The Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns will once again meet in the preseason in the annual Great Lakes Classic. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Detroit Lions’ 2013 preseason schedule has been released and it contains a couple familiar foes and a couple new opponents.

Preseason games follow the same script year after year. The Starters will play a couple series in the first game and work their way up to about a full half of action in the third game before backing off to a just a series or two in the preseason finale.

In addition to their traditional matchups with the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills, the Lions will host a couple of AFC East opponents. Unlike the last couple years, the Lions will not have any preseason games on national television. Final dates will be locked in at a later date, but here is the Lions’ week-by-week preseason schedule:

WEEK 1 – AUGUST 8-11
NY Jets at Detroit

WEEK 2 – AUGUST 15-19
Detroit at Cleveland

WEEK 3 – AUGUST 22-25
New England at Detroit

WEEK 4 – AUGUST 29-30
Detroit at Buffalo

For the league-wide preseason schedule, including the nationally televised games, head to NFL Spin Zone.

The 2013 regular season schedule will be announced later this month, reportedly on April 16.

David Richard-US PRESSWIRE

We’re still a couple hours away from the release of the NFL’s 2012 regular season schedule but the final two dates on the Lions’ preseason slate have been locked in place.

Here’s what the preseason schedule looks like:

August 10, 7:30 p.m. – Cleveland Browns
August 25, 7 p.m. – at Oakland Raiders
August 30, 7 p.m. – Buffalo Bills.
August 17, 8 p.m. – at Baltimore Ravens

Like what you see? Give SideLion Report a “like” on facebook, become a follower on twitter, or grab our RSS feed.

Aug 19, 2011; Cleveland, OH; USA; Colt McCoy (12) gets hit in the backfield by Cliff Avril (92) during the first quarter of a preseason game. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

The Detroit Lions’ 2012 preseason schedule has been released and it contains a few familiar foes and few new opponents.

The Lions and Cleveland Browns will open preseason play with the always hotly contested Great Lakes Classic. Yawn. The game will be played sometime between August 9 and 13.

Preseason week two sends the Lions to Baltimore for a nationally televised game against the Ravens on August 17 (Friday Night Football!).

The “dress rehearsal” game, preseason game three, will be played against the Raiders in Oakland between August 23 and 27.

In what has become the other traditional preseason game, the Lions will conclude preseason play by hosting the Buffalo Bills on August 30 or 31. Double Yawn.

The regular season schedule will be released later this month.

Like what you see? Give SideLion Report a “like” on facebook, become a follower on twitter, or grab our RSS feed.