It’s dress rehearsal week for the Detroit Lions as the head to Everbank Field to battle the Jacksonville Jaguars in their third exhibition game of the 2015 season.
When: Friday, August 28 at 8:00 p.m./ET
Where: Everbank Field – Jacksonville, Florida
TV: Nationally televised via CBS
Announcers: Kevin Harlan and Dan Fouts
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket WXYT-FM
Live Stream: NFL Game Pass
Replays:
- Saturday August 29 at 6:00 a.m. – NFL Network
- Wednesday September 2 at 5:30 a.m. – NFL Network
History:
Last season, the Lions defeated Jacksonville 13-12 at Ford Field, improving the team’s all-time preseason series record to 2-0-0 against the Jaguars. The two teams last met in the regular season in 2012 when Detroit claimed a 31-14 victory at EverBank Field. Jacksonville holds the all-time regular season series edge, 3-2-0.
Also at SLR: Detroit Lions vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: What To Watch For
Preview – Offense
Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Week three of the NFL preseason is widely considered the most important of the four weeks of exhibition games. The reason being is that it’s usually the week that the first-team offense and defense will see the most reps prior to the beginning of the regular season.
The past tells us that we can probably expect to see Matthew Stafford and Co. on the field for a majority of the first half — if not the whole thing. Once the offense does take the field, keep an eye on the offensive line. The pass protection has been okay to this point, but the run blocking has plenty of room for improvement. It will also be interesting to see if the continuity and consistency continues in the squads second season under Joe Lombardi.
Preview – Defense
When the defense takes the field there will also be no shortage of areas to pay attention to. The defensive line has a plethora of concerns, from injuries to uncertainty. All-Pro veteran Haloti Ngata will continue to sit out with a hamstring injury. Joining him on the sideline will be second-year, former Princeton graduate Caraun Reid. Reid injured his ankle last week during a tackle of Alfred Morris on the first play from scrimmage.
Additionally, keep an eye on the youngsters in the secondary. Rookie Quandre Diggs was all the buzz during offseason OTA’s, only to have his name seemingly disappear. The battle for the nickel corner position is one of great importance, and guys like Diggs, Josh Wilson, Alex Carter (fresh off the PUP) and Nevin Lawson are all in the hunt.
Nate Williams is an editor and columnist for SideLIonReport.com of the FanSided Network. For continued Detroit Lions news, rumors and analysis, be sure to give him a follow on twitter at @SLR_Nate!
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