Detroit Lions: Top Position Battles to Watch in Preseason Week One
By Bob Heyrman
The Detroit Lions open their four-game preseason schedule tonight as they host the New England Patriots. Ford Field is sure to be buzzing tonight; football is back!
While preseason football doesn’t really excite the casual fans; it’s still football. It’s a chance for the diehard fans to get a look at the rookies and backup players. If we are lucky Detroit Lions starting quarterback Matthew Stafford will play one series as he tries grasp the new offense. But because it’s only week one of a lengthy four-game schedule he might be found on the sideline with a backwards hat coaching up his back-ups Tom Savage and David Fales.
If you are rushing to downtown Detroit to catch a glimpse of the ‘goat’ Tom Brady tonight; you are setting yourself up for a major disappointment. Brady is not expected to play but against the new approach teams’ are taking of not playing their stars a lick in the preseason Tom usually plays the third preseason game. I’ve seen staters play more in the fourth game which never used to be the case, but it leads right into the first game of the year so I understand the logic rather than playing a tonne in the third game.
There are a few battles to watch tonight in Ford Field that will keep things interesting. I mean, it’s essentially a live practice but with full contact. We will get to see the backups compete for a roster spot and we will watch third-string players try to elevate themselves to the second string.
In this piece, we take a look at a few ‘bubble’ players to keep tabs on tonight. Whether they are trying to make the roster or remain a starter; they need to impress the coaching staff if they have any hope of staying around when the games start to count.