The third NFL preseason game is typically the one that most resembles the regular season.
It will be a big test for the Detroit Lions who will face the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots between Aug. 24 and 27. The NFL announced the preseason schedule on Monday night. Exact times and days will be announced at a later time.
The Detroit Lions will open their preseason schedule on the road at the Indianapolis Colts Aug. 10-14. It will be the first time the two teams have met in the preseason since 2009. They have met 21 times in preseason contests.
The home preseason schedule opens Aug. 17-21 against the New York Jets. The Lions and Jets have met only six times in the preseason, with Detroit holding a 4-2-0 record.
Tom Brady and the Patriots will be the opponent in Week 3 at Ford Field. This marks the Lions’ third preseason meeting with New England in the last seven seasons (2011, 2013), with Detroit winning the most recent meeting 40-9 at Ford Field on Aug. 22, 2013. Amazingly, Detroit holds the preseason series edge 6-2-0.
Detroit will wrap up the preseason at the Buffalo Bills between Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. The preseason wouldn’t be complete for the Lions unless they met the Bills. It will be the 37th preseason meeting between the two. The Pistons won each of the last nine preseason contests, including a 31-0 win in 2016 at Ford Field.
The 2017 regular season schedule is expected to be released in the next week to 10 days.
The Lions already know their opponents.
At home they will play Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Arizona.
They will hit the road to Chicago, Green Bay, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Cincinnati.
The Lions will debut the new uniforms for 2017 at a season ticket holders’ event at Ford Field on Thursday night.
Official offseason workouts begin for the players on Monday, April 17.
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