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Rob Demovsky
DETROIT — The Green Bay Packers would likely welcome another Thanksgiving Day game on their schedule next season. And in subsequent years, too.
Jordan Love and Micah Parsons thrived in the holiday matchup. The Packers’ signal-caller and the defensive standout invited some teammates to join in Thursday’s 31-24 triumph over the Detroit Lions.
Love maintained his unblemished record on Thanksgiving. The Packers have been featured on the holiday in each of his three seasons as the primary quarterback, emerging victorious each time, with Love progressively elevating his performance. This instance featured four scoring throws, including a pair converted on fourth down.
Parsons, a frequent participant in Thanksgiving Day contests stemming from his time with the Dallas Cowboys, amassed an additional 2.5 quarterback takedowns against the Lions, boosting his career Thanksgiving total to 8.5 sacks across five appearances.
Augmenting the display were standout performances from wideouts Dontayvion Wicks (six receptions for 94 yards and two scores) and Christian Watson (four catches for 80 yards and one touchdown), along with head coach Matt LaFleur outmaneuvering the Lions by capitalizing on fourth-down opportunities. Virtually every member of the visiting team departed in high spirits.
“It definitely creates a unique atmosphere, a different feel to it, with all the energy,” stated Watson regarding the experience of competing on Thanksgiving. “We generally bring our own energy and focus on executing on the field,” Watson explained. “But these particular games definitely carry a little added intensity, making these Thanksgiving Day matchups particularly enjoyable.”
The Packers completed a season sweep of the Lions after being swept by them in the previous season; the Packers’ 2024 Thanksgiving game was a home victory over the Dolphins.
Thursday’s victory was sealed by an assertive decision from LaFleur on fourth-and-3 from the Lions’ 45-yard line with 1:55 remaining, as Love connected with Wicks for a 16-yard gain. Consequently, the Packers achieved a perfect 3-for-3 conversion rate on fourth downs, contrasting with the Lions’ 0-for-2. Following the Packers’ previous week’s triumph over the Vikings employing a conservative, run-oriented approach, they embraced an exceptionally aggressive strategy against Detroit.
Love emerged as the first Packer since at least 1978 to log multiple touchdown passes on fourth down in a single game, when Elias Sports Bureau initiated tracking of that statistic. Love completed 18 of 30 pass attempts for 234 yards and four touchdowns – only the third instance in his career reaching that touchdown total – while still dealing with a bothersome left (non-throwing) shoulder ailment.
Across three Thanksgiving Day starts, Love has completed 68% of his passes for 776 yards with nine touchdowns and zero interceptions.
“That’s simply who he is,” Parsons observed. “He’s always going to be present. Whether injured or hurting, he’s going to advocate for his teammates and compete at the highest caliber. J-Love embodies the ultimate competitor. There aren’t many quarterbacks with his level of resolve, overcoming every adversity. He steps in and dedicates himself to the work. It’s translating onto the field. The improvement he’s demonstrated this year is remarkable.”
A week after Parsons joined a select group of players to achieve double-digit sacks in their first five seasons, he reached 12.5 sacks for the season, becoming the first player in NFL history to amass at least 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons (since sacks became an official statistic in 1982).
“He delivered a tremendous showing,” LaFleur commended.
The Packers (8-3-1) have positioned themselves strongly within the NFC North standings alongside the Bears (8-3), who are scheduled to visit Green Bay on Sunday, Dec. 7.
“This victory holds significant importance in our pursuit of our objectives, including winning the division and advancing to the playoffs,” Parsons asserted. “That contest was essentially a playoff preview. We must build upon this momentum.”
A setback for the Packers on Thanksgiving was the loss of defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt. He suffered what is suspected to be a season-ending ankle injury during the second half.
“The prognosis doesn’t appear favorable,” LaFleur disclosed. “I feel deeply for him, and I feel deeply for our team. This represents a substantial loss for our football team, particularly for our defense.”
