Tag: Thanksgiving

Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery scores the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown with 29 seconds left to defeat the Chicago Bears, 31-26, at Ford Field, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023.

Vanquishing Bears, Thanksgiving losing streak tops Lions’ holiday list

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Emboldened by the view from the top of the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are out to eliminate nightmare holiday gatherings when the Chicago Bears come to town Thursday for a lunchtime division duel.

The Lions (10-1) are streaking one direction, the Bears (4-7) the other in the first matchup of the season between teams on opposite ends of the division.

Riding a nine-game winning streak, their longest since a 10-game streak during their first season in Detroit in 1934, the Lions are burdened by losses in their traditional Thanksgiving Day game the past seven seasons. Three of the defeats are courtesy of Chicago.

The Bears and Lions get together for the 20th time on Thanksgiving — the Bears have 11 wins — this week in the first of two meetings between the teams in a 25-day span. Detroit goes to Soldier Field on Dec. 22.

“I think there’s two things,” Campbell said of the Thanksgiving losing streak. “Number one — Get a W. And it’s a division win that’s why this huge. Number two is because the players are going to get a couple of days off. So, they have family, friends in, it’d be nice to feel good about it when you’re with everybody because it’s just not real fun. It’s not real fun to be around.”

Detroit (10-1) owns the best record in the NFC but the Lions aren’t even assured of a division title. Minnesota sits one game behind them and Green Bay is two games back. The Bears (4-7) sit in last place and would likely need to run the table to have any chance of making the playoffs.

The Lions have been dominant in all phases and haven’t allowed a touchdown in the past 10 consecutive quarters.

Detroit’s offense ranks first in points per game (32.7) and second in total yardage (394.3) The Lions defense has not given up a touchdown in the last 10 quarters. Rookie placekicker Jake Bates has made all 16 of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards over the past three games.

Chicago shows up in a foul mood. The Bears are saddled with a five-game losing streak and Chicago’s defense has been destroyed for nearly 2,000 total yards in the last four games.

The Bears failed to reach the 20-point mark four times in five outings since they last won a game. In their latest defeat, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the offense perked up but they lost to Minnesota in overtime, 30-27.

“We have to play complementary football for us to be able to win these games,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “The games we have won, we have done that. The games we have been close we’ve missed the mark a little bit. Over the course of the year, it’s been one side or the other, this side or that side. In this league you have to be good on all sides to win. That’s what we are searching for.”

Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. The wide receiver trio of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Romeo Odunze combined for 21 receptions and two touchdowns while tight end Cole Kmet caught seven passes.

“What I’ve been impressed with is just how he has grown,” Campbell said. “He has grown every game but these last two I really feel like he’s taken off and what they’re doing with him has been really good for him and he just looks very composed. He doesn’t get frazzled, plays pretty fast, and he’s an accurate passer, big arm, and he’s got some guys that can get open for him.”

Detroit’s banged-up secondary could be susceptible against the Bears’ veteran receivers in their bid to pull off an upset on Thursday.

The Lions put two defensive backs on injured reserve in the past week and top cornerback Carlton Davis isn’t expected to play due to knee and thumb injuries.

Detroit offensive tackle Taylor Decker (knee) and top returner Kalif Raymond (foot) are also expected to miss the game, though Campbell expressed optimism that running back David Montgomery (shoulder), formerly of the Bears, would play. Bears safety Elijah Hicks was listed as a DNP for Tuesday’s walkthrough.

–Field Level Media

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) is sacked by Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat (98) in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

