Bucs Play Patriots In Preseason The New York Giants weren't the only team to beat the New England Patriots last year. The Bucs did it, too. Tampa Bay handed the eventual AFC champions a 13-10 loss in their preseason opener in August, and a chance to make it two in a row against New England highlights the home portion of Bucs' 2008 preseason schedule. Set for Sunday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m., the Bucs-Patriots game will be the first home game of the preseason for Tampa Bay. It is scheduled to be carried nationally on the NFL Network and will mark the Bucs' NFL Network debut. The game against the Patriots follows the preseason opener against the Dolphins in Miami, which will be played on Saturday, Aug. 9 with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. The Bucs will conclude the home portion of their preseason schedule the week of August 21-25 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. For the seventh consecutive preseason, the Bucs will conclude their exhibition season with a game against the Houston Texans. That game is slated for Aug. 28 or 29. WFLA, Channel 8 will produce the preseason games against Miami, Jacksonville and Houston. However, with the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, being broadcast nightly by NBC from Aug. 8-24, the Miami and Jacksonville games probably will be telecast on another local channel. In 2004, when NBC was televising the Summer Games from Athens, Greece, the Bucs preseason games were broadcast on WMOR, Channel 32. The regular-season schedule is expected to be released in the next two weeks. Roy Cummings, The Tampa Tribune 4 April 2008