NFL preseason schedule 2016: All 3 games on national TV Sunday

The third week of the NFL preseason is almost at an end, which means real football is only a couple of weeks away. The fourth week of the preseason is usually when established starters sit, but the third week is when we can see them in action before the regular season. Most head coaches try to have starting battles settled by the end of the third preseason game, and we should see a few of those spots settled on Sunday.

All three games on Sunday will be broadcast nationally, starting with the game between the San Diego Chargers and Minnesota Vikings on Fox at 1 p.m. ET. After that, the Arizona Cardinals vs. Houston Texans game will air at 4:25 p.m., also on Fox. Finally, NBC will close out the day and week with a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars beginning at 8 p.m.

Live streams of all games will be available via NFL Game Pass.

Every single game in the fourth week of the preseason will take place on Thursday, Sept. 1. There won’t be a ton worth watching then, so this is the last time to catch some meaningful football before the regular season starts on Sept. 8. Below is all the information you need to watch.

San Diego Chargers at Minnesota Vikings
1 p.m. ET
Fox

This will be the first time the Vikings play in their shiny new stadium, which is probably the most interesting thing about this game. Despite earlier hints and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer refusing to tip his hand either way, Adrian Peterson won’t play during the preseason. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is expected to return to the field, though. Last week, he sat out due to a sore shoulder The Chargers will likely play some starters, and it could be a chance for second-year running back Melvin Gordon to show he’s ready to bounce back from a rocky rookie season.

Watchability -- 6/10: New stadiums are neat, right?

Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans
4 p.m. ET
Fox

It’s unclear how much Carson Palmer will play, if at all. The Cardinals want to play some starters, but Bruce Arians has surely seen Jadeveon Clowney completely annihilate the New Orleans Saints’ quarterbacks last week. Palmer’s biggest concern is his health and the guys blocking for him. Will they let Clowney anywhere near Palmer? That’s the biggest question of this game.

Watchability -- 7/10: The Cardinals are always worth watching, even in the preseason. And is this the year Clowney really establishes himself?

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars
8 p.m. ET
NBC

Bengals rookie receiver Tyler Boyd has been coming on strong of late, while free agent Brandon LaFell is set to make his preseason debut with the Bengals. LaFell is penciled in as the No. 2 receiver, but if he doesn’t catch a few passes from Andy Dalton while the starters are on the field, it’s possible that Boyd could unseat him and earn a starting role right out of the gate. The big question for the Jaguars going into this game is how Kelvin Beachum will look. He’s going to be making a start at left tackle after a torn ACL last season. The Jaguars are trying to figure out their best offensive line makeup and this game will likely set it in stone.

Watchability -- 6/10: One good team with some exciting players and another could-be good team. This might be a decent game for the preseason!