A season-high four touchdown passes for Tom Brady gave New England Patriots a 45-24 victory at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.
Patriots run riot in Detroit with second-half demolition
A season-high four touchdown passes for Tom Brady gave New England Patriots a 45-24 victory at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.
Each score came after half-time as the Lions faded after leading early, Brady completing 21 passes for 341 yards, with two touchdown strikes each to Deion Branch and Wes Welker.
BenJarvus Green-Ellis also rumbled for a pair of touchdowns as the Patriots improved their record to an NFL best 9-2 while Lions dropped to 2-9.
It represented a seventh successive Turkey Day defeat for the Lions, whose QB Shaun Hill was 26 of 46 for 285 yards with one TD - a score to Calvin Johnson at the end of the first quarter that put the Lions up 7-3 - and two interceptions to rookie cornerback Devin McCourty.
Maurice Morris ran for two TDs, matching his total in two seasons in Detroit - his first score putting his side ahead 14-3 with 5:58 left in the first half.
Green-Ellis' 15-yard TD pulled the Patriots within four with 45 seconds left in the second quarter, then they allowed Detroit to drive for a lead-padding field goal to end the first half.
The Lions looked like they finally might put together a good showing on Thanksgiving day, forcing New England to punt on its first drive of the second half.
But Detroit began to fall apart when Hill underthrew Johnson on the ensuing possession and McCourty picked off the pass and returned it 23 yards to set up Brady's game-tying pass to Welker.
Morris put the Lions ahead again midway through the third quarter, but the lead didn't last long.
Brady found Branch, who was wide open, and he ran circles around Alphonso Smith on a 79-yard score that was his longest pass of the year 22 seconds later.
Branch beat Smith on his next TD with 13:45 left in the first half, sending the cornerback to the bench in a move that was made much too late to help the Lions.
