Colts vs. Redskins in '08 HOF Game

The National Football League will kick off the 2008 preseason on Sunday, August 3, in Canton, Ohio, when the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins meet in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. The game, scheduled for an 8:00 PM ET start, will be televised nationally on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Pro Bowlers Peyton Manning and Chris Cooley will square off in the 2008 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.

The Hall of Fame Game, played the day after the induction of the Hall’s newest class of enshrinees, caps a multi-day festival in Canton. The Class of 2008 – defensive end Fred Dean, cornerback Darrell Green, wide receiver Art Monk, cornerback Emmitt Thomas, linebacker Andre Tippett, and tackle Gary Zimmerman – will be formally enshrined during a ceremony held the night before the game.

The Redskins bring a perfect 4-0 Hall of Fame Game record to Canton next summer while the Colts are 2-1 in their three appearances in the preseason series.

For the second straight time, Washington will debut a new coach in Canton. Jim Zorn was named the team's new head coach yesterday.  Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, who retired after this past season, had made his return to the sidelines in the Redskins’ 20-17 win over the Denver Broncos in the 2004 Hall of Fame Game.

Washington’s other victories in the Hall of Fame Game came against the Detroit Lions (1965), Cincinnati Bengals (1975), and the Buffalo Bills (1989).

The Colts’ last visit to Canton resulted in a 10-3 win over the New Orleans Saints in 1996. The Colts beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1964 and lost to the Minnesota Vikings in 1982.

A ticket policy for the game will be announced in April.

 

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Related Stories:

 Hall of Fame Game results, 1962-2007

 Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium

 HOF Game Records: Individual | Team

 Team websites: Colts | Redskins