This doesn?t happen often.
A big-time matchup between division rivals trying to elbow each other off the top of the NFC North standings. On Thanksgiving. In front of a national television audience.
What the Lions and the Minnesota Vikings, both at the head of the NFC North with 6-4 records, are about to do on Thanksgiving is rare. Even Lions safety Glover Quin, who is as professional and focused as any NFL player, allowed himself to reflect on the unique circumstance that awaits him at Ford Field.
?So, a part of me is like, ?Hey, man, this is what you play the game for, for games like this,? ? Quin said. ?I?m pretty sure it?ll be a great environment, a great atmosphere.?
Then, just like that, Quin snapped back into his mode of professional detachment.
?But then you have the other side,? he said. ?Hey, regardless of what?s going on, holidays, whatever, you?ve got to be professional. Be in your routine, prepare, and everything will take care of itself.?
No player or coach wants to say this game is for all the marbles, with the winner likely having a good chance of taking an insurmountable division lead with five games left after Thursday.
?You know, we try to keep it as basic as we can, in terms of what our focus is and what matters, and what matters is how we play, how we prepare, and how we play,? coach Jim Caldwell said. ?Now we?re in the preparation phase, and the other things will take care of themselves.
?There?s this old slogan: ?Take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves.? We?re interested in the little things. The big things will take care of themselves.?
If there was a way to forcibly contract myopia, Caldwell and the Lions would be at the front of the line begging for the malady.
Meanwhile, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer would be at the other end of the line, taking the longest, broadest possible view of the remainder of the season.
?I think there?s a lot of weeks left,? Zimmer said in a conference call with Detroit reporters. ?It is an important game, whether it?s on Thanksgiving or whether it?s on any other day. I think it?s an important game.
?I don?t necessarily think this is necessarily for the division championship. It?s not like it?s the last game of the season. There?s still a long way to go, but I do think it?s an important game for both teams. Whether it?s on Thanksgiving or any other day, I think it?s important.?
Quarterback Matthew Stafford helped the Lions halt a nine-game losing streak on Thanksgiving after 2012 and start a three-game winning streak, including throwing five touchdown passes in last year?s 45-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. But Calvin Johnson caught three of those touchdown passes, and he won?t be available this week while he prepares for a dance routine.
But Stafford, somewhat like Quin, reflected on an off-season and a season?s worth of preparation that has brought the Lions to this unlikely point.
?It?s great,? Stafford said. ?You obviously put a whole bunch of work in throughout the off-season, during the season to get to games like this one. It?s great that it?s a division opponent. We love that. On Thanksgiving, it?s going to be a great atmosphere, a whole lot of fun for us.?
A big-time matchup between division rivals trying to elbow each other off the top of the NFC North standings. On Thanksgiving. In front of a national television audience.
What the Lions and the Minnesota Vikings, both at the head of the NFC North with 6-4 records, are about to do on Thanksgiving is rare. Even Lions safety Glover Quin, who is as professional and focused as any NFL player, allowed himself to reflect on the unique circumstance that awaits him at Ford Field.
?So, a part of me is like, ?Hey, man, this is what you play the game for, for games like this,? ? Quin said. ?I?m pretty sure it?ll be a great environment, a great atmosphere.?
Then, just like that, Quin snapped back into his mode of professional detachment.
?But then you have the other side,? he said. ?Hey, regardless of what?s going on, holidays, whatever, you?ve got to be professional. Be in your routine, prepare, and everything will take care of itself.?
No player or coach wants to say this game is for all the marbles, with the winner likely having a good chance of taking an insurmountable division lead with five games left after Thursday.
?You know, we try to keep it as basic as we can, in terms of what our focus is and what matters, and what matters is how we play, how we prepare, and how we play,? coach Jim Caldwell said. ?Now we?re in the preparation phase, and the other things will take care of themselves.
?There?s this old slogan: ?Take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves.? We?re interested in the little things. The big things will take care of themselves.?
If there was a way to forcibly contract myopia, Caldwell and the Lions would be at the front of the line begging for the malady.
Meanwhile, Vikings coach Mike Zimmer would be at the other end of the line, taking the longest, broadest possible view of the remainder of the season.
?I think there?s a lot of weeks left,? Zimmer said in a conference call with Detroit reporters. ?It is an important game, whether it?s on Thanksgiving or whether it?s on any other day. I think it?s an important game.
?I don?t necessarily think this is necessarily for the division championship. It?s not like it?s the last game of the season. There?s still a long way to go, but I do think it?s an important game for both teams. Whether it?s on Thanksgiving or any other day, I think it?s important.?
Quarterback Matthew Stafford helped the Lions halt a nine-game losing streak on Thanksgiving after 2012 and start a three-game winning streak, including throwing five touchdown passes in last year?s 45-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. But Calvin Johnson caught three of those touchdown passes, and he won?t be available this week while he prepares for a dance routine.
But Stafford, somewhat like Quin, reflected on an off-season and a season?s worth of preparation that has brought the Lions to this unlikely point.
?It?s great,? Stafford said. ?You obviously put a whole bunch of work in throughout the off-season, during the season to get to games like this one. It?s great that it?s a division opponent. We love that. On Thanksgiving, it?s going to be a great atmosphere, a whole lot of fun for us.?
