Philadelphia Eagles vs Detroit Lions Match Player Stats On Nov 26, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Nov 26, 2015

DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford threw five touchdown passes, three to Calvin Johnson, and the revived Detroit Lions won their third straight by walloping the Philadelphia Eagles 45-14 on Thursday afternoon at Ford Field.

Stafford completed 27 of 38 passes for 337 yards for the Lions (4-7), who have also won three consecutive Thanksgiving Day games.

Johnson, who tied his career high with his three touchdown grabs, caught eight passes for 93 yards. He has an NFL-record 11 TD receptions on Thanksgiving and at least one for seven consecutive seasons.

Running back Theo Riddick and wide receiver Golden Tate hauled in Stafford's other scoring passes. Running back Joique Bell added a rushing touchdown.

Detroit defensive end Ziggy Ansah recorded a career-high 3 1/2 sacks and recovered a fumble.

Mark Sanchez passed for 199 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles (4-7), who gave up 45 points for the second time in five days and lost their third straight. Sanchez started in place of Sam Bradford, who was inactive for the second consecutive game because of a concussion and separated left shoulder.

The Lions led 24-7 at halftime.

Stafford connected with Riddick on an 8-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter. Riddick had a 23-yard catch earlier in the drive.

Philadelphia tied it during the opening minute of the second quarter. Sanchez found tight end Brent Celek for a 2-yard score on third-and-goal to cap off an 80-yard drive.

The Lions took a 14-7 lead midway on their next possession on Stafford's 2-yard scoring pass to Tate, who snuck out of the backfield and juked a defender for a walk in touchdown.

Matt Prater's 48-yard field goal gave Detroit a 10-point lead before Stafford's 25-yard touchdown pass to Johnson came with 12 seconds left in the half. Johnson got past rookie cornerback Eric Rowe, who replaced injured Nolan Carroll earlier in the half.

Johnson defeated Rowe on one-on-one coverage on a 4-yard, back-shoulder toss from Stafford to make it 31-7. Following a Sanchez turnover, Johnson beat safety Malcolm Jenkins on a 3-yard catch for his third score.

NOTES: Philadelphia's perennial All-Pro LT Jason Peters left the game in the opening quarter with a left ankle injury. ... Eagles CB Nolan Carroll broke his right ankle in the opening half, while Lions FS Glover Quin suffered a left ankle in the first quarter and did not return. ... The Eagles were missing two of the top offensive weapons, along with QB Sam Bradford. RB Ryan Mathews and TE Zach Ertz were inactive because of lingering concussion symptoms. OTs LaAdrian Waddle and Corey Robinson were among the inactives for Detroit. ... The Eagles were undefeated in their previous six Thanksgiving Day games. ... Stafford became the first Lions quarterback with three straight Thanksgiving Day victories since Greg Landry in 1970-72. ... Detroit is 36-38-2 in its traditional Thanksgiving Day game.