New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions Preseason Preview: 7 Things to Watch

The Detroit Lions meet the New England Patriots for what, for some players, will be their final tune up before the regular season starts. The Week 3 preseason matchup is usually the one that is closest to a real NFL game. It's also the last one in which most players not fighting for a roster spot play in.

This Friday, Coach Belichick and Schwartz will try to get a feel for who understands the system and get a sense of how far players have come along in their conditioning.

Both the Patriots and Lions have questions that need to be answered. Expectations in New England and Detroit are high this year so this will be a good indication of what to expect going forward.

Here's a look at the biggest story lines heading into this Friday's matchup.

Does the Lions' Have a Solution for Running Back?

Mikel LeShoure is out for the season. Jahvid Best just suffered his second concussion in two years.

That leaves James Harrison, Mike Bell and Maurice Morris to handle the duties at running back. Harrison and Bell have both found moderate success in the past.

The best case scenario is that Jahvid Best comes back from his concussion by the first week of the season. Detroit is a pass first offense so they certainly don't need Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson in the backfield but a solid running game would certainly help open the field up for Matthew Stafford.

If neither Harrison or Bell look the part of at least a solid No. 2 option, the Lions will likely have to go shopping for another running back via free agency.

With options like Clinton Portis or Tiki Barber available, those might not be the most attractive options as both are getting up there in age. The Lions' may have to wait until roster cuts to shore up their running game. 

Will Chad Ochocinco Finally Fit into the Offense?

When Chad Ochocinco landed in New England, he lauded the move as "landing in heaven." So far, he has looked like hell.

Ochocinco and Tom Brady are not quite meshing as one would hope, despite catching a touchdown last week. In practice, Ochocinco has looked like he is focusing too much on getting the offense right rather than making plays. His distraction is making him drop passes.

Ochocinco has not quite adapted to the Patriot way as he has continued to run his mouth and stir up trouble. Thus far he has, in no particular order, offered to pay for a fine levied against another player despite Commissioner Goodell order not to, offered to live with a fan, is playing in a Yahoo! fantasy league with fans and continued his famous Twitter rants.

Some of his focus needs to get back on the field.

This move looked to be the better of the Patriots' two big offseason moves from the start but for now it really hasn't panned out. There is still time and practice for Brady and Ochocinco to get a better feel for each other but fans should be looking for some improvement from last week.

Will Albert Haynesworth Get on the Field?

Albert Haynesworth finally got back to practicing this week after missing nearly three weeks worth of practices.

Haynesworth's court trial is no longer a distraction

How does this effect the rest of the line?

Can Matthew Stafford Take the Rush the Patriots' Defense Might Send His Way

The past two seasons Matthew Stafford has been knocked out of a game for the season in each of his two NFL seasons. That doesn't bode well for a team that is looking to make the "leap" this season. Those hopes hing largely on Stafford's arm.

The Patriots' pass rush looks dominant and will likely test the Lions' offensive line early and often. If Bill Belichick indeed does use this as his last real test to see what his defense can do before the regular season opener, Stafford might be in trouble.

Stafford needs to get smacked around. He needs to show he can take the big hits. There are only a handful of teams with defenses as dominant as the Patriots' defense has looked this preseason. This will be the ultimate test of how Stafford takes a hit.

So far, Stafford has looked like rather than hanging onto the ball and taking some of the hits he has in the past, he has learned to get rid of the ball. This might go a long way to keep him on the field. It will be interesting to see if he can keep that trend up against the Patriots.

What Happens If Ndamukong Suh Levels Tom Brady Like He Did Andy Dalton?

Talking about quarterbacks getting injured, Tom Brady has only had one major injury in his career when he was taken out at the knee by Bernard Pollard. Ndamukong Suh wouldn't need to level a dirty hit to cause the second major injury.

Andy Dalton was literally crushed by Suh and Suh received a $20,000 fine for it. Dalton is a rookie quarterback with none of the star power that Brady has. No offense to Dalton, but Brady means more to the league than Dalton does, right now at least.

If Suh got a $20,000 fine for crushing Dalton, would he get suspended for crushing Brady?

More importantly, would the Patriots fare as well as they did with Matt Cassell if Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett were to step in if Brady went down with an injury?

Does the Lions' Jeff Backus Play Against the Patriots?

Jeff Backus is the presumed starting left tackle for Detroit protecting Matthew Stafford's blind side. Nothing will be more important to Stafford's health than having a solid offensive line to protect him.

Backus is returning from a pectoral injury. For anyone who has played football, that's a huge need for a lineman.

Backus would be getting back into live action only a few days after returning from the injury. Having him in for a sustained period of time could cause re-injury. Backus is a big part of the offensive line for the season, having him re-injure himself might spell doom for the Lions' season.

Who Is on the Chopping Block?

Teams are going to have to cut down rosters on August 30th and then against before the start of the season. Both teams have multiple players who have been on the chopping block and not all of them are undrafted scrubs.

The Patriots have six running backs on the roster. There is no need for that. Ultimately, at least one of them will be cut. Sammy Morris is the most likely candidate with Kevin Faulk being shortly behind him on that list.

The Patriots' also have issues in their secondary. Darius Butler is looking like a bust after being a second round draft pick. Brandon Merriweather is a Pro Bowler but is such a bonehead that the Patriots have brought in just about every available safety of note for a tryout.

The Lions' have their own issues especially at wide receiver. Derrick Williams and Bryant Johnson have not looked like they belong and the emergence of Titus Young will take a spot away from one of them, at least. 

The Lions are also carrying four quarterbacks. That's one too many. Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill are locks for the team. That leaves the last spot for Drew Stanton and Zac Robinson. Stanton has filled in before while Robinson was only on the roster last year due to every week at least one of the quarterbacks being injured. Likely, Robinson gets the boot.