Thanksgiving Football 2011 (week 12)

Three games to watch as everybody enjoys family, food, and football in the USA today. First off...

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers meet for a very charged game at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The scoring opened in the second quarter with an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to Greg Jennings, good for 3 yards. Mason Crosby had the extra point. This made the score at halftime 7-0. The Packers got going in the third quarter with a 1 yard John Kuhn touchdown run, and Crosby again made the extra point. Green Bay went back to the sky as Rodgers tossed a 65 yard touchdown to James Jones, and Crosby once again made the PAT. Crosby kept the Packers going with a 35 yard field goal. Detroit finally got on the board with a 16 yard Keiland Williams rushing touchdown, and Matthew Stafford threw the two-point conversion successfully into the arms of Titus Young. Green Bay took a few more points with Crosby kicking a 32 yard field goal. The final was 27-15 after Stafford threw a 3 yard touchdown to Calvin Johnson, and Jason Hanson made an extra point. The Packers went to 11-0 and the Lions fell to 7-4.

Following that, the mid-late afternoon special is the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Miami Dolphins. Miami led off with a Shayne Graham field goal from 26 yards. Dallas tied it in the second quarter with Dan Bailey good from 32 yards for a field goal. The Cowboys added on with Tony Romo passing 5 yards to Laurent Robinson for a touchdown, and Bailey made the extra point. The Dolphins pulled back to 10-6 before the half when Graham made a 28 yard field goal. Miami kept kicking in the third quarter with a 27 yard field goal from Graham. The Dolphins finally got in the end zone when Matt Moore passed to Brandon Marshall for a 35 yard touchdown, and Graham had the PAT. Dallas retook the lead in the fourth quarter when Romo met up with Robinson again, this time for an 18 yard touchdown, and Bailey made the extra point. Miami went back ahead with a 23 yard field goal by Graham. The Cowboys would win it 20-19 at the last second with a 28 yard field goal by Bailey, moving them to 7-4 and knocking the Dolphins down to 3-8.

Finally, the Harbaugh Bowl is beginning in the evening, as the Baltimore Ravens host the San Francisco 49ers. Baltimore led off with Billy Cundiff kicking a 39 yard field goal. San Francisco answered with a 45 yard field goal by David Akers. Cundiff put the Ravens back in front 6-3 with a 23 yard field goal in the second quarter. This was the score at halftime. The 49ers tied it in the third quarter with Akers blasting a 52 yard field goal. Baltimore grabbed the lead in the fourth quarter with a Joe Flacco touchdown pass to Dennis Pitta for 8 yards, and Cundiff made the PAT. The Ravens made it 16-6 with Cundiff kicking a 39 yard field goal. This was a final, and the Ravens move to 8-3 while the 49ers fall to 9-2.