NFC North-Leading Lions, Vikings Kick Off Thanksgiving Games
The Associated Press
MINNESOTA (6-4) at DETROIT (6-4)
Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE — Lions by 2 1/2
RECORD VS. SPREAD — Vikings 6-4, Lions 5-4-1
SERIES RECORD — Vikings lead 71-37-2
LAST MEETING — Lions beat Vikings 22-16, OT, Nov. 6,
LAST WEEK — Vikings beat Cardinals 30-24, Lions beat Jaguars 26-19
AP PRO32 RANKING —Vikings No. 11, Lions No. 10
VIKINGS OFFENSE — OVERALL (32), RUSH (32), PASS (24).
VIKINGS DEFENSE — OVERALL (3), RUSH (13) PASS (3).
LIONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (25), RUSH (30), PASS (16).
LIONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (19), RUSH (18), PASS (17).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Lions and Vikings tied atop NFC North. ... Minnesota blew three-point lead with 23 seconds left last game against Lions, allowing them to set up Matt Prater's 58-yard FG as time expired in regulation. QB Matthew Stafford's 28-yard pass TD to WR Golden Tate in OT won it. ... Vikings' win over Arizona ended four-game losing streak. ... Minnesota hasn't won NFC North game since beating Green Bay in Week 2. ... WR Stefon Diggs ranks third in NFL with 67 receptions, including career-high 13 catches against Detroit and Washington this month. ... Minnesota KR-WR Cordarrelle Patterson became NFL's first player with four TDs of 100-plus yards last week, returning kickoff 104 yards. ... With CB Xavier Rhodes' 100-yard interception return against Arizona, Minnesota became first team since Dallas in 1962 to score on interception and kickoff returns of 100-plus yards in game. ... Vikings only team with five-plus sacks from three DEs: Danielle Hunter (seven), Everson Griffen (six) and Brian Robison (five). ... Detroit in first place on Thanksgiving for first time since 1993, last time franchise won division title. ... Lions have won five of six. ... Stafford has thrown only one INT in last six games. ... Theo Riddick had eight receptions for Lions last week, matching season high, leads NFL RBs with 123 catches since 2015. ... Tate had 11 receptions against Vikings in Week 9, equaling career high from 2014. ... DE Ezekiel Ansah, who does not have sack in injury-stunted season, has 4 ½ sacks and two fumbles in last five games against Vikings. ... Lions first NFL team to have first 10 games decided by seven or fewer points. Detroit has trailed in fourth quarter of every game. ... Fantasy Tip: Minnesota's Kyle Rudolph has scored in three straight games against Lions, who have struggled to slow down tight ends this season. Rudolph leads Vikings with five TDs this season.
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