A series of streaks are on the line going into Thursday's showdown between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. For the Lions, they want their losing streak on Thanksgiving to come to an end. Detroit hasn't seen a win on Turkey Day since 2003, when the Lions defeated the Packers, 22-14. For Green Bay, they don't want their 16-game winning streak to come to an end. The Packers won their final two regular season games last year and four playoffs games (including the Super Bowl), and so far this year they have won 10 straight to start the season.
The last time these two teams met, the Lions actually began a lengthy winning streak of their own. Detroit knocked Aaron Rodgers out of the game and won a defensive struggle by a score of 7-3. The win turned the season around, and the Lions ultimately went on to win their final four games of 2010. This year, they opened the season with five straight wins.
Beyond the storylines about the streaks, the Packers' undefeated record and the playoff implications this game could have, this is a chance for the Lions to make a statement on national television yet again. Earlier this season, the Lions beat the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football to improve to 5-0, showing that they were for real. Thursday will be another chance to show the nation that the Lions aren't a team to be taken lightly, which would go a long way toward making people forget about the embarrassing Lions losses on Thanksgiving in recent years.
In any case, Thursday will be a very exciting and important game for the Lions. They haven't had a meaningful Thanksgiving game like this in years, and Detroit finally has a reason to be excited to watch the Lions on Turkey Day. Hopefully they won't disappoint and the Lions will emerge victorious by upsetting the Packers.