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Thursday, April 3
 
NFL releases official 2003 schedule
ESPN.com news services

Fifteen months ago Bill Parcells turned down a chance to coach the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Now, the Bucs are defending Super Bowl champions and Parcells has returned to coaching with the Dallas Cowboys. And both Parcells and the Bucs will be on the same field this season when the Cowboys come to town Oct. 26.

The Cowboys-Bucs is just one of several interesting matchups for Parcells during the 2003 NFL season. The league officially released its complete schedule Thursday.

Parcells also has matchups with all three of his former teams: the New York Giants, the New York Jets and the New England Patriots -- all on the road. The Cowboys play the Jets on Sept. 28 and the Patriots on Nov. 16.

Parcells' squad will play the divisional rival Giants on Monday Night Football (Sept. 15) and return 13 days later to play the Jets. The Cowboys also face the Giants again Dec. 21 at Texas Stadium.

Parcells led the Giants to a pair of Super Bowl championships. He also helped turn around the Patriots and the Jets and led New England to an AFC title.

Other highlights on this season's schedule:

  • Emmitt Smith will return to Dallas on Oct. 5, the first time he will face the Cowboys since joining the Arizona Cardinals. That game at Texas Stadium comes in the fifth week of the season.

    Smith, the NFL's career rushing leader, signed last week with the Cardinals. He was released by the Cowboys on Feb. 27 after 13 seasons in Dallas.

  • The Super Bowl champion Bucs open the season with a NFC championship game rematch against the Eagles in Philadelphia on Monday Night Football (Sept. 8). The Bucs beat the Eagles 27-10 at the Vet in last season's NFC title game and this will mark their sixth visit to the city since 1999, including three playoff games.

  • A rematch between the AFC finalists will also be on the Week 1 slate as the Raiders visit the Titans.

  • In addition to the Bucs-Eagles at Philadelphia's new park across the street from the old Veterans Stadium, Green Bay will play at renovated Lambeau Field on the opening Sunday, Sept. 7, against Minnesota. The Packers also will travel to Chicago for a Monday night game on Sept. 29, the first game to be played in the new Soldier Field by the Bears, who played last season in Champaign, Ill.

  • The Jets and Giants renew their rivalry Nov. 2. It is a home game for the Jets.

    The Jets and Washington Redskins launch the regular season with a Thursday night game on Sept. 4.

    Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.


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