Steelers prepare for back-to-back joint practices with the Detroit Lions Tuesday and Wednesday

It has been two years since the Pittsburgh Steelers were a part of a joint practice with another NFL team during training camp. It was 2014 when the Buffalo Bills came to St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA when the Steelers last participated in such an exercise.

That visit by the Bills was successful, despite a few pushing and shoving matches, and the Steelers now prepare for the Detroit Lions to come to Latrobe, PA for joint practices Tuesday and Wednesday leading up to the preseason game on Friday at Heinz Field.

The Tuesday practice will be held at 2:55 p.m. EDT, and is open to the public, and the Wednesday practice will be at 5:15 p.m. EDT and open to the public as well. Both teams will practice Thursday, but the practices are closed to the public as the teams prepare for the game Friday.

Do these joint practices mean anything? At the least it gives the Steelers the opportunity to hit someone who aren't their teammates.

If the Bills joint practices in 2014 are an example of what fans can expect, there will be a lot of one-on-one position work, with some competitive situations laid out for teams to finish out the sessions. For those fans attending these practices, some, like myself, would argue it would be better viewing than the preseason game Friday night.