Why the final preseason game is so important

Don't try and tell Detroit Lions wide receiver Jace Billingsley the last preseason game is meaningless.

Pat O’Connor, Detroit’s seventh-round draft pick, doesn’t want to hear it either.

Kerry Hyder Jr. might just laugh if you try telling him that the fourth and final preseason game doesn’t mean much.

While Lions fans might already have their eye on Detroit’s regular season kickoff Sept. 11 vs. Arizona, for players like Billingsley and O’Connor, the last preseason game is one final opportunity to stake their claim for inclusion on the 53-man roster.

“I think this game means a lot,” said veteran safety Glover Quin, whose roster spot is secure and isn’t likely to play Thursday. “I think every year…