9 Takeaways From The Thanksgiving Games

Calvin Johnson

3. Stafford joins an elite group of quarterbacks

While the Lions have enjoyed a lot of success this season under first-year coach Jim Caldwell, it has been a down year in terms of stats for quarterback Matthew Stafford. However, the former No. 1 overall pick finally mustered up his best single-game performance of the year and reminded us he’s still very capable of lighting up the scoreboard.

Stafford completed 75 percent of his passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns, finishing with a quarterback rating of 116.0. It was Stafford’s highest completion percentage and yardage total of the season, and the third-highest quarterback rating.

Interestingly enough, the comeback victory marked Stafford’s 12th since 2009, the second-most in the NFL behind only Tom Brady (13), according to ESPN Stats & Information. This was the Lions’ third double-digit comeback win this season, tied with the Cowboys, Eagles and Bears for most in the league.

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Sam Spiegelman
Sam Spiegelman is a native New Yorker covering sports in New Orleans. He likes Game of Thrones way too much. Tweet him @samspiegs.