Thanksgiving was marked by uncompetitive NFL games, as favorites Green Bay, Dallas, and Indianapolis all won handily.
The Packers and the Cowboys both ran their records to 10-1, setting up what the NFL Network is already calling "the NFC game of the year."
It's no coincidence that the game will be televised on that same network next Thursday.
The Colts, meanwhile, bounced back from a slow start to manhandle the Falcons and improve their mark to 9-2.
Packers 37, Lions 26
Green Bay sent the reeling Detroit Lions to their third straight loss, winning 37-26 in a game that wasn't as close as the final score.
Brett Favre broke a franchise record with 20 straight completions as he picked apart the Lions' secondary for 381 yards, three touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 128.2.
Often working out of five-wide sets, Favre consistently hit his receivers on short slants, crosses, and outs. He zinged passes into tight spots and floated balls for touchdown catches.
The Packers' receivers simply overwhelmed the Lions' secondary.
Donald Driver caught 10 balls for 147 yards, and showed a knack for turning small completions into big gains. Greg Jennings caught five passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns.
Despite the pass-heavy offense, Green Bay running back Ryan Grant gained 101 yards on just 15 carries, and helped seal the game in the fourth quarter.
Detroit QB Jon Kitna was sacked four times and hurried many more. Many of his throws were way off target, often due to miscommunication with his receivers.
The Lions jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead, but their inability to find the end zone allowed the Packers to take a 17-9 halftime advantage.
They wouldn't relinquish it.
Green Bay set themselves up for a mighty matchup with Dallas next Thursday to determine NFC supremacy.
On the other side, Detroit finds itself struggling to stay in the playoff race after a 6-2 first half of the season. With a tough upcoming schedule, the Lions will be hard-pressed to fulfill Kitna's 10-win prediction.
Cowboys 34, Jets 3
In Dallas, the Cowboys coolly and efficiently dispatched the Jets, shutting down New York's offense en route to a 34-3 victory.
Dallas' offense played a calculated, conservative game. Their defense didn't allow the Jets to move the ball at all.
QB Tony Romo had a quiet but effective day with 195 yards passing and two touchdowns at a 75 percent completion rate.
Romo also tied a franchise record with his 29th touchdown pass of the year. The record-tying toss went to Terrell Owens in the fourth quarter.
After last week's huge performance, Owens was invisible for large parts of the game and ended up with just six catches for 65 yards.
That was more than enough for the Cowboys, who also managed without the services of injured receiver Patrick Crayton.
Tight end Jason Witten chipped in four catches for 54 yards and a score.
Running back Marion Barber picked up 103 yards on only 18 carries, and scored a touchdown on Dallas' first drive of the game.
Jets QB Kellen Clemens was hurried all day and sacked three times by the Cowboys' defense. He never looked comfortable and only completed 44 percent of his passes.
In the second quarter, Cowboys DB Terence Newman picked off a Clemens pass and ran it back 50 yards for a touchdown. Newman laid back before breaking hard on a short route.
The New York running game also had little success, with only 60 total yards on the ground.
The Jets' offense didn't even cross midfield until the end of the second quarter, when they kicked a field goal for their only points of the day.
In the second half, New York couldn't get a first down until their final drive.
The Jets' defense played relatively well before tiring late. Romo was picked off once, and could have been intercepted two other times.



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