DETROIT – Darius Slay smiled, ear to ear, and his eyes lit up while he sat on the stool in front of his stall.
Detroit’s standout cornerback can’t wait to play on Thanksgiving with a lot at stake for a change.
The Lions will have a featured game on the holiday as usual, continuing a tradition that dates to 1934, but it will be very significant to them in the standings unlike many matchups over the past two-plus decades.
Detroit (6-4) hosts the Minnesota Vikings (6-4) in a matchup of first-place teams in the NFC North. It will be the first time the Lions are in first place on the holiday since 1993, which is also the most recent year the franchise won a division title.
“I love it,” Slay said. “We know the risks, and the stakes.”
If the Lions beat Minnesota for the second time this month and sweep the season series, they would win the head-to-head tiebreaker if both teams are tied at the end of the regular season. “You can’t help but think about that,” said Detroit receiver Golden Tate, who flipped into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown in overtime at Minnesota in Week 9. “The winner of the game will definitely have an advantage in the division and will be in the driver’s seat down the stretch.”
If the Vikings win, they will move into first place with a favorable schedule that includes only one team that currently has a winning record.
“I don’t necessarily think this is necessarily for the division championship,” Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer said. “It’s not like it’s the last game of the season.”
Here are some things to watch when Detroit and Minnesota kick off the NFL’s holiday tripleheader:
Digging it: The Lions limited receiver Stefon Diggs to a season-low 6.15 yards per catch in the previous meeting, but he set a career high with 13 receptions. “You let him catch too many and at some point in time he’s going to burn you because he’s explosive,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “That’s an area where we’ve just got to continue to get better. There’s not a point in time where you say, ‘Hey, we’ll let that guy catch as many balls as he’d like.”Rolling Roberts: When the Lions signed Andre Roberts in June, a month after Washington cut him, they were hoping he would compete to be their returner and possibly provide depth at receiver. Roberts has surpassed expectations, becoming the first Detroit player to return two punts for a touchdown in a season since 2005. He has also made some clutch catches, including a 27-yard reception that set up Matt Prater’s game-tying kick as time expired at Minnesota.Berger the bulwark: One bright spot on Minnesota’s depleted offensive line has been veteran center Joe Berger, who will make his 36th straight start. The native of Newaygo, Michigan, played at NCAA Division II Michigan Tech and went undrafted before stints with the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys. “He’s a really smart guy,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “He’s really helped me with protections. I think that’s one of the first things when you learn a new offense as a quarterback. You want to know, ‘How am I being protected? What are the calls?’ And he’s been awesome.”
Digging it: The Lions limited receiver Stefon Diggs to a season-low 6.15 yards per catch in the previous meeting, but he set a career high with 13 receptions. “You let him catch too many and at some point in time he’s going to burn you because he’s explosive,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “That’s an area where we’ve just got to continue to get better. There’s not a point in time where you say, ‘Hey, we’ll let that guy catch as many balls as he’d like.”Rolling Roberts: When the Lions signed Andre Roberts in June, a month after Washington cut him, they were hoping he would compete to be their returner and possibly provide depth at receiver. Roberts has surpassed expectations, becoming the first Detroit player to return two punts for a touchdown in a season since 2005. He has also made some clutch catches, including a 27-yard reception that set up Matt Prater’s game-tying kick as time expired at Minnesota.Berger the bulwark: One bright spot on Minnesota’s depleted offensive line has been veteran center Joe Berger, who will make his 36th straight start. The native of Newaygo, Michigan, played at NCAA Division II Michigan Tech and went undrafted before stints with the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys. “He’s a really smart guy,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “He’s really helped me with protections. I think that’s one of the first things when you learn a new offense as a quarterback. You want to know, ‘How am I being protected? What are the calls?’ And he’s been awesome.”ARLINGTON, Texas – Kirk Cousins was on a roll going into his previous visit to Dallas with Tony Romo sidelined, just as the Washington quarterback is this season.
The Cowboys have an answer this time in rookie Dak Prescott, who’s been so good that Romo didn’t get his job back when the 36-year-old completed his recovery from a preseason back injury.
Dallas, at an NFL-best 9-1, is looking for its first 10-game winning streak in the same regular season in another Cowboys-Redskins matchup on Thanksgiving. The run started with Prescott’s first career victory at Washington in Week 2.
Cousins and the Redskins (6-3-1) are trying to keep up in the surprisingly strong NFC East, a year after visiting the Cowboys in the regular-season finale when they had already wrapped up the division title at 8-7.
Cousins had three touchdown passes in the first quarter and was on the bench before halftime of that playoff tuneup.
The look was similar in last weekend’s 42-24 win over Green Bay, with Cousins tossing three TDs in Washington’s sixth win in eight games since starting 0-2.
“He’s playing great,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said.
“They were able to move the ball up and down the field and they were also able to make a lot of big plays in the passing game at critical times. That goes to the weapons he has, how they use the weapons and his ability to distribute the football.”
Prescott led a fourth-quarter comeback in a 27-23 win over the Redskins after fellow rookie sensation Ezekiel Elliott was benched because of two fumbles. Now Prescott is the leading rookie passer in the NFL, and Elliott is the league’s top rusher at 1,102 yards.
“He’s been bottled up from time to time in the first quarter, but as the game goes on, that offensive line can wear you down and he gets chunks of yardage,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said.
