a point guard and a center. And more specifically at center, Miami needs someone who can rebound and defend the rim. Most likely the Heat has to go the free agent route at both positions. But there are trade possibilities with F Shawn Marion, who is in the final year of his $17.8 million contract. Heat president Pat Riley continues to insist Marion will be on the team for training camp, and that Miami will try to negotiate and extension.

Free Agent Focus: Miami still seeks a starting point guard and starting center. But everything could depend on what the Heat does with F Shawn Marion. He's attractive trade bait to acquire a pair of quality players. But he's also a uniquely talented player who could help Miami tremendously. The problem is there's not much of a future for Marion in Miami because of his desire for a contract extension.

"We made him what we felt was a very good offer," Heat president Pat Riley said, "and we never got an offer back."

Depth seems to be OK for now, although a seasoned veteran or two could be needed. It appears F Dorell Wright and G Chris Quinn will return to provide depth at small forward and point guard. G Marcus Banks also provides depth at point guard, as does rookie G Mario Chalmers.

Miami has to decide if it wants to offer swingman Ricky Davis a contract. He'd add excellent depth, too. G Daequan Cook offers depth at shooting guard, although Davis is the better choice the way the roster stands now.

If Miami finds a starting center it has veteran Mark Blount as a backup, which is good. And if the roster stays in its current form, either Michael Beasley or Udonis Haslem could come off the bench, providing even more depth.

And C Alonzo Mourning is still trying to rehabilitate his serious knee injury.

Player Notes:

a€¢ G Jason Williams signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.

a€¢ F Michael Beasley has been busy traveling around the nation recently. He hasn't signed an endorsement deal with an athletic company yet (hence the traveling) and said he isn't in a rush to do so.

a€¢ F Dorell Wright's return remains unknown. Wright, a restricted free agent, has drawn moderate interest. The Heat has tendered an offer.

a€¢ G Chris Quinn, an unrestricted free agent, has had a few offers but his return to Miami isn't certain. Quinn is a restricted free agent who has been tendered an offer by the Heat.

ATLANTA (AP)a€"Josh Smith will remain with the Hawks after Atlanta quickly matched an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.

"Tonight, the Hawks organization received an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies for Josh Smith," Atlanta general manager Rick Sund said in a statement. "We are happy to announce that we will match their offer sheet.

"Ownership, management and the team are happy to have Josh return as a member of the Hawks."

Terms were not immediately disclosed.

The Grizzlies announced earlier in the day that Smith, a restricted free agent, had signed the offer sheet. The Hawks had seven days to match the offer.

The Hawks drafted the 6-foot-9, 235-pound Smith out of high school in the first round in 2004.

Smith averaged 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in helping the Hawks make the playoffs last season.

BEIJING a€" Four years later, Nike is running periodic infomercials on the NBA's house network called the "The Road to Redemption," a superficial look into the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team that's so full of propaganda that even the Chinese government blushes upon watching it. There's Kobe Bryant lifting his kids into the air and Team USA circling the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor and Mike Krzyzewski confessing to Jerry Colangelo in a private moment that, "I'm really excited."

The scenes seemed so stiff and staged a€" a source of summer laughter for NBA executives and agents watching throughout the league a€" but everyone understands the power of the shoe company and accepts it as a necessary return on the hundreds of millions of dollars that is sunk into USA Basketball, its coach and rosters.

Because of the damage done at the 2004 Athens Games, the packagers of American basketball a€" from USA Basketball to the NBA to Nike a€" have had to go to such lengths to re-brand and restore its national team product. For the specter of America's downward spiral in international basketball four years ago still hangs heavy over these Beijing games, which start for the U.S. against China on Sunday.

So much of the trouble goes back to former coach Larry Brown's behavior in public and private in Athens, a situation exasperated by the leadership vacuum created under his wayward watch. He picked fights with his players and tried to send players home before the Olympics, and when everyone wanted to believe that all the problems belonged to an admittedly sizable representation of knuckleheads on his roster, just remember that the most model pro of all, Tim Duncan, left the games with disdain for Brown.

From the moment Team USA was blown out of its opening game against Puerto Rico, Brown worked hard to distance himself from the evolving disaster, crafting concession speeches and exit strategies for his legacy. That wasn't the best team that the U.S. could've sent, but with Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O'Neal bailing within months of the 2004 games, the players did consist of the willing a€" if not the elite a€" of American basketball.

At the time, Brown was asked about shortening his bench and using fewer players, and said, "Other teams accept it a lot better than our team would."

And the process of picking his roster? "We've got to be really careful when selecting our team. To find role players in our environment is the way to go, but not the way we've been making teams."

His players' commitment? "We're trying to entertain sometimes rather than play."

Poor shot selection? "I think that was the first comment I made (to the team) without trying to be offensive."