NFL Thanksgiving, Black Friday Capsules

Posted on | by Field Level Media

NFL Thanksgiving, Black Friday capsules

–Thursday
Chicago Bears (4-7) at Detroit Lions (10-1), 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS
With a nine-game winning streak and 2-0 record in the division, the Lions are no easy prey for the Bears in the first game of the holiday tripleheader on Thursday. Chicago lost another game in walkoff fashion, 30-27 to the Vikings in overtime, their third such defeat in a five-game losing streak to deflate a feel-good 4-2 start. Signs of growth are evident for Bears rookie No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Facing Minnesota’s notably blitz-happy defense, Williams guided the Bears to 17 points in the fourth quarter to force OT. He had his third 300-yard game of the season and hasn’t thrown an interception during the ongoing five-game skid. A lasting pain point since the Bears tasted victory at London in Week 6 is execution on third downs converting 21 of 73 since the bye week. With the short and fruitless drives becoming habitual, Chicago has seen improvement with Thomas Brown calling plays the past two games, although there are signs of a weary defense late in games. No time for a breather at Ford Field. The Lions are all-gas, no-brakes with 10 total touchdowns the past eight quarters. The Bears have 12 touchdowns in their past six games. Old friend David Montgomery faces his former Bears’ teammates and is doing his part to put points up for the Lions with 11 rushing TDs in 11 games. Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has more touchdowns (nine) than all Bears wide receivers combined (eight). Chicago’s defense picked off Jared Goff five times in two games last season. He has 20 touchdown passes — one TD catch — and seven games with multiple TD passes in 2024. In recent games, the Bears’ defense is getting scorched. Chicago has surrendered a league-worst 1,977 total yards since Week 8.

New York Giants (2-9) at Dallas Cowboys (4-7), 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX
Backup Tommy DeVito didn’t enjoy much of his first start this season for the Giants behind an offensive line breached by the Buccaneers repeatedly. DeVito, elevated to the starting role upon the demotion and release of Daniel Jones, was sacked four times and hit early and often. But there are a couple of reasons the Giants might stick around in the rematch of their 20-15 loss to Dallas earlier this season. For starters, the Cowboys are 0-5 at home and also pushed their backup into a starting role. Cooper Rush threw two TD passes last week but he wasn’t entirely responsible for Dallas putting up 34 points to upset Washington. They also had two implausible fourth-quarter kickoff return TDs and the Commanders suffered self-inflicted wounds, not the least of which was a missed extra point that would have tied the game at 27 with 14 seconds remaining. Given the state of affairs in New York, where rookie WR Malik Nabers defined the team’s effort as soft, and the questionable health of DeVito’s offensive line, the Cowboys are favored to sweep the two-game series from the Giants for the fourth consecutive season. Rush (knee) started the week hobbled but head coach Mike McCarthy said he was confident the QB would be ready for Thursday.

Miami Dolphins (5-6) at Green Bay Packers (8-3), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
If it’s Miami on the road late in the season, we’re talking temperature and the Dolphins’ miserable record in sub-freezing conditions tells a depressing tale for the fish. Miami is 0-12 in its last 12 games when temps at kickoff are 26 degrees or lower and it could be at or under that number Thursday night. Green Bay’s offensive line is setting the tone of late and it is built for plowing the path in front of RB Josh Jacobs, a downhill runner who is breaking tackles and taking names. Jacobs has six rushing touchdowns and three games with 95 rushing yards or more in the past four contests. The Dolphins haven’t proven capable of being a run-first outfit with De’Von Achane limited to 32 yards on 10 carries last week. But he flashes big-play potential as a secondary option to QB Tua Tagovailoa. Since returning from IR, Tagovailoa has 1,043 passing yards, 10 TD passes and a completion percentage over 77. The Packers are in the primetime spotlight the next four weeks while attempting to work their way up the playoff pecking order. They’ve won five of the past six games with the Dolphins. This is the second consecutive game for Packers coach Matt LaFleur opposing a former co-worker in Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel. He beat Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers last week. All three overlapped on staffs with the Houston Texans (2008), Washington Redskins (2011-13) and Atlanta Falcons (2015-16).

