Gameday

Jason Hanson has missed three field goals this season, but none were more detrimental than the 47-yarder he missed in overtime Thursday that would have won the game for the Lions.

Instead, Hanson’s attempt hit the right upright and the the Texans came back and won the game, 34-31, on the very next possession with a 32-yard field goal from Shayne Graham.

“I don’t know what to say,” Hanson said after the game. “Just started right and went right at the upright so it doesn’t matter if it hits the upright or goes wide. It’s not good.”

All three of Hanson’s misses this year have hit the right upright.

The snap on Hanson’s overtime attempt was low, but punter Nick Harris did a good job of getting the ball down. Hanson said the snap didn’t have anything to do with him missing the kick. He simply missed it.

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz called for the attempt on third down with all the confidence that Hanson would make it.

“We were already in field goal range, Jason wasn’t going to miss that one short,” Schwartz said. “Then also, if the snap was mishandled – it was low snap, but he was able to get it down or something happened like that – you still have another opportunity.

“We were on the hash that he wanted. There’s a chance we can still make a first down, but they’re defending the run in that situation. The chance of a turnover is there, particularly after we turned it over a couple times when we had field goal range – I wanted to give Jason a chance and I’d give him that chance again.”

Hanson is 12-of-15 on field goal attempts this year.

He became the first player in NFL history to play in 20 Thanksgiving Day games on Thursday. But this is probably one he’d like to forget.

CONTROVERSY FOLLOWS SUH
Controvery seems to follow Lions defense tackle Ndamukong Suh everywhere he goes.

On a first quarter pass play, the defensive tackle was on his way to the ground after being spun down by a blocker and his left foot hit Texans quarterback Matt Schaub in the groin.

Schaub fell to the ground after the hit.

"I don't really have anything to say about that play or that person," Schaub said after the game, obviously thinking it was an intentional blow by Suh.

The play appeared to be accidental, but the CBS analyst Boomer Esiason said at halftime that he thought it was an intentional blow by Suh, too.

"This is supposed to be a brotherhood," Esiason said, according to NFL.com's Marc Sessler. "You're supposed to have respect for one another. Bruce Smith, I could always shake his hand; Reggie White, I could always shake his hand after a game.

“I would never shake this guy's hand because, once again, he has crossed over a line, and it's obvious that it was on purpose."

Suh was not available for comment after the game.

BIG PLAY BELL
The Lions run game averaged 4.6 yards per carry and totaled 106 yards Thursday against a Texans defense that enterd the game ranked No. 2 in the league, allowing 85.6 yards per game.

The Lions were the only team in the NFL without a run of 20 yards coming into the game, but Joique Bell changed all that, and even doubled down.

Bell finished with 47 yards on nine carries (9.4 yards per carry) and had a 26-yard run on the final play of the third quarter and a 23-yard touchdown three plays later that gave the Lions a 31-24 lead.