Even nearly three decades removed from Barry Sanders’ heyday, Thanksgiving games evoke memories of No. 20 jumping, juking and blazing down the field toward the end zone as defenses look helplessly at a Detroit Lions touchdown.
Sanders played just 10 Thanksgiving games, but racked up 931 yards rushing in them, along with eight touchdowns. That’s 564 more yards than the Lions’ No. 2 Turkey Day rusher, Dexter Bussey (who had 367 over 10 Thanksgivings of his own from 1974-84).
Another day against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, Nov. 27, like he had against the Giants on Sunday, and Jahmyr Gibbs could jump into No. 2, though. He’s at 141 yards — 227 yards shy of passing Bussey — in two games, so it may not happen this year for No. 0, but a big afternoon at Ford Field (1 p.m., Fox) would go a long way toward keeping the Lions’ NFC North hopes alive.
Can he — and the Lions — get it done today against the Pack? Six Free Press sports writers have some thoughts.
Dave Birkett
The Packers had their way with the Lions in the season opener. The Lions haven’t totally fixed their offensive line since, but I don’t think Week 1 repeats itself. There’s too much at stake for a Lions team that won’t be able to win the NFC North with a loss. I think Jahmyr Gibbs has another big day and the Lions make life tough on quarterback Jordan Love in a game that comes down to who has the ball last. The pick: Lions 23, Packers 20.
Carlos Monarrez
The Lions won’t get blown out like they did in the opener, and the offense is better under Dan Campbell’s direction, but the offensive line still has enough issues to be a factor against Micah Parsons and the Packers’ elite defense. The Lions might need Jahmyr Gibbs to bail them out again, but he’ll have to do a lot better than the 19 yards on nine carries he had in the opener. The pick: Packers 26, Lions 20.
Christian Romo
As we just saw on Sunday, the Lions are built to win sloppy. The Lions run the ball better than the Packers do. They have a quarterback with more big-game experience. And they have a coach who keeps his composure, but is also willing to make difficult in-game adjustments. Don’t each too much turkey during this one, because it may not be pretty to watch. But the Lions will get it done. The pick: Lions 27, Packers 24.
Rainer Sabin
Styles make fights. The Packers aim to eliminate explosive plays and force opponents to fight for every yard, which means the Lions’ offense may have to survive one long slog after another to reach the end zone Thursday. Given that Jared Goff and Co. have struggled to mount efficient, sustainable drives all season, it’s uncertain if they can accomplish that mission. As the first meeting between these two teams revealed, this isn’t a great matchup for these Lions. Detroit lost that game by 14 points. The Lions will fall short again Thursday – this time by a much smaller margin. The pick: Packers 24, Lions 23.
Jeff Seidel
Obviously, this is a must-win game for the Lions, a team that once seemed destined for the Super Bowl. The cracks have become obvious, and there is little margin for error. But this team still has Jahmyr Gibbs and a knack for finding ways to win. This is Thanksgiving. This is in Detroit. And that homefield advantage will prove the difference. The pick: Lions 28, Packers 24.
Shawn Windsor
Spoiler alert: The Lions haven’t earned the faith inherent in this pick, at least not lately. But they’ve won plenty of grimy games the past few years under Dan Campbell, and here’s betting they’ll find a way to eke out another. Homefield helps. Thanksgiving vibes could help. The offensive line better help. The pick: Lions 23, Packers 20
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions picks vs Packers: Carving out a Thanksgiving win streak?
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Carlos Monarrez, Christian Romo, Rainer Sabin, Jeff Seidel and Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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