Not since 2017 have the Detroit Lions experienced a run of success such as they are right now.
Head coach Dan Campbell's squad is hoping that momentum will carry the Lions to a feat they've not accomplished since 2016.
Looking to break the franchise's five-game losing streak on Thanksgiving, Campbell believes the Ford Field faithful will be rocking for Thursday's game against the Buffalo Bills, which kicks off the John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration at 12:30 p.m. ET.
"That was one of the first things I thought of after this game on the plane ride home after [Sunday’s win against the New York Giants] is like, man, this place is going to be fired up] -- because it's been good," Campbell said earlier this week, [via the team website. "I mean, it's been electric and I can only imagine now. I already know it's going to be on fire. It's going to be great."
The win over the Giants gave the Lions their third straight victory, a streak the club hasn't produced since Weeks 9-11, 2017. Should they upset the Bills, the Lions would collect their first four-game winning streak since Weeks 9-14, 2016, and also snap a five-game skid in the franchise's hallmark Thanksgiving game.
History is split on the outcome, as Detroit faces a Buffalo squad quarterbacked by Josh Allen, who is 2-0 on Thanksgiving. However, the Lions and Bills have squared off twice before on Turkey Day and Detroit won both of those matchups -- the last in Week 13, 1994.
Another interesting caveat is the Lions will return to a home crowd after two straight triumphs on the road, while the Bills will return to their second straight game at Ford Field. Having had to move their Week 11 home game from New York to Michigan due to a snowstorm, the Bills will become the third NFL team to play two games at the same venue that is not their regular home field in a span of five days or less, per NFL Research.
Regardless, the Lions are hoping a little Thanksgiving home cooking tastes good for the first time since 2016.
"Coming off a three-game win streak at home, I know what this game means to the city of Detroit," said Lions quarterback Jared Goff, who was a rookie with the Rams when Detroit last won on Thanksgiving. "It's been here every year, and playing a good opponent, yeah, it'll be fun. It'll be really fun, and we look forward to seeing those (fans) out there."
