The Detroit Lions have been flexing their muscles all season long and they are not about to take it easy on Thanksgiving Day against the Bears.
For years, Thanksgiving football was often about the Lions failing in front of a national TV audience and critics wondering why football fans were still subject to watching this team play on this huge American holiday. That thought has disappeared from the public consciousness because the Lions are the best team in the NFL.
At least through the first 12 weeks of the season. They have the same record as the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, but while Patrick Mahomes & Co. have needed heroics at the last moment to secure several victories, the Lions have been a relentless crew that has been rolling over the opposition for nine straight games.
The Lions are a “wagon,” the term that is in vogue to describe a powerhouse of a sports franchise. They have scored 40 or more points four times during the current streak and 50 or more twice. The Lions edged the Vikings by two points and the Texans by three, but all the other victories have been by 10 points or more.
The Lions have taken on the personality of head coach Dan Campbell, who has built a team that plays angry football for 60 minutes, just as he predicted when he was hired prior to the 2021 season. Whenever the Lions have an opponent down, they pour it on in a fashion that certainly impresses all those who believe professional football is a 60-minute game and that there is no reason to let up when they get up by three touchdowns or more.
Just ask the Cowboys, Titans or Jaguars, teams that were all beaten by 38 points or more. This team’s offensive power is impressive with Jared Goff calling signals. He has completed 223 of 306 passes for 2,761 yards with 20 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
Historic achievement for Lions running backs
The running attack has been remarkable, as the Lions have two backs who are each double-digit touchdown scorers. If that sounds familiar, it’s because David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs also accomplished the feat last year. No team has ever had a pair of running backs with 10 or more touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
Montgomery is the power back who can also run away from defenders once he gets through the first level. He has rushed for 632 yards with a 4.36 yard per carry mark and 10 touchdowns. Gibbs is the speed back who has rushed for 886 yards and averaged 5.75 yards per carry while reaching the end zone 11 times.
The receiving crew has been brilliant. Amon-Ra St. Brown has caught 71 of 85 targets for 747 yards with 9 TDs. Jameson Williams may not have the volume of St. Brown, but he has caught 29-602-4, and his 20.76 yards per reception mark means he is a threat to make a big-play every time the touches the ball.
Tight end Sam LaPorta looked like a star in 2023 as a rookie, but his numbers have come down this year because the Lions have so many major threats on offense. He has caught 28-385-3, and it would not be a surprise to see him double his numbers before the end of the season.
The Lions will have an opportunity to flex their offensive muscles against the Bears, a team that is reeling with five straight losses and destined to finish in last place in the powerful NFC North. Head coach Matt Eberflus has been as relentless as Campbell, except that his pursuit appears to be last-second, heart-wrenching defeats. Brutal losses to the Commanders, Packers and Vikings have ruined the Bears season and they will come into Ford Field with their heads hanging.
Chicago appears to have their quarterback of the future in Caleb Williams, but how much coaching has the No. 1 draft pick received this season? Throughout training camp, Eberflus was regularly seen walking with Williams and telling him how great he is.
That’s not coaching, that’s cheerleading. The Bears need a head coach like Campbell, who is as close to an old-school leader as there is in today’s NFL. No, he is not a disciplinarian in the mold of Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Mike Ditka, Bill Parcells or even Bill Belichick. But he ensures that his team plays to a high standard and holds his players accountable.
The Lions have never been to the promised land of the Super Bowl, but they are expecting to get there this season and anything else will be something of a shocking disappointment.
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