Two Thursday night games in Week 3 of the 2013 NFL preseason kickoff, with the New England Patriots visiting the Detroit Lions the first on the schedule. This game will get underway at 7:30pm ET.
- When:
Thurs., Aug. 22nd, 2013 @ 7:30pm ET
- Where:
Ford Field, Detroit, MI
- Who’s Favored?
Lions by 1 ~ 45.5 o/u @ BetOnline
- More Info:
As many fans in the NFL know, the third preseason game is when the starters see the most time on the field prior to the start of the regular season. This gives them a chance to rest during the final preseason game, giving them two weeks in between Week 3 and the opening week of the regular season.
This means that Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and company will be on the field for what is likely to be the entire first half of football, however it’s entirely possible that it doesn’t go that far. Each team is different and how they manage the playing time of their players.
New England got a 25-21 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 of the preseason. Brady looked about as good as can be, completing 11 of 12 pass attempts 107 yards and a touchdown.
The opposite can be said for Tebow, who went 1 for 7 for -1 yard and an interception. At this point Tebow’s status as a member of the Patriots is up in the air. He did have six rushed for 30 yards though.
Detroit didn’t put up much of a fight against Cleveland, dropping 24-6. Stafford threw for 74 yards on 11 of 16 passing.
Expect to see similar attempts, if not more, for both Brady and Stafford in this preseason matchup. New England was stymied a bit more rushing the ball last week against Tampa Bay, but the Bucs do have one of the best run defenses in the league. Look for them to try and keep that going against the Lions.