The Detroit Lions haven’t always had much to cheer about during their annual Thanksgiving Day game, but quarterback Matthew Stafford has been a bright spot in recent seasons. This year against the Minnesota Vikings, he broke Tony Romo’s record for most passing yards thrown on Thanksgiving.
Matthew Stafford breaks Tony Romo’s record for most passing yards on Thanksgiving
The Lions quarterback only needed eight games to break the record Romo set over 10 games with the Cowboys.
Romo played 10 games for the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, recording 2,338 passing yards. Coming into Thursday, Stafford had thrown for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns in Thanksgiving games. He entered the game needing only 119 yards to tie Romo. He passed the record with this six-yard touchdown pass to receiver Marvin Jones Jr late in the second quarter.
As a historically moribund franchise that happens to play on Thanksgiving every year, the Lions haven’t always provided much entertainment for their fans and neutral viewers. Even after adding Stafford with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Detroit lost its first four Thanksgiving games with him on the roster (he missed the 2010 game with an injury).
However, the Lions rebounded in recent years, winning their last four Thanksgiving games heading into the 2017 season. Last year, Detroit knocked off the Vikings, 16-13. Unfortunately for the Lions, the Vikings have a 20-10 lead at halftime.
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