Stafford throws 5 TD passes, Lions beat Eagles 45-14

After the ball bounced around, it was picked up by Ansah at the Eagles 14-yard line.

Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson combined for one of the best games of their careers, helping the surging Detroit Lions keep the Philadelphia Eagles reeling.

For years on the wrong end of Thanksgiving blowouts, the Lions (4-7) jumped on the Eagles from the outset Thursday, scoring touchdowns on two of their first three possessions and holding Philadelphia (4-7) without a first down the entire second quarter.

“I’m a coach, not a player”, said Kelly, according to ESPN.

Philadelpia was trounced by Detroit 45-14 and has now dropped three straight to fall to 4-7.

Given the less than stellar early returns on free agent acquisitions DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell and Sam Bradford among others, where the Eagles go from here with Kelly will determine direction of the franchise moving forward. “When you have two back-to-back games like that, it absolutely starts with me. I think the answer to that question is yes”.

The Eagles won’t win 10 regular-season games this season, a feat they accomplished in his first two National Football League seasons. “We’ve allowed them too much time”.

Stafford whipped a dime to Calvin Johnson. He had 3 1/2 sacks for the Lions and now has 11 1/2 on the season. Sanchez doesn’t expect any dissension in the ranks.

But does Kelly, who increasingly is hearing his name mentioned in connection with collegiate job openings, have five games left in the NFL? “We can’t continue to have three-and-outs, and now they’re back on the field”. Bradford has a shoulder issue.

At least the 4-7 Eagles are in the NFC East. “We’ve got five games left to determine our season”, Kelly said. The three-yard touchdown catch that came with 5:05 to play in the third quarter tied Johnson’s career-high with three touchdowns in a single game. On Wednesday, he told a story about former wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson told Johnson that he’d break Rice’s record in the Week 16 game against the Falcons in 2012.

The Philadelphia Eagles have placed cornerback Nolan Carroll on injured reserve with a broken ankle, effectively ending his season.

Matthew Stafford set a Detroit Lions record for most passing touchdowns on Thanksgiving. Throwing for 337 yards and more importantly, five touchdowns.

QB Mark Sanchez completed 19 of 27 passes and threw for two scores on Thursday but was under heavy pressure most of the day.

-RUSHING OFFENSE: B. The Lions averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, but there were some highlights in the run game, particularly running back Ameer Abdullah’s 23-yarder in the first quarter.

Kelly maintained that he still had confidence in his group of players and insisted that fingers should be pointing at him rather than any of the playing staff.

With a date with the unbeaten Patriots in Foxboro next Sunday, the Eagles could be facing their fourth straight loss, and the hot seat under Kelly will only be getting hotter.

Stafford threw a 2-yard TD pass to Golden Tate, who lined up as a fullback and went to the flat, where he caught the ball and stopped, letting safety Walter Thurmond run past him.

“Absolutely”, Davis said. “Not kind of committed, all-in committed”. “I think all the way across the board, the guys played well”. This was the worst loss in the Chip Kelly era and it wasn’t pretty, it was just as bad as the Tampa Bay loss if not worse which is hard to believe.

“It is getting late”, S Malcolm Jenkins said.