Following the important game running back Joique Bell said, “Third year in a row (we’ve won on Thanksgiving), let’s keep this streak going…Offense played great, defense played awesome”. Once Johnson got involved, the Detroit offense became unstoppable.
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Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford tied a career high with five touchdown passes, three of them to Calvin Johnson.
Quarterback Mark Sanchez passed for 199 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles (4-7), who gave up 45 points for the second time in five days and lost their third straight. The Lions had six sacks as a team, equaling a season high. “This is a young man who doesn’t have almost the football experience that everyone else in the league has, so we’re just scratching the surface of what he can do”. “Less mistakes, more concentration, all those things add up”. Watkins appeared in four games a year ago, recording three tackles and one pass defensed. He was touted as a north-south back that ran straight ahead rather than side-to-side like McCoy.
Detroit’s Ezekiel Ansah had a career-high 3 1/2 sacks, one of which forced a fumble by Sanchez that the defensive end recovered. The Lions haven’t lost since a front-office shakeup after getting blown by Kansas City in London. “I think all the way across the board, the guys played well”. “We can’t continue to have three-and-outs, and now they’re back on the field. That’s what you’re seeing now”. They have won three straight by a combined score of 119-41. But I just think it’s more to just stir up stuff. “And when you win convincingly like we did today, that makes it extra sweet”.
One reason to get excited: There are many reasons for Lions fans to be happy Thursday, but the overall domination of Philadelphia would be a strong place to start.
The Eagles had their moment when Brent Celek knotted the score by reaching the ball over the goal line while draped with linebacker Stephen Tulloch on a two-yard pass from Sanchez.
“I feel bad because we’ve been able to do some good things here in the first two years, but to come where it is now, it’s a big drop-off”, tackle Lane Johnson told Philly.com’s Jeff McLane last week. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and
“I’m a coach, not a player”.
“I can’t lie and say no to that”, he said when asked if he enjoyed proving people wrong. Johnson got past rookie cornerback Eric Rowe
, who replaced injured Nolan Carroll earlier in the half. Kelly said he’s not going to fire Davis, and Davis said he and Kelly are committed to turning this sinking season around.
-FS Glover Quin suffered a left ankle injury late in the first quarter and did not return.
I strongly urge Detroit Lions fans to temper their expectations going into the final leg of the 2015 season.
He has missed time with injuries each of the past two years, and at 30 most think he’s on the downside of his career. They have looked like a high-powered offense at times, especially when they put up 33 on their rival Cowboys, but have also looked eminently beatable, as Matthew Stafford threw for five TDs on Thanksgiving, one week after Jameis Winston did the same. He now has 20 touchdown passes for the season.
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After not throwing to Johnson much early in the game, Stafford started connecting with the star receiver. Sure, technically, they still have a chance to win the NFC East, trailing the Giants by 1 ½ games heading into Sunday’s games. Stafford threw a go-ahead, 2-yard TD midway through the second quarter to Golden Tate, who lined up as a fullback and went to the flat where he caught the ball and stopped, letting safety Walter Thurmond run past him. Mariota went on to win the Heisman Trophy and play for a National Championship in 2014.
