Packers - Lions Game #2 Preview

As the Packers ready themselves on this Thanksgiving Day morning to meet the Lions in Detroit, two words should come to mind. No, not Macy's Parade.

How' bout: Tampa Bay.

Hate to bring that up, but at least I'm doing so before you gorged yourself on enough turkey and stuffing to feed a famine-starved country.

The Packers went into the Tampa game facing a team that had absolutely nothing going for it, and which hadn't won a game. We know how that worked out. The Pack laid an egg.

Let's just hope the Packers take care of business today and not turn the Lions into pseudo-Buccaneers. The Lions have had more injury problems than the Packers all season on both sides of the ball. And while rookie QB Matthew Stafford (listed as doubtful on the injury report) returned to the game last week to rally his team to a victory after separating his left shoulder, will the Lions risk seriously injuring him and damaging his future by playing him today? I think that's where the "doubtful" comes in.

While the season-ending injuries to CB Al Harris and LB Aaron Kampman are definite blows to the Packers squad, the back ups are certainly adequate to the task at hand today. And, of course, there's nothing wrong with the Packers offense which seems to be firing on all cylinders.

The Lions always play their Thanksgiving Day game as if it is their Super Bowl. And coming off their victory on Sunday, expect them to be pumped up at the outset. But at some point -- assuming there is no reprise of the Tampa Bay game -- the Packers' talent will win out.

Yes, Detroit has the edge in this Turkey Day rivalry, 11-6-1, even keeping the Packers from achieving undefeated seasons once or twice as I recall. The last time Detroit won on Thanksgiving was in 2003 against -- you guessed it -- the Packers. The Pack should bring the overall record a bit closer to .500 for Thanksgiving with the Lions by the time this early game is done. The Packers are favored by 10-1/2 points (11 in some spreads). We're taking the Packers 34-13.

Go Pack Go!!!

By the way, if you want to read an excellent story about the Packers' Thanksgiving Day games -- have played 33 times on Thanksgiving including today -- check out this article on the 620wtmj radio website. Did you know, for example, that in 1932 the Packers played the Brooklyn Dodgers and won by a score of 7-0. Wait...weren't the Brooklyn Dodgers a baseball team??? Here's some great bar trivia for you, gang. Read it and earn!