–Friday
Las Vegas Raiders (2-9) at Kansas City Chiefs (10-1), 3 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime
Normally cool and collected Chiefs coach Andy Reid nearly witnessed the coronary in Carolina courtesy of Bryce Young and the Panthers, who darted back into the game Sunday from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to force a game-ending field goal by Kansas City’s fill-in kicker Spencer Shrader. As if there was a reason needed to take the Raiders seriously, Las Vegas beat Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City on Christmas Day last season. Reid is 19-4 against the Raiders with the Chiefs and Mahomes is 11-2 since becoming the starter in 2018. Mahomes will become the Chiefs’ all-time leader in TD passes with his next score, breaking an existing tie with Len Dawson (237). Mahomes has an entertaining history with Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, largely out of respectful competition. Crosby’s stamina will be tested by the Chiefs’ methodical offense. Kansas City is first in the NFL in 10-play drives (32) and third-down percentage (52.7), areas where the Raiders’ defense is below-average. Las Vegas is No. 22 in the NFL in third-down defense and allowed 104 total points in the past three games. Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell is preparing to start Friday and make his first appearance since a thumb injury sent him to IR Week 7. O’Connell returns to an offense leaning heavily on rookie TE Brock Bowers to produce. He leads the team with 74 receptions, 744 yards and three TD catches. He had five receptions for 55 yards in the Raiders’ 27-20 loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 27.

–Field Level Media

East Rutherford, NJ -- November 24, 2024 -- Tommy DeVito of the Giants gets hit after he threw this pass by Calijah Kancey of Tampa Bay in the fourth quarter. DeVito was injured and came out of the game for one play as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium and defeated the New York Giants 30-7.

Brian Daboll: Giants’ effort there, QB Tommy DeVito expected to play Thursday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll awaits word from the training staff on the status of quarterback Tommy DeVito but says he’s positive effort is not an issue even after locker room leaders described the team effort as “soft” in a 30-7 defeat Sunday to Tampa Bay.

Daboll said he invited conversation about the end result against the Buccaneers, which dropped the Giants to 2-9 this season before a short week and holiday showcase game at Dallas on Thanksgiving, but said he doesn’t see effort as the issue.

“I mean we went back, we evaluated the tape this morning. Look, we didn’t play well enough,” Daboll told reporters Monday. “Some things, whether it’s execution stuff, call stuff, that we just didn’t get the job done. But in terms of running to the football, giving effort at the line of scrimmage, those didn’t stand out.

“What stands out was three sacks early on in the first half, 0-for-4 on third down, a variety of missed tackles that caused some big plays. And the missed tackles weren’t a lack-of-effort missed tackles. Give Tampa Bay credit. They did a good job, and we didn’t do a good enough job. … But the guys played hard, they played with effort.”

Daboll said he was leaving the press conference Monday to make some of the same teaching points to the entire team at their usual day-after group breakdown.

“Look, we have good communication. We’ll talk about what Jermaine sees,” Daboll said in reference to offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor’s comments after the loss. “And we’ll talk about what we see. We’ll watch it. It’s right on tape. But again, I have confidence in the guys in the locker room.”

The loss came six days after the Giants demoted, then waived, starting quarterback Daniel Jones. The defeat stretches the Giants’ losing streak to six games and was the fourth time this season New York failed to score more than seven points.

After the game, rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence and veteran offensive lineman Eluemunor separately said the effort against the Buccaneers wasn’t there.

“Look, these guys put a lot of work into this, as does everybody involved, and certainly not something that we wanted yesterday. We work hard every week to not have that happen, and that was a tough one,” Daboll said. “So, there’s frustration that comes with it, understandable. And we communicate, I think we have good leadership in our locker room. I think we communicate on a daily basis. But certainly, a frustrating game, no question about it.”

DeVito took multiple hard hits and was sacked four times. Perhaps the most jarring was in the first quarter when DeVito stepped up on the pocket to evade pressure coming from his right and met speedy defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who delivered a de-cleater upon impact. DeVito miraculously held onto the ball on the third-down sack.

Kancey hit DeVito again in the fourth quarter as he was releasing a pass with enough force to bring his feet well off the ground for a second time.

“I have not talked to the training staff yet. So, I’ll wait until they give me the update, then we’ll see where we’re at. But I’m anticipating he’ll be ready to go,” Daboll said.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) rushes for a touchdown against Seattle Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs (6) and linebacker Jordyn Brooks (56) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Christian McCaffrey scores twice as 49ers rout Seahawks

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Christian McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns as the San Francisco 49ers defeated the host Seattle Seahawks 31-13 Thursday night.

Wide receiver Deebo Samuel also rushed for a score for the 49ers (8-3), who built a two-game lead over the Seahawks (6-4) atop the NFC West. Samuel also had a game-high seven catches for 79 yards.

