The NFL released the preseason schedule for the Detroit Lions on Monday afternoon. To start the year off, head coach Jim Caldwell will face his former team, the Indianapolis Colts. Week 1 of the regular season ended well for the Lions last year against the Colts, maybe they can have similar results.
Lions preseason slate:
Week 1 at Indy (Aug 10-14)
Week 2 vs. Jets (Aug 17-21)
Week 3 vs. NE (Aug 24-27)
Week 4 at Buffalo (Aug 31- Sept 1)— Justin Rogers | Detroit News (@Justin_Rogers) April 10, 2017
The second week will be Lions fan’s first experience at Ford Field with the swanky new upgrades. Only two years removed from initiating the Ameer Abdullah hype train, the New York Jets return to witness the recently renovated stadium.
As previously rumored, the Lions will host the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in their dress rehearsal game.
It can be difficult to justify paying full price for a ticket to only see backup quality players, but almost three full quarters of starter action against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady seems reasonable. This could end up being the last time Brady makes it to Ford Field.
To cap it all off, the Lions will end their preseason action against the Buffalo Bills–a tradition that has been held since 2002. The fourth and final preseason game is riddled with practice squad players and undrafted free agents, but every so often, hidden gems can be unveiled. DE Kerry Hyder was a projected cut before the Bills game last year, only to register three sacks and secure himself a roster spot.
No firm dates or times have been set as to when the exhibition games will be played.
The regular season schedule is presumed to be announced sometime before months end. With all of the opponents already decided, it’s just a matter of determining when the games will take place. Outside of the Lions six divisional games, Detroit will play the entire NFC South and AFC North, along with the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
Preseason schedule release means we're one step closer to 🏈! pic.twitter.com/KznDcqZpVF
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) April 10, 2017
