A few things for NFC West fans to know after the NFL announced its 2011 exhibition schedule:
The St. Louis Rams will join 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Marshall Faulk in Canton for the Hall of Fame game, which kicks off against the Chicago Bears at 8 p.m. on NBC.
The Rams have five exhibition games, one more than usual, because of their participation in the Hall of Fame Game.
The Seattle Seahawks visit the San Diego Chargers for their Thursday night opener, carried by ESPN and scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET.
The Arizona Cardinals are visiting Green Bay during the exhibition season for the first time since 1978. The teams played in Arizona during the 2009 exhibition season.
Kickoff times for nationally televised games have been announced. Kickoff times for other games are pending.
Teams are announcing general date ranges for their exhibition games. NFL.com initially listed specific dates, which I have reproduced in the chart below, but those fell under more general headings. For example, the Seahawks do not yet know whether their game against Denver will be played Aug. 26 or Aug. 27.
Asterisks denote dates that could change.