San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy completed 21 of 30 passes for 209 yards with one touchdown — a clinching 28-yarder to Brandon Aiyuk with 7:51 remaining — and one interception.

Seattle’s Geno Smith was 18 of 27 for 180 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. The 49ers had a season-high six sacks. With Kenneth Walker III out due to an oblique injury, rookie running back Zach Charbonnet led the Seahawks with 47 yards rushing on 14 carries and had a team-high four receptions (for 11 yards).

The 49ers dominated the first half while taking a 24-3 lead.

Samuel capped the game’s opening possession, a nine-play, 71-yard march, by scoring untouched on a 2-yard run.

Seattle’s Dee Eskridge returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards, but the Seahawks managed just 1 yard before settling for Jason Myers’ 51-yard field goal.

McCaffrey scored from 1 yard out early in the second quarter and then dragged several defenders over the goal line on an 8-yard run with 5:11 left in the half.

Jake Moody kicked a 32-yard field goal with 39 seconds left before the break after Seattle’s DeeJay Dallas muffed a punt.

The Seahawks had just one first down and 11 yards of total offense before Smith drove them into field-goal range in the closing seconds of the half. However, Myers’ 53-yard attempt faded just right.

Seattle got a boost from its defense early in the third quarter as Jordyn Brooks intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown.

Myers added a 30-yard field goal on the Seahawks’ next drive to make it 24-13, but Seattle couldn’t get any closer.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) drops back to pass against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Dak Prescott, Cowboys notch their latest beatdown of Commanders

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dak Prescott continued his mastery of the Washington Commanders and DaRon Bland set an NFL record with his fifth pick-6 of the season as the Dallas Cowboys rolled to a 45-10 victory in their annual Thanksgiving Day game in Arlington, Texas.

Prescott completed 22 of 32 passes for 331 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, helping Dallas (8-3) dominate on the way to its third straight win as it moved a step closer to clinching its third consecutive playoff berth.

Bland’s 63-yard interception return came long after the outcome was decided, with 4:39 left. On his way to scoring, Bland dodged three potential tacklers, including Washington quarterback Sam Howell.

Bland previously was tied with Eric Allen (1993), Jim Kearney (1972) and Ken Houston (1971), with four interception return touchdowns.

At home in his career, Prescott is 6-0 against NFC East rival Washington with 17 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

Howell completed 28 of 44 passes for 300 yards and his one interception. Howell scored the lone touchdown for Washington (4-8), which has lost eight of its last 10.

After Prescott missed two open receivers running deep on the Cowboys’ first possession, he guided touchdown drives the next three times Dallas got the ball.

Rico Dowdle capped the first drive, which covered 90 yards, with a 15-yard touchdown reception as he used Zack Martin’s block on a screen pass to sprint unencumbered to the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

After Washington answered with a 43-yard field goal by Joey Slye, Prescott threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks to give the Cowboys a 14-3 lead.

Washington answered as Howell capped a 75-yard drive with a 1-yard scoring carry to cut the Cowboys’ lead to 14-10 with 1:51 before halftime.

But Washington’s defense, which has surrendered more points than any team in the NFL, was easy pickings again for Dallas as it needed just five plays to cruise 75 yards. Tony Pollard ran 7 yards up the middle for a touchdown and a 20-10 Cowboys lead at the break.

After neither team scored in a quiet third quarter, Brandon Aubrey increased Dallas’ lead to 23-10 with a 52-yard field goal. Aubrey, a rookie, missed an extra point earlier in the game but now is perfect this season on 22 field goal tries.

Johnathan Hankins set up a Dallas touchdown when he sacked Howell on a fourth-and-1 play at the Washington 23. Three plays later, Prescott threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb for a 31-10 lead.

After another fourth down stop by the Dallas defense, Prescott fired his fourth touchdown pass, a 34-yard strike to KaVontae Turpin.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2023; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) calls a play in the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

With Packers in town, rare holiday win tops on Lions’ list

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Detroit Lions cleared numerous hurdles to reach their annual Thanksgiving Day home game in full control of the NFC North.

