DetNews.com - By process of elimination, it appears the Lions will host the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field.
The New York Daily News, citing unnamed sources, reports the New York Jets — the only other potential Thanksgiving opponent for the Lions, based on TV network rights — will host a Thanksgiving night game at the new Meadowlands Stadium.
If true, that means the Lions will host Tom Brady and the Patriots in their annual Thanksgiving game. The Lions’ game is being broadcast by CBS this year, meaning it will feature an AFC opponent. The Jets and Patriots are the only AFC opponents that will play at Detroit in 2010.
An official announcement on the league’s opening weekend schedule and the Thanksgiving games is expected Monday at the NFL owners’ meetings in Orlando. The full schedule won’t be released until April.
Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden played for the Lions in 2008 when they lost 47-10 to Tennessee on Thanksgiving.
“It would be good to play on Thanksgiving,” he told the Boston Globe on Wednesday. “Growing up as a kid you watch that game and you want to play on Thanksgiving and I got to do it, but it wasn’t that great in Detroit. So if we play on Thanksgiving, hopefully I can be on the winning end of that.”
The Lions last hosted the Patriots on Thanksgiving in 2002, losing 20-12.
Here are the Lions’ opponents in 2010:
Home:
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
St. Louis Rams
Away:
Chicago Bears
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Buffalo Bills
Miami Dolphins
Dallas Cowboys
New York Giants
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
