Ford Field welcomes the Buffalo Bills on Thursday as they battle the Detroit Lions for a special Thanksgiving Day affair.
The Lions have caught fire this month, winning three games in a row, while the Bills ended a two-game losing streak with a 31-23 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Match preview
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A season that looked dead in the water in the Motor City has suddenly picked up steam, with the Lions unbeaten in November.
Before their game against the New York Giants, head coach Dan Campbell emphasised the importance of creating turnovers, and his unit responded in a big way, intercepting Daniel Jones twice and recovering a fumble as they came away with a 31-18 victory.
Another encouraging sign is that their triumph on Sunday was their first against a team with a winning record, which should give them plenty of confidence heading into Thursday.
Not only do they have a chance to beat another team with a winning record this week, but they can also earn their first victory against an AFC opponent since defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-16 in October 2020.
While they are finding ways to win, their defence still allows their share of significant gains, conceding over 400 total yards to the opposition in three of their last four outings.
For the most part, the Lions have played mistake-free football in November, allowing zero sacks in two of their last three games and failing to turn the ball over in their previous two encounters.
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On Sunday, the Bills managed to get their season back on track, improving to 7-3, drawing even with the Miami Dolphins for first in the AFC East.
Like Detroit, they did not have a turnover last weekend, as the biggest problem plaguing Sean McDermott's team against the Browns was penalties, with Buffalo being flagged eight times for 89 yards.
While they minimised the mistakes for the most part last weekend, they were a little underwhelming offensively, throwing for only 186 yards versus Cleveland, well below their per game average of 294.2, which is the second-most in the NFL.
Keeping pace in the ultra-competitive AFC East will be pivotal on Thursday as only one victory currently separates the last-place New York Jets from the Dolphins and Bills in first.
Their next three games after Thursday are against divisional opponents, so this stretch could determine whether the Bills will win the AFC East for a third consecutive season.
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Team News
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Jared Goff went 17/26 for 165 and no picks for the Lions against the Giants, Aidan Hutchinson collected his second interception of the season, Jamaal Williams ran for three scores and DeShon Elliott led all players with eight tackles.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has become a primary target for Goff in recent weeks, catching 10 passes in each of his last two games, Justin Jackson averaged over seven yards a carry versus New York and Jerry Jacobs had six tackles.
Matt Nelson has a sore calf, Josh Reynolds continues to suffer from a back issue, Josh Paschal missed their previous game due to a problem in his knee and Charles Harris also sat out because of a groin injury.
Bills QB Josh Allen went 18/27 for 197 yards and a touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs, while Devin Singletary averaged 4.8 yards per carry against the Browns and scored a touchdown.
Tyrel Dodson and Matt Milano combined for 17 tackles last Sunday, with Milano also collecting a sack, while Dawson Knox led them in the receiving department making seven catches for 70 yards.
Greg Rousseau is dealing with a sprained ankle, Reggie Gilliam has an illness, Kaiir Elam is questionable with an ankle sprain and Tremaine Edmunds continues to recover from a groin injury.
Head To Head
We are used to seeing low-scoring affairs when these teams clash, as each side have scored fewer than 20 points in their last three games dating back to 2010.
The last time they met was in 2018, when Robert Foster caught a fourth-quarter touchdown pass from Allen as Buffalo won 14-13.
Detroit last beat the Bills in 2006 when Jon Kitna hit Roy Williams for a 28-yard touchdown pass, Jason Hanson kicked two field goals and Kevin Jones ran for a seven-yard score as the Lions came out on top 20-17.
We say: Detroit Lions 17-24 Buffalo Bills
Knowing the games they have upcoming Buffalo should recognize the importance of keeping pace in the division, and we believe they will be able to move the ball efficiently against a Lions defensive unit that have not faced a receiving corps or running attack quite as dangerous as the Bills possess.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
