DETROIT (AP)In many ways Jake Rudock Jersey , the Thanksgiving games mark the beginning of the NFL’s stretch drive. For the Detroit Lions, this may be the final chance to stay in the race for a division title. The Lions host the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday in a game that should drastically alter the NFC North race. If Minnesota wins, the Vikings would have a three-game lead atop the division, but if Detroit prevails, the Lions would be within one game and would have a head-to-head tiebreaker over Minnesota. Plus, Detroit has a favorable schedule after this week. ”November football and December football – everything turns up a notch. And right around Thanksgiving, it really turns up,” Detroit receiver Golden Tate said. ”It’s no secret that the Vikings are playing tremendous football right now. They’re making it happen.” Minnesota (8-2) has won six games in a row since a 14-7 loss to Detroit on Oct. 1. The Vikings enter a stretch of three straight road games against Detroit, Atlanta and Carolina, so there’s some pressure on Minnesota to open up a comfortable division lead and earn some margin for error. ”For me, teams are judged after you finish the season Danny Amendola Jersey ,” Vikings cornerback Terence Newman said. ”A lot of guys want to talk about how we have strung a couple wins together. We got eight. For me, I have been doing this way too long. I know things can go south just as quick as they can go the other way.” Last season, Minnesota started 5-0 before plummeting to an 8-8 finish. Detroit (6-4) is coming off victories over Chicagoand Cleveland that were underwhelming at times, while the Vikings handled the NFC West-leading Rams 24-7 last weekend . ”They do everything well,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. ”They’re moving the ball up and down the field. They’re making big plays. They’ve always played great defense, and their special teams are very good.” Here are a few more things to know about Detroit’s matchup with Minnesota: THANKSGIVING HISTORY The Lions and Vikings are playing on Thanksgiving for a second straight year after Detroit won last season’s matchup 16-13. The Lions have won four Thanksgiving games in a row after dropping nine straight from 2004-2012. THE CASE FOR KEENUM Vikings quarterback Case Keenum will make his ninth start on Thursday, having taken over after Sam Bradford’s knee trouble. Keenum has started seven and finished eight of the team’s eight victories, but coach Mike Zimmer has so far gone week to week in confirming Keenum’s status as the starter – with Teddy Bridgewater recovered from his knee injury and looming in the background. Keenum has taken only one sack in the past 5+ games since Lions defensive end Anthony Zettel took him down behind the line of scrimmage twice in the game at Minnesota. He has clearly grown more comfortable with his receivers and their tendencies. And vice versa. ”Him being able to create plays with his legs and move around, we understand he can do that too,” wide receiver Jarius Wright said. ”So you know we’re trying to get open even longer for him.” CLOSING STRONG The Lions are 18-8 under Caldwell in the second half of the regular season, and their current three-game winning streak has given them a chance to chase down Minnesota for the division. However Trey Flowers Jersey , if Detroit falls out of the division race, a wild card looks dicey. The Lions already lost head to head against New Orleans (8-2), Carolina (7-3) and Atlanta (6-4). GRIFFEN TRIES TO GET BACK ON SACK TRACK Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen had his streak of eight straight games with at least one sack stopped last week against the Rams. He sat out the game before that because of a foot injury. Now he’ll be lined up across from Lions left tackle Taylor Decker, a 2016 first-round draft pick who was out with a shoulder injury until returning to action two games ago. INJURIES Standout returner Jamal Agnew (knee) has been ruled out for Detroit, along with running back Dwayne Washington (hip). Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (back) is questionable. Minnesota tackle Mike Remmers (concussion) is questionable. — DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Lions took advantage of some mistakes they forced Green Bay to make and were fortunate some breaks simply went their way.Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes and LeGarrette Blount ran for two scores, lifting the Lions to a 31-23 win over the Packers on Sunday.Detroit (2-3) earned a win it desperately needed under first-year coach Matt Patricia, going into its bye week.“We get two weeks to 10 days to sit on whatever happens,” said Stafford, who was 14 of 26 for 183 yards with two TDs and no turnovers. “And, it feels a whole lot better with a win.”Green Bay (2-2-1) was doomed because veteran Mason Crosby had the worst game of his life and two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers lost two fumbles for just the third time in his 14-year career.“We just couldn’t overcome all the things we did wrong,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “We did some good things in the second half Damon Harrison Jersey , but you can’t dig yourself that kind of hole.”Crosby missed a career-high four field goals in one game and failed to make an extra point to boot. He connected on a field goal with 2 seconds left, but that wasn’t of much consolation after his poor performance.“I look back and I’m thinking, in my childhood, in high school, this is definitely one of the worst ones,” said Crosby, the first NFL kicker to miss four field goals in a game since 2010.Detroit recovered an onside kick to seal the win, preventing Rodgers from getting another chance at a game-winning Hail Mary in Detroit like the one he threw in 2015.The Lions built a big lead in the first half, picking up where they left off in their last home game, a 16-point win over the New England Patriots.Blount had a pair of 1-yard TD runs in the first quarter and Stafford’s 8-yard pass to Marvin Jones late in the second quarter put Detroit up 24-0.Patricia, though Ricky Jean Francois Jersey , didn’t think the Lions’ cushion was comfortable.“Unfortunately, I’ve seen that quarterback on the other side there crush a lot of leads pretty quickly and come back,” said Patricia, a former Patriots defensive coordinator.Rodgers, missing injured receivers Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison, threw short TDs to rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Lance Kendricks in the third to pull the Packers within 10 points.Stafford answered with a 5-yard TD pass to Kenny Golladay early in the fourth quarter to give Detroit a 31-14 lead.“It was big to chew up some time to give our defense a little bit of a rest and come away with some points,” Stafford said.Rodgers connected with Davante Adams on a 12-yard throw for a third TD pass, but Crosby hit the left upright on the extra point to let the Lions keep an 11-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Adams has scored in 10 straight road games, equaling a league record set by Tommy McDonald of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1959 to 1961.Rodgers was 32 of 52 for 442 yards — the second-highest total of his career — with three TD passes.“We’ve been a one-half team all year,” he said. “We need to do something about that.”STREAKINGThe Lions, who didn’t face Rodgers last year Levine Toilolo Jersey , have won three straight in the series for the first time the 1990-91 seasons.SOUND STRATEGYDetroit had success on defense, going after Rodgers with just four players and dropping seven into coverage. Rodgers held onto the ball to wait for receivers to get open, but they couldn’t, and it led to three sacks and his two fumbles.“They gave up rushers in order to extend plays, and they got some turnovers out of it,” McCarthy said. “We’re usually successful in those situations, but they did some good things.”INJURY REPORTPackers: LB Nick Perry (ankle) and CB Kevin King (chin) were hurt during the game.Lions: RB Kerryon Johnson, who ran for 70 yards on 12 carries, went out in the fourth quarter after appearing to hurt his right ankle. CB Teez Tabor (groin) and CB Jamal Agnew (knee) also left the game with injuries.UP NEXTPackers: Host San Francisco on Monday, Oct. 15.Lions: Off until playing at Miami on Oct. 21.