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Lions 0-3 Packers 5:12, 1st quarter
St Brown has gone down the tunnel. Big loss for the Lions if he doesn’t come back out. He was actually rolled up on by two of his teammates. Jahmyr Gibbs bursts out on the next play and finds the 1st down.
Lions 0-3 Packers 6:19, 1st quarter
Oh no more bad luck for the Lions. Amon-Ra St Brown goes down hurt on the first play of the drive. He is staying down holding his leg after being rolled up on from behind. Not good.
Lions 0-3 Packers 7:27, 1st quarter
Green Bay boot it straight back. Terrion Arnold delivers a massive hit on Chris Brooks to end the three-play drive. Boom! Detroit take over with at their 37-yard line after a shifty return from Tom Kennedy.
Lions 0-3 Packers 8:27, 1st quarter
Well that was over quickly. A botched snap, a missed throw and Jared Goff almost taking a huge sack gives the ball straight back to the Packers. Detroit punt.
It’s GOOD! Lions 0-3 Packers 9:17, 1st quarter
Green Bay start mixing in running back Josh Jacobs and move into Detroit territory with ease. They dial up play action and Love holds on for an age, scans the field … has an open receiver but misses him up the right sideline. That would have been a walk-in touchdown. Tom Brady is hurting in the booth after that one. Love misses another throw to bring up 3rd and 10 and throws it away after Detroit cover his targets up. Brandon McManus bangs it home from 45 yards.
Lions 0-0 Packers 13:46, 1st quarter
Well so much for being conservative, Jordan Love comes out slinging on Green Bay’s opening drive. The quarterback finds Christian Watson with a 17-yard strike to move the chains toward midfield.
The anthem has been sung, kick-off incoming. Detroit v Green Bay is going to be a fight of contrasting styles. The Lions want to steamroll all comers behind a freewheeling offense, the NFL’s second highest scorers with 326 points. The Packers will be aiming to shut down Jahmyr Gibbs whose immense production from running back has been key for the home team. The Packers are much more content with keeping quarterback Jordan Love’s play conservative to avoid turnovers while leaning on their stingy, aggressive defense led by Micah Parsons to keep them ahead on the scoreboard.
Of course today’s slate has an official title: the John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration. The legendary player, coach and broadcaster, who died in 2021, always brought the holiday spirit with his overflowing warmth and panache whether musing on the low flightpaths of aircraft or pigeons, doling out giant drumsticks to MVPs or breaking down the x’s and o’s of his famous frankenroast: the mighty Turducken.
Now I’m going to be bold and bet no one has dialled up the chicken/duck/turkey heavy personnel formation from their local butcher but if you have a spread to make the great man jealous then drop me a picture and who you think you will be getting a turkey leg later on.
We miss you, John. Boom!
Preamble
Hello and happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! I am just going to come out and say it, I am so very thankful for midweek football on at a decent hour in the UK and having the pleasure of bringing it to you, wherever you might be on this beautiful blue marble. I just hope we feast as well on the turf as lots of you will around your tables.
Thanksgiving is all about tradition so our starter is served piping hot from Detroit, as it has been since 1934, and it could be a classic between the (7-4) Lions and the (7-3-1) Green Bay Packers. The records look pretty but they are both still a win behind the Chicago Bears at the NFC North’s summit while Detroit would just miss out on a wildcard as it stands owing to Green Bay’s draw. So victory is the only option, if it wasn’t already, as these great rivals gear up for their 193rd meeting. The Packers hold a significant edge all-time with a 107-78-7 record.
For mains, those (5-5-1) Dallas Cowboys host the (6-5) Kansas City Chiefs in what will be Patrick Mahomes’s Thanksgiving debut. America’s team v the Dynasty. Two heavyweights at times down on their luck this season but still in the hunt for the postseason especially after the thrilling comeback wins they both pulled off last week. The Chiefs knocked off the Colts in overtime as they roared back from 20-9 down in the 4th quarter while the Cowboys said “hold my turkey leg” as they gifted the Eagles a 21-0 lead only to then shut out the Super Bowl champions and win 24-21. Clearly when Dallas and KC are in rhythm they can score in bunches, so, let’s hope the offensive orchestras are in sync from kick-off.
The table is set, bon appétit!
