Dolphins preseason schedule set [Update 4]

The Dolphins just released their preseason schedule and it definitely has an NFC South feel to it.

Miami will host the Carolina Panthers while playing at New Orleans and Tampa Bay in the coming preseason. The Tampa Bay game will be telecast nationally on FOX.

The team will also host the Jacksonville Jaguars to round out the exhibition schedule.

Although some of the dates are yet to be set the time frame and venues for the games are set. They are:

Aug. 14-18 ... vs. Jacksonville at Dolphins Stadium.

Aug. 22-23 ... vs. Carolina at Dolphins Stadium.

Aug. 29 ... at Tampa Bay.

Sept. 3-4 ... at New Orleans. 

[Update: The dates listed above are directly from the Dolphins. The NFL has released a national television broadcast schedule that lists the Miami game at Tampa on Aug. 27, a Thursday. So I have called the Dolphins and am awaiting word on which is correct. My instinct is that the Dolphins are wrong.]

[Update 2: Dolphins made a mistake. The Tampa Bay game is Thursday, Aug. 27.]

[Update 3: The regular-season schedule should be out in two weeks or so. Expect the Dolphins to return to prime time for the first time since 2007 when they played a Monday night game at Pittsburgh. During the NFL annual meetings a couple of weeks ago, Mike Tirico, who does the play-by-play on Monday Night Football, dropped by during Tony Sparano's breakfast with the media. Someone said the Dolphins hadn't seen him (or a prime-time game) in a while and Tirico said, "I'm sure that will change this year." We'll see.]

[Update 4: For those of you remembering that Chad Henne is expected to get extended playing time in the coming preseason, I serve up this fact: Jacksonville's pass defense was 24th in the NFL last season. Carolina's pass defense was rated 16th, Tampa Bay's was fourth, and New Orleans' was 23rd.]