There is an actual Detroit Lions football game tonight!

The Daily DLP ventures into much-welcomed game preview territory ahead of Thursday night’s preseason opener between the Lions and the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s the first opportunity for fans to check out the start of the 2026 Lions. Even though it’s an exhibition game that doesn’t count in the standings, it’s still a very important night for a lot of Lions.

Reflecting on the players to watch list published earlier this week, today’s Daily expands on broader concepts about the game in Cincinnati. How do the Bengals specifically present opportunities for some of the Lions players battling for roster status? The Bengals are a strict 4-2-5 defense that had the lowest blitz rate in the NFL in 2025, and also sported the 31st-ranked run defense. That creates a good opportunity for the offensive linemen and running backs to show what they can do for Detroit.

Because the Lions aren’t expected to play any of the players whose jerseys you would see fans wearing to the game, the exhibition opener is all about the depth battles and younger players trying to make names for themselves. For some players, tonight’s game might be the last time they ever wear a Lions uniform. It’s important to remember that and provide perspective when the game gets into the fourth quarter and even the most ardent Detroit fans are asking, “who is that guy?”

This game does have one interesting subplot: the punters. Detroit’s Jack Fox and Cincinnati’s Ryan Rekhow are each statistically among the best punters ever. It might be an intriguing display of punting and also of using special teams as an evaluation tool for both coaching staffs.

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