You're sitting at home, or perhaps a family member's house with people you see once or twice a year around, all preparing for the big feast. It's the perfect setting for a good day (who doesn't love Thanksgiving?). And, I ask you, what better tradition is there than to watch the Detroit Lions play football? I know one thing- it gives us all that are lucky enough to not be Detroit fans thankful for at least one more thing in our lives- that we don't have to watch this team sixteen times a year.
Anyway, the Lions, at 0-11, will try to get their first win against the Titans, 10-1 and coming off their first loss, at 12:30 EST tomorrow, or today, depending where you are. The Lions have just five games left, giving them the opportunity to make history. Looking at their schedule, this could very well be one of their better chances to win.
Tennessee is obviously looking to regain some of the lost momentum and confidence from last week's frustrating loss to the Jets, in which their running game struggled once again. Fortunately, Chris Johnson and, if Jeff Fisher complies with his postgame rant, LenDale White should be able to run over a banged up and below-average Lions' run defense.
Daunte Culpepper should once again struggle against a nice pass defense, possible prompting calls for Drew Stanton. Although they looked vunerable for one of the first times last week, I have the uttermost faith in this Titans' defense in both the run and pass games.
For the Lions to win, they will have to use the same formula all teams have to plug in to beat the Titans. Basically, getting up early in the game is a rather big deal, as, if the Titans begin to press with a few bad offensive series, Kerry Collins will be forced to make plays. He's having a heck of a year, but putting the game on his shoulders isn't exactly the best way to win an NFL game, albeit against the Detroit Lions. Plus, this Tennessee teams is a team perfectly built to win when in close games. They wear the opponent down on both offense and defense, and are very disiplined under Fisher.
Even so, Tennessee should still go home to their turkies happy. I just can't see their running game being shut out once again, and I don't see how the Lions will be able to do anything on offense with one of their few bright spots, Kevin Smith, most likely being shut out by Albert Haynesworth and co. How about Titans 20, Lions 6.
