2019 NFL schedule: Detroit Lions preseason schedule, opponents

The NFL preseason is about four months away, and on Tuesday, the league announced the schedule and opponents for the exhibition season.

Things will kick off with the Denver Broncos facing off against the Atlanta Falcons for the 2019 Hall of Fame Game on August 1.

As for the Detroit Lions, they will kick things off against the New England Patriots

Here’s a look at the Lions’ complete preseason schedule (dates are not set yet unless otherwise noted)

Week 1: vs. Patriots
Week 2: at Texans
Week 3: vs. Bills* (Friday, Aug. 23rd—8 p.m.)
Week 4: at Browns

*Nationally televised

There are a few interesting notes here. First, the Lions facing off against the Patriots in the preseason is no surprise. There were some early rumors that the Lions and Patriots were trying to set up some joint practices earlier in the offseason, so it seems like a good bet that those will happen this year in Detroit. If so, it will be the second time in two years the teams have had preseason practices together. In 2017, the Lions hosted the Patriots prior to their preseason game, but it turned out to only be a walkthrough.

Additionally, the Lions’ third preseason game—notoriously the “Dress Rehearsal” game—is against the Bills and is nationally televised by CBS.

Also, THE GREAT LAKES CLASSIC IS BACK!

The regular season schedule is expected to drop in the next week or two. You can check out who the Lions’ 2019 regular season opponents will be here.