All the way through, Brown was offensive to everyone. No one was spared his destructive scape-goating and revisionist history about his own role in selecting the team. It turned into some unseemly scene for the Americans, who were housed on a boat in Athens that became notorious for its partying. Once Brown tossed that white flag into the air, sold out Team USA and its players, the message had been unmistakable to them: It's every man for himself. By the time NBA commissioner David Stern arrived in Greece and used an impromptu halftime news conference to rip back at Brown, it was far too late.

If nothing else, Krzyzewski gives the Americans an accountable leader, a steady, sure voice, even if his ability to navigate this team under duress in the most rugged international bracket ever seen is still suspect. His inability to make adjustments and defend Greece's pick-and-roll two years ago in that world championship loss still leaves some suspicious about his experience to match 'X's and 'O's with in an extremely different international game.

Nevertheless, Krzyzewski has benefited from two full years of preparation time and training camps. Most of all, Colangelo provided him an upgraded roster. Team USA couldn't have competed here without it. Spain has its best team ever, and as long Manu Ginobili's ankle can return to its pre- San Antonio Spurs playoff form, the defending Olympic champion, Argentina, is still a monumental threat. The Greeks and Russians have puncher's chances, too.

Remember this: To compete with the U.S., you had better rebound and control tempo. Even in an exhibition loss to the Americans with a limited cast of players, the defending European champion Russians showed that they have toughness and discipline to do so. With American exile coach, David Blatt, an old Pete Carril Princeton point guard, Russia held Team USA to 89 points.

Yes, the U.S. deserves to be the favorite for the fact that Bryant is playing, and James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony are four years older. What's more, the guard play is so much better with Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Jason Kidd. As the Americans prepared to arrive at the Olympics four years later, Wade remembered back to '04 and confessed, "Know what it felt like? How it feels when you wake up late to go somewhere, and you have to run out the front door and you know you've forgotten something. You're rushed, and you're racing to get there. a€¦ That's how it was for us. I didn't see it so much then, but I really do now."

The NBA wouldn't have dared thrust a camera crew on that American team in Athens, even with something as sanitized as the infomercial that Team USA's sugar daddy, Nike, is spoon-feeding on state-run television now. So humiliating was that distant third-place finish, so miserable the time there, Wade swears he has no idea what's become of his bronze medal.

"The last thing I remember was packing it in a bag," he said.

As far as he knows, it's never been seen again. "That's not the one I want," Wade added.

So, here come the Americans on this jagged road to redemption but finally there's no more editing out the embarrassing and unseemly and true moments. From here on, the world gets to see it all.

On how the Eagles got a home game on Thanksgiving Day:

"It's really all driven by the league. When you have an unusual date, they usually call just to make sure there's no security concern or any logistical problems or other events. We didn't know who we were playing, but they did call us not too long ago to give us a heads up in case there was anything for us to alert them to. It's neat and exciting. We were actually thrilled."

On whether the league gives the team any say on the schedule:

"They don't really give you permission to say 'yes' or 'no.' They ask, 'Are there any other conflicts? Are you worried about workers for the stadium or security?' There's a short list of logistical type questions, but they don't really give you a choice. We didn't even try [to object], we thought it was neat and that we'd love to do that."

On the recent disputes between Comcast and NFL Network and whether it would have any local impact:

"Every game will be covered by a local, over-the-air network. We're here in the city of Comcast's headquarters and we're part of the NFL. Both sides will have to figure out a way to resolve it, but that's really a matter for the higher levels."

On what it means for this team to have five primetime games:

"I think it speaks to the passion that exists, not just locally, but even nationally about the team. I think it also reflects a degree of optimism about the quality of the team. We love the opportunity to play in primetime. It's fun and it's exciting to be able to showcase ourselves and I think the fans think there's a little extra thrill about it so we're pleased that the schedule turned out that way."

On what it means to have a home opener for the first time since 2004:

"You like to get off to a good start, and obviously everybody, in every sport, likes their win-loss record better at home than away. You also like to feed off of the local excitement that surrounds the beginning of the season, so to finally have our fans excited and be able to come here and see the game, that's a good thing."

On whether teams can make any requests about the schedule:

"You fill out a form, but you really wonder how much it's getting read. We do put some requests in. For instance, we requested that we not be home the weekend of the Army-Navy game. Some years they've been able to honor that, some years they haven't. We try to create separation for the Temple schedule so we don't put too much wear and tear on the field. We try to have a schedule that reflects, if the Phillies were to make the playoffs in October, that, even though they can't eliminate the overlap, they try to minimize it. There's a series of things that we do put on this request sheet, but with 32 teams and trying to satisfy the networks and the teams and trying to keep teams from spending more than two games away from home, that's really what drives it. But, you do fill out a form for those kinds of requests."

