Since 1934, the Detroit Lions have been a Thanksgiving staple.
This year will be no different, as the Lions will once again play on the national stage. The opponent this year is the Chicago Bears, an NFC North division rival. Detroit is 37-42-2 all-time on Thanksgiving, and last won in 2016.
Before watching the Lions and Bears square off, take a trip down memory lane for some of the Lions’ best moments on Thanksgiving.
5.) Lions roll Rodgers-less Packers
With Green Bay’s starting quarterback out with a broken collarbone, the Lions seized the opportunity. It was Nov. 28, 2013, and Detroit was out to get its banged-up division rivals. Led by Matthew Stafford’s three touchdown passes, there was little trouble.
Stafford hit Jeremy Ross, Kevin Ogletree and Calvin Johnson for touchdowns, Ndamukong Suh had a safety and DeAndre Levy picked off Packers quarterback Matt Flynn. It was an easy watch for fans, as the Lions routed their rivals, 40-10.
4.) Defense dominates eventual Super Bowl MVP
The Lions' defense came to play on Nov. 22, 1962. Playing the rival Green Bay Packers, the unit totaled 10 sacks, according to Pro Football Reference, and dominated eventual Super Bowl-winning quarterback Bart Starr.
On the offensive side, quarterback Milt Plum had two touchdown passes, and also notched a 47-yard field goal. Both of Plum’s touchdown passes went to Gail Cogdill. The Packers scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns, but the Lions won the game, 26-14.
3.) Barry bullies the Bears
One of the best running backs in NFL history took advantage of the big stage on Nov. 27, 1997. Barry Sanders carried the ball 19 times for 167 yards and three touchdowns, as the Lions routed the Bears, 55-20.
Sanders wasn’t the only player in on the fun, as quarterback Scott Mitchell threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Johnnie Morton and Herman Moore were the receiving beneficiaries, as the duo hauled in a score apiece.
The Bears led 14-0 and then 20-10 early, but Detroit scored 45 unanswered. Tracy Scroggins put the exclamation point on the effort, with a 17-yard fumble return.
2.) Outlasting the Vikings
Another NFC North rival and common opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, were on the losing end of a high-scoring shootout on Nov. 23, 1995. It was a shootout right from the start, as 21 points were scored in the first quarter and 31 in the second. Minnesota had a 28-24 lead at the half.
The Lions took the lead in the third quarter on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Scott Mitchell to Moore. The lead swelled to 10, on a 50-yard Sanders touchdown run. Minnesota cut it to three, but a Jason Hanson field goal pushed the lead back to six and gave the Lions the 44-38 win.
1.) The controversial coin toss
On Nov. 26, 1998, the Lions met the Pittsburgh Steelers in what featured one of the holiday’s most controversial endings. The two teams traded field goals for most of the afternoon, with Detroit’s only touchdown coming on a 21-yard pass from Charlie Batch to Moore.
Four quarters weren’t enough to decide a winner between the two teams, sending the game to overtime. During the coin toss, Steelers running back Jerome Bettis was heard by referee Phil Luckett calling heads. Bettis insists he called tails, but the toss landed on tails and was won by the Lions.
Detroit promptly took the ball and moved down the field, winning, 19-16, on Jason Hanson’s fourth field goal of the game.
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