New York, NY (My Sportsbook) - The NFL announced its 17-week, 256-game regular season schedule for 2003 on Thursday and it features the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting the campaign on Monday night, September 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles at the new Lincoln Financial Field. That will be a rematch of the NFC Championship Game.

Just like the 2002 season, this year's schedule will also begin in prime time on a Thursday night with the Washington Redskins hosting the New York Jets on September 4.

The two prime time games of Kickoff Weekend will feature both participants from Super Bowl XXXVII, as the Oakland Raiders play on the road against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday night, in a rematch of the AFC Championship contest.

There are several interesting matchups and sub-plots going into the 2003 season. Bill Parcells, the new coach of the Dallas Cowboys, will meet the team he snubbed for a contract - the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - on Sunday, October 26th at Raymond James Stadium.

Parcells' Cowboys will have matchups against the three former teams he coached for and all of those games will be on the road. Dallas plays on Monday night, for and all of those games will be on the road. Dallas plays on Monday night, September 15th against the Giants. Following a bye week, the Cowboys will go right back to East Rutherford for a matchup against the New York Jets. then on Sunday night, November 16th Parcells' team will play on the road against the New England Patriots.

Parcells coached the Giants from 1983-90, winning a pair of Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990, and also coached the Jets three years from 1997-99. He also coached in New England from 1993-96, taking the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his last season.

Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher who was signed to a two-year contract with Arizona last week, makes his return to Texas Stadium on Sunday, October 5th. He was released by the Cowboys February 27th.

In 13 NFL seasons, all with Dallas, Smith has garnered four rushing titles, three Super Bowl rings, eight Pro Bowl selections, one league most valuable player award and a Super Bowl MVP.

The 17-week schedule also has three games on the final two Saturdays of the season. On December 20, Atlanta plays at Tampa Bay, Kansas City visits Minnesota, and the Jets host the Patriots. The following Saturday, New England hosts Buffalo, the San Francisco 49ers welcome the Seattle Seahawks, and the Redskins play at home against the Eagles.

The Bears, who played last season in Champaign, will be welcomed back to the new Soldier Field on Monday night, September 29 against the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers, who will play this year at a renovated Lambeau Field, have their first home game September 7 against Minnesota.

The Thanksgiving Day games will have Detroit hosting Green Bay and Miami playing at Dallas.

The playoffs begin the weekend of January 3-4 and the postseason will conclude with Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium in Houston on February 1. There will be a major difference in the postseason schedule as the AFC and NFC Championship Games will take place on January 18, leaving a two-week break before the Super Bowl.