The Lions Preseason Schedule Was Announced Wednesday.

The 2018 NFL season will kick off its month of exhibitions with the Hall of Fame Game featuring the Ravens and Bears in Canton, Ohio on Thursday, August 2. The Lions will start their preseason the following week. The Lions preseason schedule was announced as follows:

Week 1 – @ Oakland Raiders

It’s unusual to see a team take a long trip like this in the preseason but at least it’s coming early while the team is fresh. The first game of the preseason won’t see many starters playing more than a series or two so the long travel time should be handled with ease. On a side note, this will be new Raiders head coach Jon Gruden’s debut with his new/old team. It could be fun to see the coaching changes when combined with new Lions head coach Matt Patricia implementing his new schemes as well.

Week 2 – New York Giants

The home opener comes in week 2 against the Giants. New York will be showing off their own new head coach, Pat Shurmur. Expect to see the starters play a bit more in this one, but this game will be key for position battles taking place in the second and third tier of the roster.

Week 3 – August 24th, 8:00 pm @Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is the only game with an official date and time released. It’ll be a nationally televised contest against the Bucs under the Friday night lights at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The 3rd preseason game is usually the most relevant. The starters will see significant field time, some playing into the 3rd quarter. Watching Matthew Stafford run the updated offense that coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has tweaked should be exciting. Besides, nationally broadcasted games always feel a little special even in the preseason.

Week 4 – Cleveland Browns

The Lions preseason schedule rounds out with a home game against the still winless Browns. Don’t expect to see the starters dress for this one. Nobody wants an injury to pop up a week before the games start to count. Do pay attention to the battles taking place on the back end of the roster. This game will be the final decider for a lot of roster spots.

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