NFL preseason games Friday: Time, TV, live stream, matchup analysis

The final week of the NFL preseason presents the chance for starters to potentially get one last dress rehearsal before the regular season and also for young players on the bubble to make their final arguments to stay on the 53-man roster.

Final cutdown day is Tuesday, Aug. 29, with a 4 p.m. ET deadline by which teams need to whittle down their rosters ahead of the regular season. There will be three preseason games Friday night: Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers.

What NFL preseason games are on Friday?

All times Eastern

Detroit Lions at Carolina Panthers, 8 p.m. (CBS)

New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans, 8:15 p.m. (NFL Network)

Los Angeles Chargers at San Francisco 49ers, 10 p.m. (NFL Network)

Lions vs. Panthers: What to know

Detroit has been fairly consistent in opting to rest its first string in preseason games. Coach Dan Campbell has said that he has tried to replicate the intensity of NFL games without putting his starters on the field against live competition so that when the regular season starts, players are accustomed to the speed and force of game play. "I feel like we can mimic that in practice," he said Tuesday. With that said, don't expect quarterback Jared Goff or any of Detroit's starters to appear.

For Carolina, it has been the opposite. The Panthers are trying to get a young team up to speed on life in the NFL, no player more important than No. 1 overall rookie Bryce Young. The 22-year-old quarterback has played in each of Carolina's two preseason games and the expectation is that he will suit up once more against the Lions. One issue for the Panthers, however, is that they are facing injuries at both receiver and running back, which may alter coach Frank Reich's plan for Young.

Patriots vs. Titans: What to know

Friday's game against the Titans might present the first chance for newly signed New England running back Ezekiel Elliott to make his Patriots debut. Elliott said this week he was "ready to play" and because he was unsigned for most of the offseason, coach Bill Belichick could look to get him some live action ahead of the regular season.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday that he was still unsure of the team's plan for starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill and second-round rookie passer Will Levis, who missed the team's second preseason game with a lower-body injury. Vrabel has been hesitant to put starters on the field, so if Tannehill and the team's first-string offense do suit up, expect it to be only briefly. The sure bet is that Malik Willis will see the bulk of the snaps.

Chargers vs. 49ers: What to know

San Francisco made the move this week to name Sam Darnold the backup quarterback, making 2021 No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance the third-stringer. Lance was given the day off from practice after that decision was made and it is unclear what his future will be in San Francisco after reports emerged that the 49ers would explore options. Coach Kyle Shanahan, however, said he will still plan to play starters against the Chargers.

Los Angeles coach Brandon Staley has relied almost exclusively on his reserve players in the preseason and it appears as though that will continue in the finale.

How to watch NFL preseason games

The Lions-Panthers game is available to watch on CBS. It can also be streamed on Paramount+.

The Patriots-Titans and Chargers-49ers games are available to watch on NFL Network. Those games can also be streamed on NFL+, which requires a subscription of $9.99 a month.

Do you get preseason games with NFL Sunday Ticket?

No, NFL Sunday Ticket broadcasts only regular-season NFL games. An NFL+ subscription is needed to stream the preseason.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL preseason game today: Times, TV, streaming, matchups for Friday