On whether the league accommodated the Eagles requests this year:

"We don't like to play more than two games in a row on the road and we don't have that. We don't want to be home during the Army-Navy game, they took care of that. We did, this year, request to have a home game to open the season. We do put those requests in and some of them turn out."

On whether he thinks that the 2008 schedule is a favorable one:

"I think there are subtleties in the schedule that, once you get into the season, actually do matter in terms of who you're playing. Last year, I remember feeling pretty good about the schedule and we opened with Green Bay and people were thinking 'that's a good opener' for a good startâ€"we actually thought that Green Bay was better than people realizedâ€"but it's a mix of things. We like to have the bye as far into the season as we can and we do like to have a break after a long trip like [San Francisco]. By having a Thanksgiving Day game, we'll actually have ten days before the game after that, which is the Giants game. So, there are a couple things in there that, in a subtle way, we're glad to see."

On what the atmosphere is like around the team right now:

"Everybody's excited. You've probably heard this, but the players were frustrated about the way last year went. I think we've made a few moves this offseason and I think people think they have something to prove and are excited to get going. I'm excited to see what else we can do to make the team better. I think there's a lot of determination and a lot of optimism."

On whether he and head coach Andy Reid have talked to discuss the schedule:

"Yeah we've talked, but you know who the 16 teams are [that you're playing]. But, there are, as I've said, a few subtleties that sometimes really come forward, like having two west coast trips can be challenging, especially if they're close together with no bye. He also thought it was neat to be playing at home on Thanksgiving, so we're both fired up."

On whether he tries to predict wins and losses when the schedule comes out:

(Jokingly) "I will deny it. I don't think you can do this and keep from doing that."

On whether he thinks the city will get excited for the Thanksgiving game:

"I think when people see it, they'll be fired up about it. It will fit perfectly. People will have their Thanksgiving dinner around one o'clock or four o'clock, and then a lot of people will head down to the game and a lot will be together with their families and watch the game. I just think it will be a great day."

On whether there's more pressure on this upcoming draft than usual:

"No, I think that any draft is exciting because you're picking guys that you like. Right or wrong, at the time of the draft, you feel like you've made yourself a better team. That's exciting. Obviously, we feel like we've made some moves and feel like we're a team that was talented last year and didn't live up to our expectations. If that's true, which we think it is, then we've made some moves and hopefully can get some contributors in the draft. It's exciting and you're always looking to do anything you can. Whether it's one more guy for special teams, or a starter that can make a difference, or whatever it's going to be. If you're in this long enough, you realize how subtle the difference is in any given game over the course of the year for the best teams. You realize that any little incremental improvement to the team can make the difference."

On whether he expects to trade CB Lito Sheppard by draft weekend:

"We're going to have to see what happens with that. There is interest in him and we'll just have to make a determination as to whether the best thing for the team is to move him or bring him back. Obviously, to this point, we've decided the best thing to do is keep him."

On whether there is a lot of interest from other teams for Sheppard:

"There's a lot. You don't see many 26-year-old Pro Bowl players who there is even a possibility of acquiring. If you look at the history of player trades, you'll see a very short list of players that age, that caliber of player, that kind of character. There is significant interest, but the reason there is interest is because he's a good player, which is a compelling reason, also, to keep him. We'll just have to weigh the options of keeping him or whatever else is available, and in the end [head coach] Andy [Reid] will make a decision as to which he thinks is better."

On whether he expects to be aggressive on draft day based on the amount of picks the team has:

"We're open to being aggressive. Certainly we've had some conspicuous trades up, and even used some significant ammunition to trade up. We've also traded down. It's really all going to depend on how the draft falls. Frankly, right now that is a wild guess. Anybody running these mock drafts, the teams don't even really know yet, or have decided who they are going to pick. But, between now and the draft, you'll have a pretty good guess. You'll see that if there is a guy you really like and he's within range, you'll go and get him. On the other hand, if you get to your pick and there is a group of guys you still feel really good about, you may try to pick up some extra picks. It really depends much more on how the draft goes in front of you than it does on your own grades."

On the new draft charts that have been circulating:

"There is a chart circulating through a group of teams that is a revised chart. We've actually seen it, and think it makes a lot more sense. It really just changes the first round, because that's really where the dynamic has changed dramatically, in terms of the points. We looked at it and thought it made a lot of sense and was much more reflective of the current realities. My sense is there are a group of teams it is being circulated to, and I've actually heard from a couple [teams] who also think it makes a lot of sense. In the course of the next week, you could see kind of a new chart that people are working off, or some teams are working off."



