There are blowouts, there are embarrassments and then there's what the Detroit Lions did to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving at Ford Field.
This was complete and utter destruction at a nearly historic level. The Lions wiped out their division rivals, 40-10, and even that score feels misleading in terms of how one-sided this was.
It's a game that re-establishes the Lions as a contender in the NFC, while throwing into question the entire makeup of a Packers team that has cratered without Aaron Rodgers.
When Kevin Ogletree pulled in a one-handed touchdown catch to complete the scoring with less than five minutes to play, the Lions held a 563-56 edge in total yards. 563-56! Reminder: This was a real game between two actual NFL franchises competing for victory.
The final breakdown was 561-126, a difference of 435 yards that represented the greatest yardage discrepancy in eight years, just beating out the 432-yard advantage the New Orleans Saints held over the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 10 laugher.
It had been nine years since the Lions had won on Thanksgiving. They broke that nasty losing streak while giving a national audience a nice picture of what they're all about.
They had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard receiver, a 100-yard rusher (and nearly a second). They sacked Matt Flynn seven times and forced three turnovers. But the Lions also turned the ball over four times themselves, missed a chip-shot field goal and sent two kickoffs out of bounds.
Explosive play. Head-scratching mistakes. It's all there with the Lions. They're a tough team to figure out. Just ask the Packers.
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