Detroit Lions had lost their past seven games on Thanksgiving
The Detroit Lions won a 10th straight game and ended their wait for a Thanksgiving victory by withstanding a Chicago Bears fightback to triumph 23-20.
Detroit have hosted a game on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, but this was their first win on the American holiday since 2016.
The Lions, who have matched their franchise record after winning 11 of their 12 games this season, led 16-0 at the halfway stage and 23-7 after the third quarter.
Chicago made it a three-point game with five minutes and 36 seconds remaining, but poor clock management in the visitors’ last possession allowed Detroit to hold on.
Jared Goff connected with Sam LaPorta for two touchdowns and passed for 221 yards as the Lions outgained the Bears 279-53 in a one-sided first half.
Although Chicago rallied to set up a tense finale, the Bears could not find the points required in the closing stages, failing to use their final timeout as their losing run extended to six games.
The Lions’ 10-game win streak matched the team’s 90-year record from their first season in Detroit in 1934.
Elsewhere, the Green Bay Packers made it three wins in a row with a dominant 30-17 victory against the Miami Dolphins in Florida.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love completed 21 of his 28 passes for 274 yards, including two for touchdowns.
The victory moved the Packers to 9-3 for the season but that is only good enough for third in the competitive NFC North, which the Lions lead on 11-1 with the Minnesota Vikings second on 9-2.
In the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys earned their first home win in nearly a year with a 27-20 victory against the New York Giants.
It was the Cowboys’ first victory at the AT&T stadium since beating the Lions on 30 December 2023 – 334 days ago.
Image source, Getty Images
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery and quarterback Jared Goff tucked into turkey legs after their win on Thanksgiving