On Thursday, Detroit will look to snap its six-game losing streak on the holiday when it hosts the Green Bay Packers.

“We’re trying to turn over a new leaf here,” coach Dan Campbell said. “We’re trying to do something different and find a way to do some things that haven’t been done in awhile. This is another one of those opportunities for us.”

The Lions are 8-2, their best 10-game start since the 1962 season, and have won seven consecutive division games for the first time since the AFL-NFL merger. Aiming for their first division title since 1993, Detroit would be the No. 2 seed in the NFC if the playoffs began this week. The Lions are currently 2 1/2 games ahead of second-place Minnesota in the division.

Riding a three-game winning streak, the last two victories haven’t come easy. The Lions needed a last-second field goal to defeat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10, then rallied from a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Chicago 31-26 on Sunday.

Quarterback Jared Goff threw a season-high three interceptions but bounced back to lead two late touchdown drives to stun the Bears.

“Certainly we’re not playing the best all across the board. But you can’t put a price on finding a way to win tough games when things don’t go your way,” Campbell said.

All but one of the Lions’ Thanksgiving games during the past six years have been decided by one possession.

“I still think it’s something special. I believe that … it’s a privilege to be able to play on Thanksgiving Day,” Campbell said. “It’s a privilege for our guys and everybody’s watching. All your families, all your friends. This is the type of game where somebody you went to school with in the second grade is texting you. … It’s kind of cool like that.”

Green Bay (4-6) used to own the division — and the Lions — but Detroit has a four-game winning streak against the Packers. That includes the Lions’ 34-20 victory at Lambeau Field earlier this season. Detroit led 27-3 at halftime and rode David Montgomery (121 rushing yards, three touchdowns) to victory.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw two interceptions and was sacked five times, but caught the attention of Campbell. Green Bay was limited to 27 rushing yards, but Campbell said he saw plenty of promise from Love.

Love would like to see a lot less of the Lions’ front four in the rematch.

“They’re a solid defense. We’ve just got to start fast,” Love said of the rematch. “We got ourselves in a hole first time we played them and tried crawling out of that.”

The Packers had lost five of six games before Love threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 win over the Chargers last week.

“It was a great game all around the board, just from an execution standpoint,” Love said. “It was one of our most consistent games, for sure.”

Green Bay will likely be without running back Aaron Jones on Thursday. He reportedly suffered an MCL sprain on Sunday. AJ Dillon will take over the bulk of the running back duties.

“I’m ready for a haul. I’ve done this,” Dillon said. “I’ve been in every situation these last four years — I’ve started games, I’ve had to fill in at times. It’s nothing new.”

Green Bay held a walkthrough Tuesday and estimated participation, including no practice for linebacker De’Vondre Campbell (neck), tight end Luke Musgrave (abdomen) and wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (concussion, knee).

Lions guard Jonah Jackson (wrist), who didn’t play against Chicago, was the lone DNP for Detroit.

–Field Level Media

Nov 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) catches a pass for a first down as New York Giants cornerback Darnay Holmes (30) defends during the second half of the game between the Cowboys and the Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Giants-Cowboys most watched regular-season game in NFL history

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NFL said Friday that the Thanksgiving Day game between the host Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants set a regular-season viewership record.

The FOX broadcast averaged 42 million viewers, according to the league.

Dallas has played on Thanksgiving for 45 straight seasons and 55 times overall. This year was the first time since 1992 that it played its division rival from New York, the largest media market in the country, on the holiday. Both teams entered the game 7-3, adding to the interest.

The Cowboys beat the Giants 28-20.

The league said it also set a record for its Thanksgiving Day “total unduplicated audience” of 138 million.

The Buffalo Bills, one of the AFC’s best teams, beat the host Detroit Lions 28-25 on a late field goal in the early game. The host Minnesota Vikings topped the New England Patriots 33-26 in the nightcap.

The average viewership across the tripleheader was 33.5 million viewers per game.

The news comes as the NFL and Amazon plan to begin staging a single Black Friday game beginning in 2023.

