Calvin Johnson is the best Thanksgiving tradition. He grinded out 62 yards and gave the Lions an explosive run of 23 yards in the first quarter. “(Offensive coordinator) Jim Bob (Cooter) dialed up some plays for him and he got open and made some big-time catches”.
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The Lions are slated to host the Packers next Thursday while the Eagles prepare to make the trip to New England to face the undefeated Patriots before returning to Philadelphia for a three-game homestand.
Johnson caught three of those TDs as the Lions scored on six straight possessions at one point in the game.
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.
– Give thanks to the football gods for giving us players like Megatron, who set a Thanksgiving Day record with his seventh touchdown catch.
Defensively, Ziggy Ansah was on fire with 3.5 sacks (a career high) and a recovered fumble on the Eagles 14-yard line.
The Lions haven’t lost since a front-office shakeup after getting blown by Kansas City in London. “I’ve never looked at it like that“. The 45 points allowed doesn’t even begin to show how poorly the defense played. “That’s what you’re seeing now”.
By the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Lions held a daunting 45-7 lead and despite the massive lead, Stafford was the only quarterback on the Lions side to attempt a pass. His backup did not get a chance to air any balls out in the contest.
The Lions have now won their last three Thanksgiving games by a combined 78 points.
Thursday’s game was another reminder of the quarterback Stafford can be at times. Its a blast. Its a whole lot more fun when you win. The Lions alternate Joique Bell, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick and all three were productive on Thursday. I think sometimes people panic and throw the baby out of the bath water, ” Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said.
And for that, Lions coaches, players and fans are grateful.
Ansah has progressed from eight sacks as a rookie and 7.5 sacks in 2014 to 11.5 this year. “I think [Thursday] was my day”.
Kelly, in his third season with the Eagles, said his team had trouble matching up with Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, who in lockstep with quarterback Matthew Stafford carved up the Philadelphia secondary.
The Eagles won over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 9, which brought them to.500, but then they ended up losing games to both the Dolphins and the Buccaneers. Sanchez went 3-for-3 for 58 yards and a TD on a seven-play, 80 play drive early in the second. James Ihedigbo, who recently lost the strong safety spot to Isa Adbul-Quddus, returned to his former position while Abdul-Quddus slid over to Quin’s spot. Their seven losses are more than the team suffered in either of Kelly’s first two seasons. He finished 27 for 38 for 337 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. He now has 20 touchdown passes for the season.
The Arizona Republic reports that Stafford has passed for 1,650 yards in five Thanksgiving Day games, which is the third most in National Football League history. He now has a team-record 29 games with at least 300 yards passing.
Stafford threw for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover by halftime for the second time in his career, according to STATS, to help the Lions lead 24-7.
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“He said that this is what we’ve been working for for so long, you know?”
