Holiday could be last gasp
Lions make final effort to stay in NFC North race
DETROIT — In many ways, the Thanksgiving games mark the beginning of the NFL’s stretch drive.
For the Lions, this might be the final chance to stay in the race for a division title.
The Lions host the Vikings on Thursday in a game that should drastically alter the NFC North race.
If the Vikings win, they will have a three-game lead atop the division, but if the Lions prevail, they will be within one game and would have a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vikings. Plus, the Lions have a favorable schedule after this week.
“November football and December football — everything turns up a notch,” Lions receiver Golden Tate said. “And right around Thanksgiving, it really turns up.
“It’s no secret that the Vikings are playing tremendous football right now. They’re making it happen.”
The Vikings (8-2) have won six games in a row since a 14-7 loss to the Lions on Oct. 1. They enter a stretch of three straight road games against the Lions, Falcons and Panthers, so there’s pressure on the Vikings to open up a comfortable division lead and earn some margin for error.
“Teams are judged after you finish the season,” Vikings cornerback Terence Newman said. “A lot of guys want to talk about how we have strung a couple wins together. We’ve got eight. I have been doing this way too long. I know things can go south just as quick as they can go the other way.”
Last season, the Vikings started 5-0 before plummeting to an 8-8 finish.
The Lions (6-4) are coming off victories over the Bears and Browns that were underwhelming at times, while the Vikings handled the NFC Westleading Rams 24-7 last weekend.
“They do everything well,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “They’re moving the ball up and down the field. They’re making big plays. They’ve always played great defense, and their special teams are very good.”
The Lions are 18-8 under Caldwell in the second half of the regular season, but if they fall out of the division race, a wild card looks dicey. They already lost to the Saints (8-2), Panthers (7-3) and Falcons (6-4).
The Lions and Vikings are playing on Thanksgiving for a second straight year after the Lions won 16-13 last season.
The Lions have won four consecutive Thanksgiving Day games after dropping nine in a row from 2004 to 2012.