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The Detroit Lions will open the NFL regular season at 1 p.m. Sept. 9, hosting the St. Louis Rams.
The Lions are coming off a 10-6 season and their first playoff appearance in more than a decade, led by an explosive passing game featuring Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford and a defensive line that put significant pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season.
The team enters this season with question marks in the secondary, however. In fact, with projected starter Chris Houston still recovering from an ankle injury, it's possible that the Lions could start Drayton Florence and Kevin Barnes, two players who have been with the team less than two weeks. Florence was signed as a free agent on Monday and the team acquired Barnes in a trade with Washington Aug. 27.
Fortunately for Detroit, St. Louis wasn't a strong passing team last season, finishing 25th in the league in passing yards, so that patched together secondary might not get tested as much as it would against a stronger passing attack.
The game will be televised on on Fox.
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