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There were only two games that took place for this Thanksgiving, not the three which has become the normal routine since 2006. This was because the late game between Pittsburgh and the Baltimore was pushed back after numerous Ravens players tested positive for Covid-19. This includes star quarterback Lamar Jackson.
That meant that it came down to the two conventional Thanksgiving Day NFL franchises. Up until 2006, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys were the only two teams certain to be featured on Turkey Day. And this strange year, we saw a kind of unexpected throwback and nod to that tradition when the Steelers-Ravens game was pushed back. As of right now, it is scheduled to be played on Sunday afternoon.
So, how were the two Thanksgiving Day games?
Well, the Lions came in with a dismal record of 4-6, while the Cowboys came in with an even worse record of 3-7. Neither of their two opponents sported particularly impressive records, for that matter, either.
Yet, the Lions and Cowboys played some pretty bad football, and both lost, allowing a ton of points by their opponents in the process. It was not a blowout necessarily from the start, and in fact, the Dallas game was quite close well into the fourth quarter. But there was an explosion of points by the away teams in the fourth quarter in both games, leading to what looks, at least on paper, like a blowout win.
Let’s take a look at the two games:
Houston 41, Detroit 26 – The Lions will not be reaching the playoffs this season. Sure, this seems obvious enough, and it is a recurring theme for the Lions and their unfortunate fans. I had apparently foolishly suggested in my preview of this game that the Lions looked like the better team and were closer to being a serious playoff contender. But nope. They proved that to be dead wrong, playing a miserable game before an empty home domed stadium, and pretty much ending any realistic chances they still had of making the playoffs. You cannot get blown out the way that they have in their last two games – both against losing teams – and still expect to recover enough to reach the playoffs.
Statistically, the Lions held most of the advantages in this game. They produced slightly more yards than Houston did, with 388 yard to 384 for the Texans. They produced 28 first downs, to just 21 for Houston. They won the time of possession battle, hanging onto the ball for over 33 minutes. And the game sure started off well for them, as they scored a touchdown by Adrian Petersen on their first possession to take the early 7-0 lead. They even had a 14-13 lead in the second quarter.
Deshaun Watson enjoyed a very solid day, completing 17 of 25 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns. His favorite target was Will Fuller V, who picked up a whopping 171 yards and two touchdowns on six catches. On the ground, Duke Johnson added 37 yards on nine carries.
It should be noted that star defender J.J. Watts managed to bat a pass in the first quarter, and then managed to catch the ball for an INT. Then, he ran it in for a pick six. Amazingly, this was not the first time that he had a pick six on Thanksgiving, having gotten one against this same Lions team hack in 2012. Very impressive!
In a losing cause for Detroit, Matthew Stafford completed 28 of 42 passes for 295 yards, with one touchdown and an INT. His favorite target was T.J. Hockenson, who picked up 89 yards on five catches. On the ground, veteran running back Adrian Peterson picked up 55 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
With the win, the Texans improve to 4-7 on the season, solidly third in the AFC South. They still have a sliver of a chance at qualifying for the playoffs, and two wins in a row is a promising sign that they may finally be getting their season on track. They face the division leading Colts twice in the next three games, with a home game against the Bears sandwiched in between. They then close their season out with two home games against the Bengals and the Titans, but they have little to no margin for error.
Still, personally, I am happy for head coach Romeo Crennel, who I remember from his days with the New York Giants teams of the eighties and nineties. He won two Super Bowl rings during that time under Bill Parcells, and he won three more Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick, who also served on that same Giants team back in the eighties and nineties. Yes, in case you were wondering, I am a Giants fan, and still like some of those old Giants coaches from the era, like Crennel and Belichick.
With the loss, the Lions are now in sole possession of last place in the NFC North with a 4-7 record, and their playoff chances, already slim entering this game, appear to be on life support. They will face two divisional opponents next as they travel to Chicago and then host the Packers, before going down to Tennessee to take on the Titans. They then close out the season with two homes games against the Buccaneers and the Vikings. Frankly, it is difficult to see how they could recover to qualify for the playoffs, despite the seventh spot newly open to each conference in the updated playoff format.
Washington 41, Dallas 16 – When you look at the final score, it is almost hard to believe that this was a close game until the final twelve minutes. In fact, the Cowboys were only losing by four at halftime, and after an exchange of field goals between the two teams in the third quarter, it was still a four-point game early in the fourth quarter. However, a Cowboys drive stalled early in the fourth quarter, and they set up for an apparent punt, but instead tried for a fake. Washington was well-prepared, and seemed almost to know that it was coming. They stuffed the conversion attempt, and took over the ball on downs. As if that were not bad enough, Antoine Gibson ran unopposed for a 23-yard touchdown that almost made the game out of reach. At the very least, Dallas had their backs against the wall, being down by that much, and with time running out.
Washington’s Alex Smith had an impressive day. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 149 yards, with one touchdown and also one interception. Now, I have to admit that following Smith’s serious leg injury just a little over two years ago, it seemed to me that his career was over. He is not exactly a very young guy for a professional athlete. At the time, he was already 34 years, which is kind of getting on there in years for an NFL player. Joe Theismann was also in his mid-thirties when he suffered that gruesome leg injury back in 1985, and he called it a career. Mistakenly, I had assumed that Smith was going to do the same thing. Obviously, that was wrong, and Smith has proven a lot of doubters wrong.
Of course, he did not do everything on his own today. Smith had a favorite target who proved a big help, as Terry McLaurin reeled in seven receptions, picking up 92 yards. And as mentioned earlier, Antoine Gibson had a big game on the ground, rushing for 115 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, in what has to be a banner day in his career.
Entering this game, Washington’s offense had been struggling, ranked near the bottom offensively in the league. But they enjoyed a pretty big day today, picking up a total of 338 yards and 22 first downs. Also, they controlled the ball for over 35 minutes, giving a clear advantage. And they only turned the ball over one time.
As for Dallas, it was a largely forgetful performance. Their defense proved extremely leaky once again, especially when the game was on the line, and it was most crucial for them to hold. On offense, though, they did not exactly light up the scoreboard much, either. They produced three field goals and one touchdown, which accounted for their 16 point total. They also turned the ball over twice, and managed only 247 yards and 13 first downs.
Andy Dalton 25 of 35 for 215 yards, with one touchdown and one INT. His favorite target, not surprisingly, was star wide receiver Amari Cooper, who did have a bit day, as he caught six balls for 112 yards and that touchdown pass. Running back Ezekiel Elliott was largely ineffective, however, being limited to just 32 yards on 10 carries. Dalton did have a couple of pretty big runs to pick up some crucial first downs here and there. For the most part, however, Dallas just did not look good on offense, or on special teams. But it was on defense where they really looked the worst and most vulnerable.
The win improves Washington’s record to 4-7 on the season, and with this victory, they move into first place in the NFC East, at least temporarily. That could change if either the Giants and especially the Eagles win this coming weekend. For now, though, Washington leads the division, with a record of 4-7, which seems a statement on how bad this division is. They have a tough schedule coming up, however, as they next go to Pittsburgh, and then visit the 49ers in San Francisco. They host Seattle and then Carolina, before closing the season out facing the Eagles in Philadelphia.
As for the Cowboys, this was one more disappointment in a season that has been full of them. This loss completed a season sweep by Washington, and they are now 1-3 in divisional play to this point, far below any of the other teams in the conference. They next visit Baltimore to take on the Ravens, and then go to Cincinnati, before a pair of home games against San Francisco and Philadelphia, before closing their season out against the Giants at the Meadowlands.
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