Detroit Lions – Five things to know about facing Vikings on Thanksgiving

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford signals during the first half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) is tackled by Detroit Lions strong safety Miles Killebrew (35) and defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (94) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

By Paula Pasche | The Oakland Press

PUBLISHED: November 21, 2016 at 6:25 a.m. | UPDATED: June 17, 2021 at 6:42 a.m.

The Lions had little time to enjoy their 26-19 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.

They have to turn the page a few days early because they’ll face the Minnesota Vikings in a battle for first place in the NFC North on Thanksgiving at Ford Field.

Both teams own 6-4 records, but the Lions win the first tie-breaker since they beat the Vikings in their first meeting.

PHOTOS FROM LIONS 26-19 WIN OVER JAGUARS

The Vikings snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday when they beat the Arizona Cardinals, 30-24.

The Lions have won four straight at Ford Field and have been victorious in five of their last six games.

Kickoff on Thursday is 12:30 p.m.

Five things to know about the Lions-Vikings matchup:

1. It’s a little different because the teams just played two weeks ago. You might remember the Lions won in overtime, 22-16. Matthew Stafford said on Sunday that the Lions have an advantage since they just played the Vikings on Nov. 6. But it also goes both ways. Neither team will have to start scouting from scratch which will come in handy during the short week.

2. Certainly the Vikings will hope to serve up a heaping plateful of revenge. “They’re coming in here hungry and angry and the whole bit, so we’ve got to get ready for them,” coach Jim Caldwell said. The Vikings gave up a fourth-quarter lead, letting the Lions tie it up late and then win in overtime.

3. Caldwell is approaching it like it’s another game in the quarter not like it could make a difference in making the playoffs. He breaks the season into quarters to simplify the focus. They’re in the third quarter now with a 2-0 record. “That’s kind of how we look at it more so than anything else. I think when you start getting ahead of yourself about all the other stuff, what matters is how you play and whether or not you can get yourself in position to win, plain and simple,” Caldwell said. “There’s not any more drama than that. I think it gives you guys great things to write about and all that kind of stuff and I try to do my best to keep our guys from reading it and focusing on what we have to do because those things don’t matter. It really doesn’t.

4. The coach just wants his players to focus. He’d like to see better practices than last week. “We didn’t practice very well last week either. We didn’t practice as well as we were capable. We were just a little bit off. We were like a lot of teams that come out of the bye that forget about the intensity level and you’re just a little rusty,” Caldwell said. “That’s why some balls I think were coming out and things of that nature. We’ve got to get back to where we were and get ourselves to the point where we’re taking care of the ball and playing better.”

5. It’s a key divisional game, but it’s also Thanksgiving, a classic game in Detroit. The Lions players understand that. “This is going to be my fifth in a row. I remember I played, my first one started in 2012 when I was in Houston and then my four years here, so it’s fun,” safety Glover Quin said. “It’s a turnaround, especially coming off a tough game like that, you know. We’ve got to make sure that we’re doing a good job to get our bodies back right, so we come out and be healthy and be fresh and be ready to go on Thanksgiving morning.”