–Field Level Media

Nov 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs for a touchdown against the New York Giants during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys outpace Giants to win NFC East showdown

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dak Prescott tossed two touchdown passes to Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott added a rushing score to help the Dallas Cowboys notch a 28-20 victory over the visiting New York Giants on Thursday at Arlington, Texas.

Prescott completed 21 of 30 passes for 261 yards and overcame two interceptions for Dallas (8-3), which moved into sole possession of second place in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) lead the division.

Peyton Hendershot added a rushing score to help the Cowboys defeat New York for the 11th time in the past 12 meetings. CeeDee Lamb caught six passes for 106 yards, Elliott rushed for 92 yards on 16 carries and Micah Parsons registered two sacks to raise his season total to 12.

Daniel Jones completed 21 of 35 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown for the Giants (7-4), who lost for the third time in four games. Saquon Barkley rushed for a touchdown but had just 52 scrimmage yards (39 rushing, 13 receiving).

The Cowboys outgained New York 430 to 300 while playing their 45th consecutive Thanksgiving Day home game.

Dallas received the ball to start the third quarter and moved 75 yards on 14 plays. Prescott concluded the march with a 15-yard scoring pass to Schultz to give the Cowboys a 14-13 lead with 7:21 left in the third quarter.

The Giants failed to convert on fourth-and-1 on their next drive when Barkley couldn’t handle a low pass from Jones.

Dallas took advantage of the short field with a six-play, 44-yard drive. Prescott and Schultz again hooked up, this time for a 6-yard touchdown, to increase the Cowboys’ lead to eight with 2:02 remaining in the period.

Hendershot, a tight end, went in motion to his left and took a handoff from Prescott to score from the 2-yard line to make it 28-13 with 8:53 left in the contest.

Jones tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Richie James with eight seconds left.

The Giants led 13-7 at halftime on Barkley’s scoring run and Graham Gano’s two field goals.

Gano booted a season-high 57-yard field goal with 9:44 left in the first quarter before Dallas recovered to take a 7-3 lead. Elliott scored on a 6-yard run on the initial play of the second quarter to cap a 11-play, 93-yard drive.

New York moved back ahead on Barkley’s 1-yard run with 9:28 left in the half. Gano tacked on a 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half.

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Streaking Lions chase four in a row, brace for Bills

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Heading into November, the Detroit Lions resembled a train wreck. Entering their traditional Thanksgiving Day game, the Lions are suddenly on the fast track to playing meaningful games in December.

Their hopes of entering the playoff picture could quickly be derailed when they host the powerful Buffalo Bills (7-3).

Detroit (4-6) comes into the game with a three-game winning streak, including a convincing 31-18 road triumph over the New York Giants on Sunday. The Lions will be seeking to string together four consecutive wins for the first time since 2016, when they had five victories in a row.

“It’s huge. I think just getting a win against a good team on the road is always a good boost,” quarterback Jared Goff said. “We came into that game, all we heard about was how good they were in the red zone, how good they were on third down. And we said, ‘Well, we’re pretty good in the red zone too, and we’re pretty good on third down.’ And being able to prove that against a good team on the road is a lot of fun, and hopefully that carries over.”

The Lions have a razor-thin margin for error, but an upset Thursday would put them in the NFC wildcard race.

“None of it matters in my opinion if we don’t win this next one,” coach Dan Campbell said. “We’re in a good place, the guys understand the things that we’re doing that are allowing us to win. And we’ve got to continue to do that, and I know we can’t start thinking other things and get ourselves out of the mold of what we’ve been the last three weeks. We’ve got to stay the course.”

Protecting the ball has been a key component to the turnaround. They’ve committed just one turnover in the past three games.

In an ironic twist, the Bills have spent more time in Detroit’s Ford Field lately than the home team. A massive snowstorm in the Buffalo area forced a relocation of the Cleveland-Buffalo game to Detroit last week, and the Bills snapped a two-game losing streak with a 31-23 victory.

Quarterback Josh Allen was held to a modest 197 yards passing but connected with Stefon Diggs for a touchdown in the closing seconds of the first half. Allen led them on five scoring drives in the second half, four of which ended with Tyler Bass field goals.

