NFL matchups for Week 12: Thursday's games
Today's games
Green Bay (9-1) at Detroit (6-4)
Time: 11:30 a.m., Channel 32
Line: Packers by 3½.
Series: Packers lead 84-64-7.
Last time: Packers 17, Lions 9, Dec. 17, 2006 at Green Bay.
Last week: Packers beat Panthers 31-17; Lions lost to Giants 16-10.
Notes: Teams meet on Thanksgiving for 18th time; Lions lead holiday series 11-5-1. ... Green Bay, winner of six straight on road, is 9-1 for the first time since 1962. ... Packers have worst rushing offense in NFC (80.0) and best passing offense in conference (290.3). ... Last week, QB Brett Favre had his 62nd career game with at least 3 TD passes to tie another of Dan Marino's records. Favre has 19 TDs to 8 INTs and has thrown for an NFC-leading 2,975 yards. Favre has won 11 of past 13 vs. Detroit. ... WR Donald Driver has 53 receptions for 685 yards. ... Aaron Kampman is tied for NFC lead with 9 sacks and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila has 8½ sacks. ... WR James Jones leads NFC rookies with 35 catches and 519 yards. ... TE Donald Lee had 2 TDs last week. ... Detroit is playing its 68th game on Thanksgiving (33-32-2). ... Lions have dropped back-to-back games for first time this year. ... Last week, K Jason Hanson kicked a field goal that gave him 1,612 points, moving him past Hall of Famer Lou Groza for 10th on NFL's career scoring list. ... QB Jon Kitna passed for 342 yards and 2 TDs in last home meeting vs. Green Bay. He has 2,673 yards passing (230 of 341 attempts, 67.4 completion rate). ... RB Kevin Jones has 449 yards from scrimmage (387 rushing, 62 receiving) in past four vs. Packers. ... WR Roy Williams (55 receptions, 719 yards, 5 TDs) had 7 catches for 138 yards and a TD in last meeting at home vs. Packers. ... Lions lead league with 30 takeaways and 15 fumble recoveries.
New York Jets (2-8) at Dallas (9-1)
Time: 3:15 p.m., Channel 2
Line: Cowboys by 14.
Series: Cowboys lead 6-2.
Last time: Cowboys 17, Jets 6, Sept. 28, 2003 at New York.
Last week: Jets beat Steelers 19-16 in OT; Cowboys beat Redskins 28-23.
Notes: New York snapped six-game losing streak last week. ... RB Thomas Jones rushed for 117 yards on 30 carries, becoming first running back in 35 games to reach 100 yards against Steelers' top-ranked defense. ... Last week, Jets sacked QB Ben Roethlisberger seven times and held AFC's leading rusher Willie Parker to 52 yards on 21 carries. ... QB Kellen Clemens finished 14-for-31 for 162 yards and a TD and an INT to win for first time in three NFL starts. ... WR Jerricho Cotchery leads team with 687 yards receiving (52 receptions). ... Rookie LB David Harris leads team with 69 tackles and rookie CB Darrelle Revis ranks third with 64 tackles. ... Leon Washington ranks second in NFL with 32.7 kickoff return average. ... Dallas is 9-1 for first time since 1983. ... Dallas has already matched last season's win total and has won four straight. ... Cowboys lead NFC in total offense (393.0) and points scored (324). ... Dallas has scored 24 or more points in every game. ... WR Terrell Owens, who caught 4 TD passes (8 catches for 173 yards) last week, leads NFC with 12. Only other Dallas receiver to have 4-TD game was Bob Hayes in 1970. Owens leads conference with 1,028 yards receiving (58 catches). ... Jason Witten leads all TEs with 55 receptions and 696 yards. ... QB Tony Romo has 2,848 yards passing and leads NFC in passer rating (105.6), TDs (27) and average gain (8.79). ... Cowboys are 24-14-1 on Thanksgiving. ... LB Greg Ellis has 6½ sacks in seven games. ... CB Anthony Henry is tied for NFC lead with 5 INTs, and S Ken Hamlin has 4 INTs.
Indianapolis (8-2) at Atlanta (3-7)
Time: 7:15 p.m., NFL Network
Line: Colts by 11½.
Series: Colts lead 12-1.
Last time: Colts 38, Falcons 7, Dec. 14, 2003 at Indianapolis.
Last week: Colts beat Chiefs 13-10; Falcons lost Bucs 31-7.
Notes: Indianapolis is 2-2 without WR Marvin Harrison. With Harrison, Colts went 6-0. ... QB Peyton Manning had 11 TD passes and 3 INTs in first six games. Without Harrison, Manning has thrown 5 TD passes and 8 INTs. Manning has 10 TDs in three games vs. Falcons. ... RB Joseph Addai has three consecutive 100-yard rushing games vs. NFC opponents (171, 118, 100). He's averaged 5.6 yards per carry in those three games. ... Last week, Colts limited Kansas City to just 234 yards and forced 2 turnovers without star DE Dwight Freeney. ... Of last six regular-season opponents for Colts, only Houston, at No. 8, ranks in top half of league's offenses. ... Colts' defense ranks second in NFL, allowing 266.3 yards per game. ... In past three road games, WR Reggie Wayne is averaging 146.3 yards receiving per game. ... Atlanta has best turnover differential in NFC at plus-7. ... RB Warrick Dunn, held to 32 yards on 15 carries last week, needs 26 yards to reach 10,000 in his career. ... QB Byron Leftwich, 0-2 as starter, threw 2 INTs and fumbled twice against Tampa Bay's swarming defense last week. ... Joey Harrington was 16 of 20 for 139 yards in relief. Falcons are 3-5 in games Harrington has started, and he starts this week. ... WR Roddy White leads team with career-high 46 catches and 670 yards. ... WR Michael Jenkins had career-high 9 catches for 73 yards last week. ... Falcons placed DTs Rod Coleman and Trey Lewis on injured reserve. Jonathan Babineaux will start for Coleman, and Montavious Stanley will replace Lewis.