Green Bay Packers Make Detroit Lions Look Like A Turkey With Massive First Quarter On Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving is one of the biggest days on the NFL calendar every year. Last season, the Thanksgiving Day games drew MASSIVE numbers for all three games, but set a record with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. While this year doesn't feature quite as premium a matchup as that one, the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions came out flying.
That's great news for the NFL. The Lions entered the game as one of the best teams in the league. That's helpful. The Packers are under .500, which isn't ideal, but they're still the Green Bay Packers. Thus, their huge fan base comes along with them even if they're not a playoff team.
The best way to draw the casual viewers to their TV sets on a holiday is with a high-flying, tightly-contested contest.
Jayden Reed of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a touchdown less than three minutes into the first Thanksgiving Day NFL game against the Detroit Lions. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Both the Packers and Lions were happy to oblige on their first drives of the day.
While most teams opt to defer when they win the coin toss, Green Bay elected to take the football.
Quarterback Jordan Love went up top immediately for a 53-yard completion to Christian Watson on the first offensive play of the game.
A few plays later, rookie Jayden Reed caught a touchdown strike.
Not to be outdone, Lions quarterback Jared Goff knew he needed to match his counter part. And, that's exactly what he and the Detroit offense did.
The Lions drive was a little more methodical than Green Bay's and didn't have the explosive play. However, rookie tight end Sam LaPorta recorded a 31-yard catch down to the Packers 7-yard line and followed with a touchdown of his own.
Two drives, two touchdowns from rookie pass-catchers.
Apparently, defense is optional on Thanksgiving Day in the NFL because the Packers weren't done scoring in the first quarter.
After scoring a touchdown on a five-play, 75-yard drive, Green Bay followed up with twice as many plays, but the same result.
They capped a ten-play, 75-yard drive with a second Jordan Love touchdown pass, this one to rookie tight end Tucker Kraft. It's the first touchdown of his young career, meaning three rookies caught touchdown passes in the first quarter of their first NFL Thanksgiving Day games.
With the Lions receiving the ball with just over three minutes left in the first quarter, it appeared the scoring might be done for the first 15 minutes.
But, nope. The Green Bay Packers forced a Jared Goff fumble, scooped it up, and took it to the house for a FOURTH touchdown.
Jonathan Owens of the Green Bay Packers scores the team's third Thanksgiving Day touchdown after recovering a fumble against the Detroit Lions. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Jonathan Owens returned it for the score, becoming the first non-rookie to reach the endzone on Thanksgiving Day in the NFL.
Both teams missed one extra point each, so the first quarter finally came to an end with 26 points the board.
Though, not before Jared Goff fumbled AGAIN.
The Lions defense came up with a huge fourth-down stop, though.
Now the Lions, battling for the #1 seed in the NFC, need to come back from down two touchdowns to capture a Thanksgiving Day victory against the Packers.
Luckily for them, they gave up the points so fast they still have three quarters to do it.