Thanksgiving NFL Plays

[Tinfish]

Indy @ Detroit

Okay enough with all the bullshit about the Lions being 'absolute money' on Thanksgiving. Sure they have been, but is there anyone hotter than Peyton Manning right now? Indoors? Wow...I am shocked at all the support Detroit is getting here.

The Indianapolis Colts are coming off a 41-10 thrashing of a good Chicago Bears defense and that has me wondering how Detroit will even come close to stopping these guys. Peyton Manning is at home when it comes to playing indoors. Manning leads an offense that averages 429.4 total yards per game on the road. Get this, the Colts are averaging a league-high 7.0 yards per play. That's incredible. Don't get wrong...Detroit's defense isn't that bad but there is no way they roll in a shootout. Edgerrin James leads a running game that averages 151.2 rushing yards per road game on 5.2 yards per carry. He is up against a Lion's defense that allows only 3.7 yards per carry for 121.0 rushing yards per home game. Peyton Manning leads the air attack, which is averaging 278.2 yards per road game on a whopping 8.5 yards per pass attempt. The Lions are giving up 7.3 yards per pass attempt at home and allowing opposing QB's to complete 63.9% of their passes. Manning has been incredible being sacked only 0.4 times per road game and completing 62.6% of his passes away from home. The Colts are converting on 44.0% of 3rd down chances on the road, which is a very underrated stat. Detroit's defense allows visiting QB's to convert 42.9% of 3rd down chances and this could be an extremely long day for them. The Colts have attempted 7 FG's on the road and hit 5 of them. Dungy is not afraid to kick for three points and that will help all Indy backers who need -9.5 (assuming they could win by only 10). When opposing QB's come play at Ford Field, they are currently recording a QB Rating of 102.6. You would be insane not to take Manning in a game like this.

The Detroit Lions have been hyped up by many as the official 'Thanksgiving Day' ATS Gods but I don't buy it for one seconds. Have you seen the way this offense runs? If it wasn't for Eddie Drummond and his three Punt/Kick Returns for TD's, this line might be a little bit higher. Joey Harrington knows that the Colts defense is not that good but what makes you think he can take advantage of that? The Lions are averaging only 242.3 total yards per home game this season on only 4.4 yards per play. PATHETIC! On the ground, the Lions average only 67.0 rushing yards per home game on only 3.3 yards per carry. Now I know the Colts allow 122.8 rushing yards per road game on 4.2 yards per carry, but are you serious? When Mariucci looks up at that scoreboard and sees his team down 21-0, will he be running the ball? Even if he does, it won't get them anywhere. In the air, Harrington is averaging 175.3 passing yards per home game on only 5.0 yards per carry. That's a big shame seeing that Indy allows 279.8 passing yards per road game on 7.9 yards per pass attempt. Opposing QB's are completing a whopping 68.9% of their passes when hosting Indy but Harrington completes only 55.5% of his passes at Ford Field. The one thing I like about the Colts defense is that they average 2.2 sacks per road game and intercept the ball almost once per road game. Harrington works behind an offensive line that has been brutal at home, allowing him to be sacked 2.5 times per game. Another concern for the Lions is that they are converting only 29.6% of 3rd down chances at home, while Indy is allowing other teams to convert 48.9% of the time on the road. Mr. Harrington does not have what it takes to keep up with Manning and this one could get real ugly. GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!

Indianapolis Colts -9.5

[SloppyJo]

peyton manning is playing out of his mind this year... hes gonna break dan marino's season passing td record(with ease) and hes gonna embarrass the lions