On the day when Americans count their blessings, the Detroit Lions were left to try and add up theirs after a 34-12 Thanksgiving Day thrashing by the Green Bay Packers on Thursday.
Aaron Rodgers tossed three touchdown passes and Charles Woodson returned an interception for another as the Packers improved to 7-4 to stay in the NFC wildcard chase while the Lions suffered their sixth consecutive Thanksgiving Day blowout.
“We needed to win this one,” Rodgers told reporters. “We knew the effort Detroit was going to bring, but we stuck with our game plan and battled.”
PHOTO: EPA
With just two wins in 11 games this season, fans of the Lions have little to be thankful for this holiday but although the balance sheet makes grim reading it is two more victories than Detroit had all last season, offering hope for brighter days ahead.
These are still tough times in the Motor City, where unemployment, foreclosures and crime are among the highest in the US.
Burned out homes, boarded up store fronts and empty skyscrapers surround Ford Field, but among the decay there are small signs things are getting better in Motown, and the Lions are part of the rebuilding process.
PHOTO: EPA
Having put last year’s winless season behind them, the Lions are no longer the NFL’s worst team or the punchline for comedians’ jokes.
New uniforms, a new logo, new head coach Jim Schwartz and Matthew Stafford, a rifle-armed rookie quarterback, have helped put some bite back into the toothless Lions.
A year ago dejected Detroit fans arrived at Ford Field wearing paper bags on their heads as a debate raged over whether the team should give up the Thanksgiving Day stage they have played on for 70 seasons.
The paper bags were gone on Thursday and so was much of the talk of taking the Thanksgiving Day tradition out of the Motor City. But another one-sided defeat underscored the fact that, like Detroit itself, there is much work ahead.
Green Bay got the game off to a bumbling start when Jordy Nelson fumbled the opening kickoff and the Lions quickly pounced, Stafford hitting Calvin Johnson with a one-yard touchdown strike.
The Packers pulled level on the first play of the second quarter, Rodgers finding Donald Lee with a seven-yard touchdown pass set up by a 68-yard grab by Donald Driver.
Green Bay continued to move the ball in the second quarter, twice marching inside the Detroit 10 but settling for a pair of Mason Crosby field goals to take a 13-7 lead.
The Packers stormed out of the intermission, Rodgers hooking up with Driver on a seven-yard touchdown and James Jones on a 21-yard strike to go up 27-7.
A fourth-quarter safety by the Lions followed by a Jason Hanson field goal brought some life to a crowd of 57,383.
However, Woodson snuffed out any thoughts of a comeback when he intercepted Stafford and returned to the end zone to seal the Packers’ third straight win.
BRONCOS 26, GIANTS 6
At Denver, Kyle Orton shrugged off the pain of a lingering ankle injury to help the Broncos snap a four-game losing streak with a victory over the New York Giants on Thursday.
The quarterback’s sprained ankle has limited his playing time in recent weeks but he was able to manufacture six scoring drives and tossed for 245 yards, while his defense stifled the Giants to help the Broncos win their first game since Oct. 19.
After beginning the season with six straight wins under first-year coach Josh McDaniels, Denver (7-4) ran into a rough patch of form before Thursday’s win lifted them within a half game of the AFC West Division lead.
Orton led the way with a series of methodical drives to give Denver a 16-0 halftime lead before the Giants responded with two field goals from Lawrence Tynes in the third quarter to reduce the deficit to 10 points.
Denver put the game away when Orton connected with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley with 10:15 to go and Matt Prater completed the scoring with a field goal five minutes later.
Giants quarterback Eli Manning finished with 230 yards and gave up one of his team’s three turnovers as New York (6-5), who opened the season 5-0, remained in third place in the NFC East.
Denver defensive end Elvis Dumervil sacked Manning twice to extend his NFL-leading total to 14.
COWBOYS 24, RAIDERS 7
At Dallas, Tony Romo showed his mettle by battling through a nagging back injury to guide the Cowboys to a 24-7 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Thursday.
Romo, who had been troubled with the injury since last Sunday’s 7-6 victory over the Washington Redskins, threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns as the NFC East-leading Cowboys improved to 8-3.
“Coming out on a short week and getting yourself ready to go, we knew we’d have to play and it comes from all the preparation we put in,” Romo told reporters. “We’re excited about the win.”
Dallas’ offense produced more than 500 total yards against the overmatched Raiders (3-8).
Oakland quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, making his second start, finished with 200 yards on 18-for-35 passing. His four-yard scoring pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey in the third quarter was the sole touchdown for the Raiders.
The Cowboys were ahead 17-0 at halftime following a 46-yard touchdown run by Felix Jones and a nine-yard touchdown reception by Miles Austin, who hauled in seven catches for 145 yards.
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