The Detroit Lions’ preseason schedule has been announced.

The preseason schedule has the Lions playing away at Pittsburgh, host Cincinnati at Ford Field, travel to Baltimore, then welcome the Buffalo Bills to town in week four.

The preseason is always an interesting time, fans get excited for the first game to see the Honolulu Blue boys back in action on the gridiron. However the preseason can lose its luster early and by the fourth game players, fans, and writers alike are pining away for some real football. It will be interesting to see which players can earn themselves a roster spot this year, the competition will range between some of the late free agency signings to undrafted guys who are brought in for camp. Last year Zach Zenner played his way onto the team with an impressive preseason performance and further increased his stock with some great showings early in the season.  The common notion that these games are pointless is largely untrue.

In week one, the Lions will most likely see Ben Roethlisberger for a series or two, and then play with the bench guys for the rest of the game. Marvin Jones and Wallace Gilberry will get a chance to face off against their old team in week two. Haloti Ngata and Jim Caldwell will get a homecoming of sorts when the team travels to Baltimore in week three. The annual preseason finale with a 3rd and 4th string showdown against the Bills will continue as the two teams have faced off in the final game of the preseason since 2002.

With the preseason schedule announced, look for the official times and dates for the Lions regular season schedule to be announced soon. They will play the AFC South, NFC East, the usual divisional opponents, the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints.