Key Vikings-Lions game kicks off Turkey Day tripleheader
DETROIT — In many ways, the Thanksgiving games mark the beginning of the NFL’s stretch drive.
For the Detroit Lions, this may be the final chance to stay in the race for a division title.
The Lions host the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday in a game that should drastically alter the NFC North race. It’s the first of three games on the day.
If Minnesota wins, the Vikings would have a three-game lead atop the division, but if Detroit prevails, the Lions would be within one game and would have a head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota. Plus, Detroit has a favorable schedule after this week.
“November football and December football — everything turns up a notch. And right around Thanksgiving, it really turns up,” Detroit receiver Golden Tate said. “It’s no secret that the Vikings are playing tremendous football right now. They’re making it happen.”
Minnesota (8-2) has won six games in a row since a 14-7 loss to Detroit on Oct. 1. The Vikings enter a stretch of three straight road games against Detroit, Atlanta and Carolina, so there’s some pressure on Minnesota to open up a comfortable division lead and earn some margin for error.
Last season, Minnesota started 5-0 before plummeting to an 8-8 finish. GIANTS-REDSKINS: Washington tight end Jordan Reed, defensive lineman Terrell McClain, center Chase Roullier and safety Montae Nicholson will miss the Redskins’ game against the New York Giants tonight, which is the day’s final game.
There might be other Redskins sidelined, too.
Coach Jay Gruden said Wednesday that seven or eight players will be gametime decisions Thursday night, indicating that left tackle Trent Williams is among that group.
This will be Reed’s fourth consecutive game out with a hamstring injury.
The Giants (2-8) enter the game off an upset home win over Kansas City, 12-9 in overtime. Washington lost at New Orleans last week in the Superdome, 34-31, also in overtime. BRONCOS: Vance Joseph handed Denver’s starting quarterback job to Paxton Lynch on Wednesday, elevating the former firstround pick who failed to win the job outright under two different coaching staffs but gets another chance because of Denver’s tailspin .
The Broncos (3-7) have lost six in a row and Joseph replaced offensive coordinator Mike McCoy on Monday with Bill Musgrave, who helped guide Derek Carr in Oakland the past two seasons.
The Broncos visit the Raiders (4-6), another underachieving team that had a staff shake-up this week, replacing Ken Norton Jr. with John Pagano as defensive coordinator Tuesday.
In Denver, Joseph instructed Musgrave to simplify the complex offense McCoy had installed and stubbornly stuck with despite a lack of depth at receiver and tight end and a porous line that crimped the passing game whether Trevor Siemian or Brock Osweiler was at quarterback.
Siemian handily won the drawn-out QB competition over Lynch for a second time this summer but a dozen turnovers left him benched after seven games.
The Broncos turned to Osweiler, Peyton Manning’s former longtime backup, but he went 0-3.
CHIEFS: The AFC West leaders signed the seventime Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis on Wednesday, a surprising midseason move involving a bigname player. Revis played for the New York Jets last season, but his massive salary cap number combined with a decline in performance led to his release in late February.
Still, the Chiefs were desperate to find a cornerback to play opposite Marcus Peters. Terrence Mitchell, Kenneth Acker, Steven Nelson and Phillip Gaines have all failed to hold down the spot.
“He’s ready to go now,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in a conference call with reporters, who would not rule out Revis playing Sunday against Buffalo
The Chiefs enter the game with the 28th-ranked pass defense in the league.
49ERS: San Francisco is planning to give rookie C.J. Beathard his fifth consecutive start Sunday against the Seahawks, Kyle Shanahan said.
That means Jimmy Garoppolo will likely be the backup for at least another week after being acquired in a trade with the Patriots at the Oct. 31 deadline.
Shanahan said Wednesday that the decision stemmed from Beathard’s play in San Francisco’s first win of the season on Nov. 12 against the Giants and the fact Garoppolo is still learning the complex offense.
LIONS: Veteran defensive end Dwight Freeney was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday. Freeney, 37, had three sacks in four games with the Seahawks this year, but was waived after the team’s Monday night loss to Atlanta.