The Detroit Lions invited the Texans over to Ford Field for Thanksgiving, and Houston feasted.
It’s hard to put the blame of this embarrassing loss on any individual players or coaches given how poorly Detroit played overall. Nevertheless, some people still managed to stand out in this 41-25 blowout.
Here are the 2020 Thanksgiving studs and duds:
Dud: Matt Patricia
The biggest dud of all is Detroit’s head coach. For a man whose job is on the line, it sure doesn’t look like he wants it.
This game was the combination of all of his faults throughout his tenure in Detroit. There were excessive turnovers, failed run plays, clock, and blown coverages on defense in this absolute embarrassment of a loss on the national stage. It’s clear that Patricia and his staff have not learned from any of their mistakes over the last three years.
Stud: Run defense
The run defense started strong and didn’t tone it down too much throughout the day.
Danny Shelton, John Penisini, and Nick Williams put up a stout defensive interior to hold the Texans’ running backs to just 49 yards. Especially when compared to the rest of the defense, these run stuffers excelled in their roles.
Dud: Desmond Trufant
The veteran cornerback’s drive-ending pass deflection wasn’t enough to keep him off of the duds list.
Trufant was beat early and often, allowing two receptions on the Texans’ opening drive. He struggled, especially in man coverage, throughout the first half before leaving with an injury.
Stud: Adrian Peterson
Despite starting the game with two carries for one yard, the future hall-of-famer gained 54 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 runs.
Dud: Johnathan Williams
Williams’ first career run as a Lion looked solid until he fumbled the ball and Houston capitalized with a touchdown in the following drive.
Stud: T.J. Hockenson
Hockenson earned the Lions two first downs on their first offensive drive and continued to be a safety net for Stafford throughout the rest of the game. The second-year tight end finished the game with five receptions for 89 yards.
Stud: Mohammed Sanu
Sanu stayed quiet for most of the game until the fourth quarter came around. Once this game was out of reach for the Lions, Sanu came through with four receptions for 32 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion.
The veteran receiver was signed to the active roster this week and could end up being a reliable replacement for Kenny Golladay if he misses more of the season with his injury.