“And Dak has just done a great job. He’s just been very poised under pressure.”
Elliott hasn’t had fewer than 92 yards since getting 83 before the benching at Washington. “I think we’re a different team, but I mean they’re in the same case,” the 21-year-old former Ohio State star said.
“As the season goes on, you’re going to get better, you’re going to play more together, you’re going to get more chemistry. It’s going to be a good matchup.”
Things to consider in the eighth Thanksgiving meeting with the most frequent holiday rival for the Cowboys, who have won six of the first seven:
No Romo: It’s the first time a healthy Romo won’t start on Thanksgiving for Dallas since 2005, the year before he was a midseason replacement for Drew Bledsoe. Romo was a Thanksgiving whiz early in his career, winning his first five. Most of those were when Prescott was a young Cowboys fan in Louisiana. “It was always, ‘get up, eat some good food and then watch the Cowboys play,’” the 23-year-old Prescott said. “Now I’m kinda excited to be playing in it.”Slowing Cousins: The Cowboys offered little resistance to Cousins on their home field last season, when he was 12 of 15 for 176 yards in less than a half to clinch the NFL’s best completion percentage. Dallas is without safety Barry Church (broken arm) and cornerback Morris Claiborne, who was having the best season of his career before a groin injury.
No Romo: It’s the first time a healthy Romo won’t start on Thanksgiving for Dallas since 2005, the year before he was a midseason replacement for Drew Bledsoe. Romo was a Thanksgiving whiz early in his career, winning his first five. Most of those were when Prescott was a young Cowboys fan in Louisiana. “It was always, ‘get up, eat some good food and then watch the Cowboys play,’” the 23-year-old Prescott said. “Now I’m kinda excited to be playing in it.”Slowing Cousins: The Cowboys offered little resistance to Cousins on their home field last season, when he was 12 of 15 for 176 yards in less than a half to clinch the NFL’s best completion percentage. Dallas is without safety Barry Church (broken arm) and cornerback Morris Claiborne, who was having the best season of his career before a groin injury. INDIANAPOLIS – Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin guessed wrong.
He expected Andrew Luck to overcome a head injury and suit up for Thursday night’s primetime game. Instead, the Indianapolis Colts (5-5) ruled out their star quarterback Wednesday after he missed practice for the third straight day.
The likely replacement will be the rarely used Scott Tolzien, whom Tomlin doesn’t have much tape on because Tolzien hasn’t played since the preseason. But Tomlin didn’t win two Super Bowls without successfully devising contingency plans – and he’ll have to rely on that experience to win at Indy.
Indy, of course, did a good job keeping Luck’s status shrouded because that’s how NFL teams operate.
“You can rub dirt on a lot of things, but you can’t rub dirt on the brain so you have to be smart with that,” said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Here are some other things to watch Thursday:
Bling bling: Four days after honoring the Colts’ 2006 Super Bowl team, they will have another halftime celebration when former coach Tony Dungy and former receiver Marvin Harrison receive their Hall of Fame rings. Both were inducted in August, were part of the title team and could not attend Sunday’s ceremony.Brown & Hilton: Antonio Brown and T.Y. Hilton grew up together as youth league teammates and are still friendly even when they’re on opposing sidelines. This week, they’ll be chasing the same goals. Brown needs 93 yards to join Hines Ward as the second Steelers receiver in history to record four straight 1,000-yard seasons. Hilton needs 112 yards for his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, something only two other Colts’ receivers (Harrison and Reggie Wayne) have done.
Bling bling: Four days after honoring the Colts’ 2006 Super Bowl team, they will have another halftime celebration when former coach Tony Dungy and former receiver Marvin Harrison receive their Hall of Fame rings. Both were inducted in August, were part of the title team and could not attend Sunday’s ceremony.Brown & Hilton: Antonio Brown and T.Y. Hilton grew up together as youth league teammates and are still friendly even when they’re on opposing sidelines. This week, they’ll be chasing the same goals. Brown needs 93 yards to join Hines Ward as the second Steelers receiver in history to record four straight 1,000-yard seasons. Hilton needs 112 yards for his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, something only two other Colts’ receivers (Harrison and Reggie Wayne) have done.The Steelers have three rookies starting on defense: safety Sean Davis, cornerback Artie Burns and nose tackle Javon Hargrave.
They’re growing up quickly. Burns has two interceptions in Pittsburgh’s past three games, Davis has rapidly gone from lost backup to first string and Hargrave recovered a fumble for a TD in Cleveland.
The Steelers will need their fresh legs over the final six games to make the playoffs for a third straight season, something they’ve never done under Mike Tomlin.
“I just hope they keep coming along the way they have,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said.
While Pittsburgh has lost four straight Thanksgiving Day games since 1983, the Colts have won the only two such games they’ve been involved in since the move to Indy.
The Colts also have won 10 straight Thursday night games since 2007. But they haven’t beaten Pittsburgh since 2008.
Oh the benefits of being 24. Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is feeling good just a few days removed from a heavy workload against the Browns.
Bell touched the ball 32 times while piling up 201 total yards and Pittsburgh’s only offensive TD in Cleveland. The more carries Bell gets, the better things seem to go for the Steelers.
Pittsburgh is 8-2 when he runs for 100 yards.
“He is a young guy that wants it all the time,” offensive coordinator Todd Haley said. “I haven’t seen him ever dragging around after a big game, which is what he had.”
