**Lions Celebrate Thanksgiving Win with Stellar Defensive Stats**

In a much-anticipated game, Dan Campbell achieved his first Thanksgiving Day victory as head coach of the Detroit Lions, propelling the team to an impressive 11-1 record this season. As we continue to analyze this Lions team week by week, the numbers tell a compelling story about their recent win over the Chicago Bears. Let's dive into the data to understand the performance and potential of the Lions.

One standout from the game was DJ Reader, a new addition to the team this year. Campbell awarded only one game ball for the victory, and Reader earned it with an impressive performance. He recorded four pressures, two tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and three quarterback hits. Reader's pass rush win rate surged to 13.6% in this game, markedly higher than his season average of 8.0%.

Za'Darius Smith, another newcomer, showed his resilience by playing through injuries and participating in a season-high 55 snaps. Smith accumulated nine pressures, equaling his season-best from Week 9, and registered a 19.4% pass rush win rate on 43 pass rush snaps. Kudos to Rob Lohman, the Lions' Director of Pro Scouting, and his team for their successful acquisitions of Reader and Smith.

Defensively, Terrion Arnold made a notable comeback after missing a game due to a groin injury. In this game, Arnold was targeted eight times but allowed only two catches for 20 yards. He achieved a best-in-team passer rating of 39.6 against, showcasing his growth as a key defender.

Highlighting the defensive prowess, Detroit's defense, under Aaron Glenn's coordination, pressured Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams 17 times on his dropbacks without blitzing—a record for the Lions since Glenn took over in 2021. This achievement underscores the effectiveness of their defensive strategy.

On the offensive front, Jahmyr Gibbs proved himself a big-play specialist, rushing for 87 yards on just nine carries, averaging 9.7 yards per carry. Remarkably, 44.4% of his rushing attempts exceeded 10 yards, including a notable 28-yard run.

However, the Lions struggled in the red zone, where they averaged -0.1 yards before contact per carry. Out of their seven red zone rushing attempts, Detroit running backs faced contact behind the line of scrimmage 57.1% of the time. Outside the red zone, their performance was significantly better, averaging 2.5 yards before contact per carry and facing behind-the-line contact on only 30.4% of their carries.

The data reveals not only the strengths but also the areas needing improvement for the Detroit Lions as they continue their quest for success this season.