Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said this week Thanksgiving is the toughest stretch of the season for his team because of the quick turnaround due to the Thursday game.
It's also a quick turnaround for players injured on Sunday to try and play Thursday. The Lions will have a couple of those, most notably cornerback Jeff Okudah, who left Sunday's 31-18 win in New York and did not return to be evaluated for a concussion.
Okudah was injured in the first half when he and teammate Will Harris collided in the secondary. Okudah was removed from the game by the officials and did not return.
Campbell confirmed after the game that it would be hard, if not impossible, for Okudah to get through the NFL's return-to-play concussion protocol in time to play Thursday against Buffalo at Ford Field.
"No," Campbell said when asked if there was enough time for Okudah to get cleared by Thursday. "He'll be out I'm pretty sure. We just talked about it; I don't think there is any way possible he can play."
That means Jerry Jacobs, Mike Hughes and Amani Oruwariye will have to step up at cornerback against Bills quarterback Josh Allen and the potent Buffalo passing attack Thursday.
It's too bad for Okudah, because a nationally televised audience deserves to see how well he's played for the Lions all season long. But as Campbell always preaches, it's next man up.
RED ZONE KEY
All week long Lions quarterback Jared Goff heard about how good the Giants' red-zone defense was. New York entered Sunday ranked No. 2 in the NFL in red-zone defense, allowing a touchdown just 38.2 percent of the time.
But Detroit's offense has also been successful in the red zone this year. They've been scoring a touchdown 69.7 percent of the time, which was the fifth highest percentage in the NFL.
"We're really good in the red zone too, so we kind of were ready for that challenge," Goff said. "We heard all week about how good they were in the red zone, how good they were on third down – I don't know our numbers on third down, but specifically in the red zone I thought we did a good job."
The Lions were 4-of-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone with four rushing touchdowns, three from Jamaal Williams (4 yards, 1, 1) and one from D’Andre Swift (4).
WINNING IS CONTAGIOUS
The Lions are on their first three-game winning streak since 2017. They are playing complementary football and not hurting themselves, and that's proven to be a winning recipe.
"When you're able to get a couple and then you get a couple more, pretty soon it really becomes second nature and it's hard to explain," Campbell said. "I know it always starts with effort that's for sure. Effort and a conscious effort to go after the football and we're getting that."
The Lions have generated seven turnovers the last three weeks while limiting their own mistakes. They've found a recipe for success, and it's fun to watch a young football team that's learning how to win games right in front of our eyes.
EXTRA POINTS
- Defensive lineman John Cominsky recorded three solo tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a blocked extra point. Great production from him with the Lions down Josh Paschal (knee) and Charles Harris (knee) in the game.
- Aidan Hutchinson's two interceptions tie him for the most in a season by a rookie defensive lineman in NFL history. He is the first to do so since Mathias Kiwanuka in 2006.
