Brett Favre completed 20 consecutive passes as the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions 37-26.
Packers now 10-1 at the top of NFC North Division
Green Bay have scored a 37-26 Thanksgiving Day victory against the Detroit Lions, with Packers quarterback Brett Favre on record-breaking form at Ford Field.
The 38-year-old completed 20 consecutive passes - a club record - and also threw three touchdown passes as his side went 10-1 at the top of the NFC North Division.
That particular tally also marks their best start to a season since 1962, with Green Bay now enjoying a four-game lead over the Lions, who, after their strong start to the season, now stand at 6-5.
Favre completed 31 out of 41 passes for a total of 381 yards, going over 300 yards for the seventh time this season, thus tying another club record - one he himself set back in 1995.
Detroit nevertheless dominated the first quarter, but only had a pair of field goals kicked by Jason Hanson to show for their efforts.
The first stemmed from the game's first possession, with the Lions driving from their own 19 to Green Bay's eight-yard line.
However, a 15-yard personal foul penalty for a chop block against center Dominic Raiola moved the ball back to the 23.
Then, on the third down, Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna was sacked for six yards by Aaron Kampman - the home side settling for a 47-yard field goal.
Shaky start
Favre in turn made a shaky start, fumbling a hand-off to halfback Ryan Grant on the Packers' first offensive play, with Detroit's Jared DeVries recovering on Green Bay's 25.
But the Lions again failed to move the ball and once more had to resort to the boot of Hanson, who kicked a 41-yard field goal for 6-0.
Green Bay turned up the heat in the second quarter, however, and took advantage of a Detroit turnover to score on their first play.
Replacing the injured Nick Collins, free safety Aaron Rouse intercepted Kitna's pass and returned it 34 yards to Detroit 11-yard line.
On the next play, Favre passed 11 yards to Greg Jennings for a touchdown which placed the Packers 7-6 ahead.
Green Bay then found themselves 14-6 ahead when Grant made a five-yard run with 7:11 remaining in the first half. That second touchdown climaxed a six-play, 80-yard drive which included passes of 38 and 19 yards to Donald Driver.
A 74-yard kickoff return by Aveion Cason then set up Hanson's third field goal - this one measuring 45 yards - but the Packers responded in kind when Mason Crosby kicked a 20-yard field goal on the stroke of half time.
The Packers then started the second half as they had completed the first, with Favre completing seven passes for 80 yards on Green Bay's first possession - the last being a four-yard touchdown pass to Jennings to place the visitors 24-9 ahead.
Wrapped up
Hanson then kicked his fourth field goal from 52 yards but the Packers appeared to have the game wrapped up when Favre found Ruvell Martin in the end zone with a three-yard pass. Mason then kicked a 20-yard field goal to place his side 34-12 ahead.
With just under 10 minutes remaining, Kitna found rookie wide receiver Calvin Johnson with a six-yard touchdown pass to place Detroit 15 points behind and the Lions also scored on their next possession, with halfback Kevin Jones going in from one yard out to make it 34-26 with 6:34 left.
But Green Bay finally sealed victory when Crosby kicked a 26-yard field goal with 1:48 left on the clock.
Kitna completed 19 out of 39 passes for 224 yards, while Johnson caught seven passes for 93 yards.
