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Deshaun Watson, Will Fuller roast Lions to give Detroit its fourth straight loss on Thanksgiving

Houston Texans fans already know they should be thankful for Deshaun Watson. But in case the team’s slow start had Texans fans jumping off the Watson bandwagon, he reminded those fans why he’s one of the best quarterbacks in football.

Watson threw for 318 yards and four touchdowns as the Texans dismantled the Detroit Lions 41-25 on Thanksgiving. Watson was masterful during the contest, completing 68 percent of his passes and averaging 12.7 yards per attempt.

Even Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was impressed with Watson’s performance.

Will Fuller explodes for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns against Lions

Watson wasn’t able to put those numbers alone. Wideout Will Fuller roasted Lions cornerbacks, catching six passes for 171 yards and two scores. Fuller and Watson were in sync throughout most of the game, but really got on the same page in the fourth quarter.

Fuller caught both of his touchdowns in the final 15 minutes of the contest. The first was a 40-yard strike from Watson.

The second came on a trick play, in which Duke Johnson took a handoff, tossed the ball back to Watson and watched as Watson hit a wide-open Fuller for a 34-yard score.

Lions make awful fourth-down call to prevent comeback

Three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lions were in rough shape. The team trailed by 17 points, and needed an offensive spark if they hoped to get back into the game. With the team on its own 34-yard line, the Lions decided to try and convert on fourth-and-1. Instead of giving the ball to Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 55 yards and two touchdowns, the Lions handed it off to fullback Jason Cabinda, who was stuffed on the play for no gain.

On the next play, Watson hit Fuller for his second touchdown grab of the game.

Lions continue to struggle on Thanksgiving

With the loss, the Lions fall to 4-7 on the season. The team is quickly heading toward its third straight losing season under head coach Matt Patricia, who may not retain his job much longer. Patricia has gone 13-29-1 in two and a half seasons with the team.

The loss also gives the Lions their fourth straight defeat on Thanksgiving. Detroit lost to the Chicago Bears in both 2019 and 2018, and dropped a game against the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. The Lions’ last win on Thanksgiving came in 2016, when they defeated the Vikings 16-13.

Houston improved to 4-7 with the win. It might be too late for the Texans to get back into the playoff race — especially in a tough AFC — but the team has gone 3-1 over the last four weeks.

Houston has its work cut out for it if the team hopes to make a second-half run. The Texans play the Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans over the last five weeks of the season. Only one of those teams — the Bengals — currently sit below .500.

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