The Detroit Lions’ preseason finally comes to a close on Saturday afternoon. Detroit hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final preseason game. It will be the first time the Lions have played at Ford Field since their legendary victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs.

The hero of this game – linebacker Derrick Barnes – probably won’t play in this final preseason game, nor will most (if not all) of the team’s starters. They already got their work done earlier in the week in Detroit’s own practice game on Wednesday. Now it’s time for the reserves to shine.

The final preseason game may not mean much to fans, but for some players, it’s the difference between getting hired and finding a new job. That may sound dramatic, but it’s true. I think back to Kerry Hyder’s incredible end to the 2016 preseason that earned him an unlikely spot on the 53-man roster and ultimately an 8.0-sack season. Eight years later, Hyder has put together an impressive NFL career. Was it all just that preseason game? Probably not, but it still speaks to the importance of these contests.

The Lions have several players on the roster who will be battling for their spots on Saturday afternoon. You can read how we currently think they stand here (attack) and here (defense).

But now sit back, relax and enjoy the final preseason game of the Lions 2024 season knowing that real football is just two weeks away.

Scroll down to the comments section to chat during the final preseason game and look out for the second half open thread that appears at halftime.