Wednesday, November 24, 2004
INDIANAPOLIS (7-3) AT DETROIT (4-6)
Time: 12:30 p.m.
TV: WKBN (27), WOIO (19)
Series history: Tied 18-18-2. Colts beat Lions 30-18 on Oct. 29, 2000, at Indianapolis.
Key matchup: Colts QB Peyton Manning vs. Detroit secondary. No one has stopped Manning this season. The Lions' defense hasn't stopped much at all. Manning leads NFL with 2,960 passing yards, 35 TDs, and a passer rating of 122.2. He has thrown at least four TDs in four straight games, tying Dan Marino's NFL record. He's on pace to break Marino's record of 48 TD passes in a season in 1984. Lions allow 223.4 yards passing per game. Manning averages nearly 300 yards per game.
Streaks, stats and notes: Colts and Lions played to a 24-24 tie on Thanksgiving Day in 1965. ... Lions' first Thanksgiving Day game was Nov. 29, 1934, a 19-16 loss to Chicago. Lions are 33-29-2 on Thanksgiving, including wins in 10 of last 15 Thanksgiving games. ... Colts last played in Detroit in 1997 and haven't won there since 1980. ... Colts will be wearing vintage uniforms from their 1956 season. Lions will wear 1935-48 uniform. ... Colts lead NFL with plus-12 turnover differential. Lions are tied for fourth at plus-10. ... Lions return man Eddie Drummond leads NFL with 13.7-yard punt return average and 27.2-yard kickoff return average. ... Lions WR Roy Williams leads all rookies with five TDs receiving.
CHICAGO (4-6) AT DALLAS (3-7)
Time: 4:15 p.m.
TV: WYFX (17/62), WJW (8), WPGH (53)
Series history: Cowboys lead 11-8. Bears beat Cowboys 13-12 on Oct. 18, 1998, at Chicago.
Key matchup: Bears QB Craig Krenzel vs. Cowboys QB Drew Henson. In a matchup of rookie passers, Krenzel is year younger, but more seasoned. Henson hasn't started at quarterback since his junior season at Michigan nearly four years ago. He spent three summers playing baseball in Yankees' organization. With 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde nursing a sore right shoulder and back, Henson will likely start. Krenzel, taken in fifth round of last draft, is 3-1 as starter this year. League-wide, rookie QBs are 11-2.
Streaks, stats and notes: Bears are 16-13-2 on Thanksgiving Day. Only Lions and Cowboys have played more Thanksgiving games. Cowboys are 22-13-1 on Thanksgiving, including 10-9 win over Bears in 1981. ... Bears RB Thomas Jones leads team with 570 yards rushing and 30 receptions. His brother is Cowboys' rookie RB Julius Jones. ... Cowboys have given up at least 21 points in seven straight games. ... Cowboys are tied for last in NFL with minus-16 turnover differential. Bears are minus-2.
Associated Press
COPYRIGHT 2004 ASSOCIATED PRESS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN, OR REDISTRIBUTED.