Lions vs. Steelers 2016 online streaming: Time, TV schedule and and how to watch live

The Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers will kick off the second group of preseason games on Friday night, even if it won’t quite look like the teams you’re used to.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin already said that Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Maurkice Pouncey and Le’Veon Bell are all likely to rest for the preseason opener. That unfortunately means that the ongoing duel between Brown and Lions cornerback Darius Slay will not carry over into the exhibition game on Friday.

The Lions gave Slay a four-year, $50.2 million extension in July, but in joint practices with the Steelers he was reportedly taken to school by Brown. It’s hard to say how bad Brown was able to beat Slay, though. The cornerback admitted he was beaten at least once, but he posted some videos that showed he held his own.

“He tried to kill me, man,” Slay told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “Three of them in a row I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, I’m already fitting to die here.’ Like, ‘Come on, you’re going to run another deep route?’ He said, ‘I’m going deep all day Slay.’”

But if Slay ends up playing extended snaps on Friday night, it won’t be against Brown and it won’t be Roethlisberger delivering the passes. Instead it’ll be Landry Jones at quarterback for the Steelers and extra reps for the other receivers on the roster like Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

While Tomlin has been up front about the decision to sit several starters, Jim Caldwell hasn’t been as forthcoming. Most teams give the starters at least a few snaps, so the best bet is that Matthew Stafford will get at least a series or two with the first-team offense.

The reps couldn’t hurt now that the Lions are entering the post-Calvin Johnson era at wide receiver. Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin were added to the mix at receiver, but Megatron leaves big shoes to fill.

When the new-look wide receiver corps lines up on Friday, it’ll be against a secondary that Pittsburgh invested in during the offseason. The team’s first two draft picks, Artie Burns and Sean Davis, are both cornerbacks, but neither is likely to see action against the Lions.

Burns is dealing with a nagging thigh injury and was on Tomlin’s list of players unlikely to play on Friday, and Sean Davis left practice on Wednesday with his left knee wrapped.

There’s no need for either team to put players at risk in the preseason, let alone the first game, so both will err on the side of caution whenever possible. And that means the game on Friday likely won’t look anything like the two teams that will hit the field in September.

Still, it’s the first chance for Lions and Steelers fans to see the newest additions to each squad and the first chance for players on the fringe to prove why they deserve a spot on the final roster.

When: 7 p.m. ET

Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh

TV: NFL Network, FOX 2 (Detroit), CBS 2 (Pittsburgh)

Announcers: Matt Shepard, Chris Spielman (Lions); Bob Pompeani, Charlie Batch (Steelers)

Odds: Steelers (-3)

Online: NFL Game Pass