Over the last several years, the NFL’s preseason has seen quite a bit of change. Most teams now only play three exhibition games prior to the regular season, and the prevalence of joint practices have forced the actual games between clubs to take even more of a backseat than in years past.
For the Detroit Lions, their first test of the season will come next week, when the New York Giants arrive in Metro Detroit. They will hold two joint practices against the Giants—one on Tuesday, August 8 (exclusive to Lions Loyal members), and another on Wednesday, August 9, before they wrap the week of competition up with their first preseason tilt of the year on Friday, August 11 at Ford Field.