Most NFL enthusiasts expect the Detroit Lions to win big on Thanksgiving this year, as they enter the home game against division-rival Chicago Bears as 10-point favorites. Detroit has also won nine straight games heading into Turkey Day, while the Bears have dropped five in a row. Still, Cam Newton is throwing caution to the wind and picking the Bears.
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Speaking on his 4th & 1 Show on Thursday, the former quarterback was asked why he believed the Bears could win. Newton replied that he likes what he’s seen from the young team, noting that they’ve been “fighting” hard. Moreover, he believes the Bears would have four more wins to their name if they had won the games they were supposed to.
“Because they have been fighting, bro. They’ve been getting better. They’ve been having nail-biters. If they won all the games they were supposed to win, they would have four more wins, at least.”
Here's why @CameronNewton is rolling with Caleb Williams and the @ChicagoBears to upset the @Lions pic.twitter.com/pKGKYAR3XM
— 4th&1 with Cam Newton (@4thand1show) November 28, 2024
On top of those general platitudes, Newton got more specific about what rookie QB Caleb Williams needs to do to stay in the game against the 10-1 Lions. While many big games are billed as QB duels, as Newton says, Williams is “not playing Jared Goff” and the rest of the Lions’ top-ranked offense; he’s playing Detroit’s bottom-10 pass defense.
“Just find completions. Just don’t put the ball in jeopardy and stay ahead of the chains. Don’t get caught up in—you’re not playing Jared Goff, you’re not playing Amon-Ra St. Brown, you’re not playing Jahmyr Gibbs, you’re not playing big Montgomery. You’re playing the opposing defense. Just do your job.”
The Lions’ defense is not quite at full strength either. Rookie corner Terrion Arnold is returning from a groin injury, while the other starting corner, Carlton Davis, has been ruled out. Starting linebacker Alex Anzalone has also been missing for a few weeks.
However, while Newton made good points in favor of the Chicago Bears, he missed on perhaps the biggest trend working in their favor.
Last year, the Detroit Lions won their division and advanced all the way to the NFC Championship. As they did, they snapped embarrassing streak after embarrassing streak—but there’s still one losing streak they have yet to end: their Thanksgiving skid.
They have played a Thanksgiving game every year for about 90 years. And yet, they haven’t been comfortable playing on Turkey Day in recent years despite the familiarity. They have not won on Thanksgiving since 2016, a stretch of seven straight games. So, coming in as 10-point favorites, they will want to put this curse behind them along with all the other ones they’ve killed over the last year or so.
Detroit and Chicago have played on Thanksgiving 20 times, with the Lions holding an 8-12 record in those games.
The two teams faced off in Detroit’s first five Thanksgiving games, from 1934 to 1938, with Detroit winning three. The Lions also lost three straight to Chicago from 1947 to 1949 and again in 1964.
Detroit went 4-3 against Chicago on Turkey Day through the 1970s-1990s. Most recently, the Lions beat the Bears on Thanksgiving in 2014. Chicago has won the last three meetings on the holiday, in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
