SideLion Report » Thanksgiving Football

Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Key Matchups

Michael Olsen — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:00:34 +0000

The Thanksgiving Day game is a custom that Detroit invented, but it rarely has meaning beyond the tradition and memories invoked. This year’s Turkey Day matchup is a black and blue rivalry reminiscent of the NFC Norris division of old. And to make the rivalry more intense, this game has meaning for both teams, especially the Lions, who need to keep pace with the Bears, Falcons, and Cowboys, in search of a wildcard.

Aaron Rodgers vs. Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley

Detroit’s pass rush has been primarily from the edge this season, with defensive ends Cliff Avril, Kyle VandenBosch, Willie Young, and Lawrence Jackson applying most of the pressure. The interior rush has not been as dominant as it was last season, largely in part to the attention being paid to Ndamukong Suh.

The addition of Nick Fairley to the interior of the line has given the Lions a nice interior rotation to accompany that of the defensive ends. Fairley finally being healthy, and able to take some quality snaps against Carolina, will allow more one on one matchups for Suh, and for the entire line to remain fresh enough to get a decent rush on passing downs. This will specifically be helpful on third downs, where the Lions’ defense has struggled.

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Scanning the Savanna

Zac Snyder — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:00:12 +0000

Scanning the Savanna is a daily feature that brings fresh Detroit Lions and NFL related content to your fingertips each morning. Grab a cup of coffee and let’s scan the savanna together.

Clipped from: espn.go.com (share this clip)

Cliff Avril, defensive end: It’s hard to go a minute without hearing about the Lions’ now-vaunted defensive line.

From espn.go.com (share this quote)

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Detroit Lions Snap Back to Reality in Second Half Against Patriots

Zac Snyder — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 21:18:07 +0000

New England Patriots 45, Detroit Lions 24 (box score)

First half optimism gave way to second half realism as the Detroit Lions proved the naysayers right by reverting to the form that has come to define Detroit Lions football.

The Lions were able to play with the Patriots for three quarters but frustrated their fans in front of a national television audience. It is hard to make the case that this team is different with Shaun Hill doing his best Jon Kitna impression (the Detroit Kitna, not necessarily the Dallas Kitna) and another eight penalties.
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