“Everyone expects him to be Superman every game all the time, every throw,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I just love the fact that A, he’s human, and B, that he was able to work himself through (a slow start). That says way more about him than probably most people give him credit for in terms of his performance.”

Buffalo is familiar with playing in Detroit and no stranger to Thanksgiving Day games. The Bills defeated the New Orleans Saints 31-6 last Thanksgiving and recorded a 26-15 victory over Dallas in 2019.

“For the players and coaches who have never done it before, I think it’s an honor and fun to be a part of a tradition like that, especially playing at Detroit, who has traditionally played on Thanksgiving,” McDermott said.

Detroit’s top cover corner, Jeff Okudah, is expected to miss the game due to a concussion.

Center Mitch Morse (elbow, ankle) was among the Bills who didn’t practice on Tuesday.

–Field Level Media

Nov 20, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) celebrate a touchdown during the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys set table for East run as Giants come knocking

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Winning the NFC East becomes a longshot with a loss on Thanksgiving Day, hiking the stakes for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.

Dallas has won 10 of the past 11 over their rivals, who meet for the second time this season following a 23-16 Cowboys’ victory on Sept. 26 at East Rutherford, N.J.

The rematch arrives as the Cowboys host a game on Thanksgiving for the 45th consecutive season. Dallas has lost three straight on Turkey Day and look to end the slide at Arlington, Texas.

The Cowboys (7-3) enter against New York (7-3) on a high note after steamrolling the host Minnesota Vikings 40-3 on Sunday, but both teams are well off the pace set by division-leading Philadelphia (9-1).

Tony Pollard had a career-best 189 yards from scrimmage (80 rushing, 109 receiving) and caught two touchdown passes in the stunningly easy victory.

Star linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive end Dorance Armstrong each had two of Dallas’ seven sacks against Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Cowboys lead the NFL in sacks (42) and scoring defense (16.7 points per game) and rank ninth in total defense (310.6 yards per game).

Parsons, who ranks second in the NFL with 10 sacks, injured his left knee and ankle against the Vikings. He maintains he will be ready to play against the Giants but his status is something to watch during a short week.

“I just got rolled up. I felt like everyone on the line just kind of fell on my leg,” Parsons said. “It was a quick shot — I’ve never had that (pain) before. But my health is great. The knee is cool, definitely in a positive manner.”

Dallas sacked New York quarterback Daniel Jones five times during the September victory with defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence registering three of them.

But Jones also rushed for 79 yards and recorded first downs on seven of his nine rushing attempts, passing for 196 yards with one interception.

“Daniel Jones is a phenomenal quarterback when it comes down to things breaking down and him using his legs,” Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse said. “He’s a pretty mobile quarterback when it comes to that. Everything coming from me boils down to guys just doing their jobs.”

The Giants had a disappointing 31-18 home loss to the Detroit Lions last week. Jones passed for 341 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions and ran for a score.

Star running back Saquon Barkley was limited to 22 yards on 15 carries. Barkley is second in the NFL in rushing yardage (953) and fourth in scrimmage yards (1,163). The setback was the second in three games following New York’s surprising 6-1 start.

“We’re not going to panic. We’re not going to worry. We’re not going to waver at all,” Barkley said.

Giants coach Brian Daboll is expecting a turnaround against the Cowboys.

“They’ll respond,” Daboll said. “… We’re in an outcome, results-oriented business. We all understand that. But the things that we do during the week, the work we put in, how we study, that’s what’s important to me. Obviously, we want to win every game. But I think you stay consistent. We’re going to go through our preparation. And then we’re going to go out and try to play the best we can play Thursday.”

Prescott did not play in the first meeting this season due to a thumb injury. He has thrown 21 touchdown passes against five interceptions in 11 career games against the Giants.

New York lost wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson to a season-ending ACL tear in his right knee against the Lions and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (knee) is expected to miss at least four weeks with a sprained MCL.

Cowboys linebacker Anthony Barr (hamstring) will miss his third straight game. Running back Ezekiel Elliott (knee) will be watched closely during the short week. He rushed for two touchdowns against the Vikings after missing the previous two games.

–Field Level Media