Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions

If only the Detroit Lions could play the Cleveland Browns every week. They would be so entertaining that no one would cry foul when they play on Thanksgiving each and every year. This year they face their division rival, the Green Bay Packers at 12:30 Eastern time on Thanksgiving Day.

The Lions (2-8) were close to setting another NFL record for futility by losing 32 of 34 games and seemed to clinch it when quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked and thrown hardly to the Ford Field turf as his pass sailed into a Browns’ players hand in the endzone.Pass interference was called in the endzone, though, giving Detroit the ball on the one yard line with no time on the clock, an untimed down. They were down by six, so a touchdown would give them a tie pending the extra point which would give them a win, but if they missed the endzone, the game would be over with another Lions’ loss.

The number one draft pick in this past April’s draft, Stafford had to come out because of his injury, but the Browns called a timeout allowing him to come back into the game and throw a touchdown pass, his fifth of the game and he went back to the sideline too much in pain to celebrate.

Stafford has had an up and down season, throwing for five interceptions in Seattle on November 8, but he became the first rookie quarterback to throw five touchdowns in a game sine 1937.Because of the short week, Stafford’s status for Thursday’s game is unknown and X-Rays were negative, but the joy in Detroit could be shortlived as they take on the Packers (6-4), a team they have lost eight straight to and 15 of the last 17, including Thanksgiving losses in 2001 and 2007 and the last Lions’ victory on Turkey Day in 2003.

The Green Bay Packers is hoping this week, with wins over San Francisco on Sunday and a favored game in Detroit, can get right back into the thick of the NFC wild-card race with a 7-4 record heading into the home stretch with tough games coming up at home for Baltimore and road games in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Arizona.

The news of the week did not start out good for Green Bay as they learned they will be without the services of two key defensive stars, linebacker Aaron Kampman and cornerback Al Harris for the season due to torn ACLs suffered in their 30-24 home win over the 49ers.

They may not need them on Thursday as the Lions’ offense, despite their heroics on Sunday, still rank 24th in the league in total offense and that was seen in the Week 6 game between the teams in which the Packers shutout the Lions 26-0.

Green Bay should also be able to score in bunches as Detroit’s defense allowed the NFL’s worst statistical offense, in Cleveland, to score 35 points in Sunday’s 38-37 Lions’ win.

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