What we learned from the three Thanksgiving games

Thanksgiving Day has provided many results and memorable performances. Chase Daniel guided the Chicago Bears to victory and the Dak Prescott-Amari Cooper connection helped the Dallas Cowboys crush the Washington Redskins defense. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints extended their winning streak to 10 games with a convincing win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Here's what we learned from Thursday's games:

Chicago Bears 23, Detroit Lions 16

1. No Mitchell Trubisky was no problem for the Bears in the second game against the Lions in 11 days. Backup Chase quarterback Daniel took part in his third career start and completed 27 of his 37 effective passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns without any interceptions.

Daniel's familiarity with the offensive scheme of head coach Matt Nagy allowed the caller to quickly install and connect to eight different receivers. And for the most part, Daniel made good decisions and managed the game by taking what the defense had given him and choosing his places to launch it in depth. His best pass is a 14-yard touchdown on the return of Tarik Cohen's back goal. Cohen easily beat the half-corner Nevin Lawson and Daniel dropped the ball inside with a tactile touch where Cohen could carry him after crossing the goal line. Daniel even caught an 8-yard pass.

If the injury to Trubisky's right shoulder prevents him from participating in the 13th week match against the New York Giants, the Bears are well placed if Daniel has to start over.

Thursday's win brought the Bears winning streak to five games and the team improved to 8-3 this season after sweeping two games against their divisional opponent.

2. While Daniel was playing pure football, the Bears' defense complimented him by holding the Lions attack in check for most of the game. The Lions actually outnumbered the Bears in total yards (333-264), but Detroit could not beat the costly mistakes they made against one of the best defensive units in the league.

As a team, the Bears totaled two sacks and four hits. The Bears then bent their muscles by ensuring two turnovers in 4:53 at the end of the fourth quarter. The first tied at 16 and the Lions lined up for the first part. At the right moment, goaltender Eddie Jackson read the play perfectly and skipped Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's pass to pick it up and bring it back to 41 yards for a touchdown. The second interception took place at the end of the fourth quarter, as the Lions were trying to create a scenario that would allow them to play. Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller, however, pushed Stafford into the end zone.

3. The Lions were without two big weapons in attack in rookie Kerryon Johnson (knee) and wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. (knee), and this seemed to affect the call of the game. The Lions played cautiously in the first Half-time and Stafford completed 17 of 23 passes for a total of 92 yards, a paltry 4-yard average per pass from the team's first seven possessions.

As the Lions led 9-7 midway through the third quarter, Stafford started sneaking onto the field and getting along with wide receiver Kenny Golladay for a total of 43 yards to prepare the second touchdown LeBarrette Blount.

Stafford finished the game by completing 28 of 38 passes for 236 yards out of 28, but made mistakes at the worst moments with the choice of six and interception. The loss reduced the Lions to 4-7 during the season and was cut to last place in the North of the NFC.

– Herbie Teope

Dallas Cowboys 31, Washington Redskins 23

1. This game brought to light the big game. At first, it was the nature of the back and forth big games that made it interesting, Trey Quinn preparing the table for his own reception with a long kick return. clearance. Another long run put Washington in a position to add more points when he lost several scores. And of course, there was the explosion in the second half of Amari Cooper, first on a 40-yard touchdown reception created by a well-managed road, then on a shot from 91 yards in which two defenders were lost and overwhelmed. Alabama star Ha Ha Clinton-Dix heads to the end zone It was a pleasant surprise from two teams that did not really win with the big game for much of the season.

2. Cooper is a huge addition to this Cowboys team, which has changed almost completely since it arrived at the trading deadline. His inclusion has allowed Dallas to spread the offense further, which has resulted in increased use of 11 people (more about it here), more space for Ezekiel Elliott and more places for Prescott. The pair of big games mentioned above clearly marked the difference Thursday, but its impact goes beyond the big game. The Cowboys have a better appearance day and night in terms of production and capabilities. Look no further than the Prescott game as proof.

3. This match has been touted as a decisive game in the hustle and bustle of the NFC East, and it looks even more like a fork on the road for two teams. What was a close match quickly became a rash and the Redskins' reputation as a menacing opponent disappeared. Without Alex Smith, Washington becomes a team that needs to take a fast lead and make it to the ground with Adrian Peterson, otherwise she runs the risk of placing the ball in the hands of Colt McCoy. Pro Tip: You do not want to do that. We still have more than a month of football, but it certainly looked like the swan song, Washington's first place.

Dallas, meanwhile, rolls. I will not venture to say that I made them run in the playoffs, but they seem to be the big favorite to win the division at this point, none of the other three members can say as much to advance to the playoffs. trot. The Cowboys, however, gallop and seem to become more and more comfortable with their identity each week.

– Nick Shook

New Orleans Saints 31, Atlanta Falcons 17

1. Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore said Tuesday in the locker room that the first match between the two teams was long ago. The message? This defense of the Saints is not the same unit that gave 37 points to the Falcons during the second week.

The Saints defense set the tone in the first half by limiting the ground game to 12 yards in Atlanta and giving the Falcons a dimension to 17-3 at halftime. The Saints totaled six sacks of the season, a high in the season, a total of 13 quarterbacks, three fumbles and one interception.

Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins led the charge by recording his seventh sack of the season. He has a series of three games with at least one bag. Free Security of Saints Marcus Williams has probably advanced in the defensive game of the game when he recovered the fumble of his own sack of striptease to push back the Falcons in the depths of the territory of the Saints.

In a modern era of the NFL where fouls shine like the Saints, The Big Easy team shows that she can play football in a complementary way on both sides of the ball. The Saints have allowed 38 points in the past three games, averaging 12.6 per game behind their defense, and have extended their winning streak to the top 10 league games.

2. Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, showed for a second straight game that he did not have to rely heavily on wide receiver Michael Thomas in the passing game. Of course, Thomas is clearly the No. 1 threat and he has had his moments, including a circus catch between three defenders, but Brees is assured that others are involved.

With Brandon Marshall and rookie Tre & # 39; Quan Smith (foot) inactive, opportunities were on the line for sophomore Austin Carr, Tommylee Lewis, rookie Keith Kirkwood and tight half Dan Arnold. Carr recorded a touchdown, her second in as many weeks; Lewis, new receiver injured, shot in a 28-yard mark; and Arnold, whom the Saints converted wide receiver into an opponent during the off-season, imagined a 25-yard pass worthy of the best moments. and Kirkwood took a touchdown of 5 yards.

Know what really makes their productions unique? All four entered the league as free agents.

3. Despite the attention given to a wild game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, the Saints are without a doubt the best team in the league and they do not need to do it. with explosive production every day. the week.

Against the Falcons, Brees had 174 yards with four touchdowns and eight different players. The run hit the Falcons with 150 yards in 31 races. Mid-season semifinal Alvin Kamara scored 14 attempts on the ground with 14 yards while Mark Ingram had 48 yards.

And as noted above, the defense played exceptionally well. When the Saints pull hard, as was their case Thursday night, it's a team extremely difficult to beat.

– Herbie Teope