On whether there is ever an official chart:

"No. You could have teams during the draft kind of working off of different charts, so there is a transition. I don't think you'll get many trades done if you're on a different [chart]. The chart has never been precise; it's really a guideline. Rarely do the points come out exactly [equal]. It gives you a reasonable parameter. There is no question that the dynamic of the first round has changed very dramatically. There is no question, in my mind at least, that the old system is no longer applicable for trades in the first round. The question is, do we have a viable replacement about which is a consensus that it makes sense?"

On how the draft chart comes about:

"Different teams work on their own version of it. Originally, I believe it was Dallas when Jimmy Johnson was there that produced the first version. Teams work on their own version of what they think makes sense. Then you make calls to buddies that you respect who work for other teams and say, 'We kind of worked this up, why don't you look at it and see what you think?' They may like this or critique that and then they share with two more teams that they kind of know. Pretty soon it's a half a dozen teams looking at the same chart and kind of developing a bit of a consensus, if that makes any sense. I don't think there's anybody who could intelligently argue that you don't have to [use a new chart]. Even if you work off the old chart, but kind of adjust it in your head, the old chart does not make sense anymore with the economics of the guaranteed money in the first round."

The NFL officially released its schedule for the entire 2008 NFL season Tuesday. Below is a complete schedule of games for November and the opening day of December.

All Times Eastern

WEEK 9

Sunday, Nov. 2

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Houston Texans at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams, 1 p.m.

Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.

Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m.

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants, 4:15 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks, 4:15 p.m.

Atlanta Falcons at Oakland Raiders, 4:15 p.m.

New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts, 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 3

Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins, 8:30 p.m.

WEEK 10

Thursday, Nov. 6

Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 9

Tennessee Titans at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.

St. Louis Rams at New York Jets, 1 p.m.

Carolina Panthers at Oakland Raiders, 4:05 p.m.

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:15 p.m.

Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers, 4:15 p.m.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 10

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals, 8:15 p.m.

WEEK 11

Thursday, Nov. 13

New York Jets at New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 16

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.

Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants, 1 p.m.

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.

New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.

St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers, 4:05 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m.

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers, 4:15 p.m.

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins, 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 17

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills, 8:15 p.m.

WEEK 12

Thursday, Nov. 20

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 23

Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m.

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.

New York Jets at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.

Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams, 1 p.m.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m.

New York Giants at Arizona Cardinals, 4:15 p.m.

Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks, 4:15 p.m.

Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 24

Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints 8:30 p.m

WEEK 13

Thursday, Nov. 27

Tennessee Titans at Detroit Lions, 12:30 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys, 4:15 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 30

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Denver Broncos at New York Jets, 1 p.m.

Miami Dolphins at St. Louis Rams, 1 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.

New York Giants at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m.

Atlanta Falcons at San Diego Chargers, 4:05 p.m.

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders, 4:15 p.m.

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings, 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 31

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans, 8:30

WEEK 14

Thursday, Dec. 4

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 7

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (Toronto), 1 p.m.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears, 1 p.m.

Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.

Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants, 1 p.m.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m.

New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers, 4:05 p.m.

Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15 p.m.

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals, 4:15 p.m.

New England Patriots at Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 8

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers, 8:30 p.m.

* Sunday night games in Weeks 11-16 subject to change

WEEK 15

Thursday, Dec. 11

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 14

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.

Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, 1 p.m.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.

Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams, 1 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals, 4:05 p.m.

New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders, 4:15 p.m.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 15

Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles, 8:30 p.m.

* Sunday night games in Weeks 11-16 subject to change

WEEK 16

Thursday, Dec. 18

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:15 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20

Baltimore Ravens at Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 21

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns, 1 p.m.

Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos, 1 p.m.

Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m.

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins, 1 p.m.

Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions, 1 p.m.

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.

Carolina Panthers at New York Giants, 1 p.m.

San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams, 1 p.m.

New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m.

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders, 4:05 p.m.

San Diego Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 22

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, 8:30 p.m.

* Sunday night games in Weeks 11-16 subject to change

WEEK 17

Sunday, Dec. 28

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.

Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m.

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets, 1 p.m.

Oakland Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m.

Dec. 28 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m.

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m.

Chicago Bears at Houston Texans, 1 p.m.

St. Louis Rams at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m.

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m.

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers, 4:15 p.m.

Washington Redskins at San Francisco 49ers, 4:15 p.m.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals, 4:15 p.m.

* Sunday night game TBD

The NFL officially released its schedule for the entire 2008 NFL season Tuesday. The campaign opens with the Super Bowl XLII champion Giants playing host to NFC East rivals, the Redskins, on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7:15 on NBC. Below is a complete schedule of games for the opening month of the season.

All Times Eastern

WEEK 1

Thursday, Sept. 4

Washington Redskins at New York Giants, 7 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 7

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m.

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots, 1 p.m.

Houston Texans at