The Detroit Lions entered Thursday as one of the best teams in the NFL, carrying an 8-2 record and sitting atop the NFC North standings. However, they dropped an egg on Thanksgiving Day, falling to the visiting Green Bay Packers, 29-22, in primetime. The Lions never led, leading to a highly out-of-left-field tweet to gain popularity on Twitter (also known as X).
i have bad news for the lions 🙁
since the afl/nfl merger, they are 0-12 (.000) on thanksgiving when the moon is in a waxing gibbous phase. tomorrow is a waxing gibbous pic.twitter.com/IlKqXH5cgr
— Jay Cuda (@JayCuda) November 22, 2023
Cuda is no stranger to tweeting wacky sports statistics, but linking the Lions’ record to that of the Waxing Gibbous phase of the Moon is a new one.
Detroit Lions: Winless on Thanksgiving During Waxing Gibbous?
Per timeanddate.com, the Waxing Gibbous phase is when the lit-up part of the Moon grows from 50.1% to 99.9%. The Lions have played on every Thanksgiving Day since the end of World War II, going 37-45-2 during that span. During the Moon’s Waxing Gibbous phase, the Lions have suited up on Turkey Day 13 times, including in 2023. However, the Moon being at least half-full has led to zero wins for the Lions. Before Thursday, Detroit last played during the Waxing Gibbous phase in 2020, falling to the Houston Texans 41-25. Per Jay Cuda’s tweet, Detroit remains winless on Thanksgiving (0-12) when the Moon is in a Waxing Gibbous phase, dating back to the AFL/NFL merger.
Lions Struggle Defensively in Week 12
Detroit had no answer for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday. Quarterback Jordan Love finished the game 22-of-32 for 268 yards and three scores. He also carried the ball three times for 39 yards. The Lions’ Jared Goff also lost all three of his fumbles. Detroit had a chance late, with Goff finding receiver Josh Reynolds in the endzone with 46 seconds remaining. However, they failed to convert the onside kick, with Love kneeling it out.
The Lions fall to 8-3 with the loss but still sit pretty in their divisional standings. Meanwhile, Green Bay keeps pace with the final NFC Wild Card spot with the win.
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