(CBS DETROIT) — The Detroit Lions look to extend their win streak to 10 games on Thursday when they host the Chicago Bears in their annual Thanksgiving game at Ford Field.
While Lions fans are excited to see their team on a historic run and closing in on a second consecutive playoff berth, they'd sure like to have a Lions victory to go along with that slice of pumpkin pie.
It's been eight years since Detroit last won on Thanksgiving. Detroit's most recent Turkey Day victory came against the Minnesota Vikings in 2016.
Matt Prater kicked a 40-yard field goal as time expired after Darius Slay intercepted a Sam Bradford pass and returned it 13 yards with 30 seconds left in a 16-13 win. The win gave Detroit sole possession of first place in the NFC North, but the Lions would ultimately drop their final three regular-season games and lose a controversial NFC wild-card game to the Seattle Seahawks.
Thursday's contest marks Detroit's 85th Thanksgiving Day game. Detroit's first Turkey Day game was a 19-16 loss to the Bears in 1934. The two teams have met on Thanksgiving 19 times, with the Bears holding an 11-8 record against the Lions in those meetings.
The Lions are a 37-45-2 all-time on Thanksgiving and have dropped three straight meetings (2021, 2019 and 2018) to the Bears in the fall classic. Detroit has played every year on Thanksgiving since 1934, except for a six-season stoppage from 1939-1944 because of World War II.
Detroit can clinch a playoff berth with a win Thursday and through a variety of scenarios.
Taking a look at the NFC North race, the Lions lead the Vikings (9-2) by one game and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Green Bay Packers sit at 8-3, while the Bears sit at 4-7.
Kickoff Thursday from Ford Field is 12:30 p.m. Shaboozey is scheduled to perform the halftime show.
You can watch the Lions-Bears game only on CBS Detroit, with pregame coverage starting at 11 a.m.
