73rd Annual Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day Game

By Ryan Dunn

CREATED Nov. 22, 2012

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The Thanksgiving game in Detroit dates back to the 1930s, and remains a tradition for all Lions fans, even though they are 1-9 at Ford Field, and have not won on turkey day since 2003 against the Green Bay Packers.

This Thursday, the Lions will face off against the Houston Texans – Leaders of the AFC. The Texans rank 8th in rushing yards thanks to Arian Foster, who is running his way to the pro-bowl. On the opposite side the Lions rank 16th in rushing yards allowed, which is the weaker part of their defense. Detroit ranks 8th in passing yards allowed, which will hopefully quite the outstanding season that wide receiver Andre Johnson is having in Houston.

The Lions' playoff hopes died with their loss to Green Bay in Week 11. They now have six other teams ahead of them in the wild-card standings. At this point, it is very unlikely that the Lions will salvage anything positive out of the remaining games. However, if the Lions continue to struggle, they will likely benefit from a decent pick in this off season’s draft.

The halftime show is set to feature Detroit legend Kid Rock. It will be his 2nd Thanksgiving Day appearance since he rocked the stage in 2010. The Detroit star will perform his new song "Detroit, Michigan" at halftime, part of his new album "Rebel Soul," which is due out Nov. 26.The performance will celebrate the organization's 125th anniversary while promoting the anti-obesity campaign NFL Play 60.