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When the Detroit Lions defense hits the field for the first time on Friday, it will get to go up against Mark Sanchez at quarterback for the New York Jets. Jets head coach Rex Ryan announced on Tuesday that Sanchez will get the start on Friday in Detroit, and he also announced that rookie Geno Smith will get a chance to play with the starters as well.
The Lions have not yet said how long their starters will play on Friday, but the Jets may keep their No. 1 offense on the field a bit longer than usual. This would allow them to give both quarterbacks reps with the first-team offense.
Rex Ryan suggests Jets offensive starters will be on field longer than a typical first preseason game so Sanchez and Geno get starter reps
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) August 6, 2013
The Lions likely won't change their plan just because the Jets have their starters out there for longer. As a result, the Lions' backups on defense could get a chance to really prove themselves by going up against the Jets' No. 1 unit. It will be interesting to see how that plays out on Friday at Ford Field.
It will also be interesting to see how Sanchez and Smith perform. The Jets' quarterback competition is unimportant to the Lions, but simply as an NFL fan, it'll be cool to get an up-close look at how this plays out in the first week of the preseason.