(CBS-DETROIT) — The Detroit Lions want to extend their win streak to ten games on Thursday host the Chicago Bears in their annual Thanksgiving game at Ford Field.
While Lions fans are excited to see their team on a historic run and closing in on a second consecutive playoff berth, they would certainly love to get a Lions win along with that slice of pumpkin pie.
It’s been eight years since Detroit last won on Thanksgiving. Detroit’s most recent Turkey Day win came in 2016 against the Minnesota Vikings.
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Matt Prater kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired after Darius Slay intercepted a Sam Bradford pass and returned it 13 yards with 30 seconds left in a 16-13 win. The win gave Detroit sole possession of first place in the NFC North, but the Lions would ultimately drop their final three regular season games and lose a controversial NFC wild card game to the Seattle Seahawks.
Thursday’s game marks Detroit’s 85th Thanksgiving Day game. Detroit’s first Turkey Day game was a 19-16 loss to the Bears in 1934. The two teams met 19 times on Thanksgiving, with the Bears having an 11-8 record against the Lions during those meetings.
The Lions are 37-45-2 all-time on Thanksgiving and have dropped three consecutive meetings (2021, 2019 and 2018) to the Bears in the Fall Classic. Detroit has played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, with the exception of a six-season hiatus from 1939 to 1944 due to World War II.
Detroit can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Thursday and via a variety of scenarios.
Looking at the NFC North race, the Lions lead the Vikings (9-2) by one game and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Green Bay Packers are 8-3, while the Bears are 4-7.
Kickoff Thursday from Ford Field is 12:30 p.m Shaboozey will perform the halftime show.
You can watch the Lions-Bears game only on CBS Detroit, with pregame coverage starting at 11 a.m.
