DETROIT (WOOD) —  The newest Detroit Lion figured it would come down to the defense to make plays at the end to finally break a lengthy Thanksgiving Day losing skid.

Recently-acquired defensive end Za’Darius Smith was up to the challenge.

The 32-year-old veteran recorded a pair of sacks on the Chicago Bears’ final drive to thwart a comeback attempt and preserve a 23-20 win Thursday at Ford Field.

“That was very big, we needed a stop,” Smith said. “Obviously they have a good offense and they had an opportunity to come back on us, but we had to close it out. We were talking about it throughout the game of finishing. We are going to have to be the ones to finish and as you can see it happened for us.”

The Lions survived a second-half surge from Chicago to win their first Thanksgiving Day game in eight years. They had lost seven consecutive on the holiday entering Thursday’s NFC North showdown, but found a way to win despite Chicago being in position to tie or win in the final minute.

On second down and 20 from the Detroit 35-yard line, Smith sacked Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams for a 6-yard loss that put the Bears out of field goal range.

“I saw it, and I was like, ‘I’m not going to miss him again,’” said Smith, who joined the Lions earlier this month. “I had the opportunity to close in on him and get a sack. Obviously I missed two before that, but I was happy to be able to get him at the end.”

The Lions have now won a franchise-record 10 games in a row, making this the first Lions team to ever have an 11-1 record.

“It just shows this football team,” Smith said. “Next man up, and as you can see every man is prepared and ready to go out there and fight. This is a young football team and a great football team that wants to get better each week.”

The Lions led 23-7 late in the third quarter, however, the Bears didn’t quit and scored two second-half touchdowns to narrow the gap.

“We ultimately found a way to get the win,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “They played hard, and we knew they would, so it was a hard-fought game. Jack Fox boomed that punt at the 1 (yard line) there and then our defense holds (at the end). 

“I’m proud of the fight and we did what we had to do. We’re going to enjoy this, the first Thanksgiving win since I’ve been here, and then onto the next,” Campbell added.

The frustration of close losses on Thanksgiving had mounted through the years so the players were thrilled to finally be able to secure a win.

“Huge for the city, huge for us,” Lions longtime center Frank Ragnow said. “Me personally, I haven’t won on Thanksgiving so it will be nice to go home and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner actually smiling. Hopefully I’ll have a good prime rib. I’m not the biggest turkey guy.”

Tight end Sam LaPorta, who had two touchdowns in the victory, added:

“I heard we had lost seven straight coming into Thanksgiving this year, but it was good that we got that win and broke that streak,” he said. “My fiance and her mother are at home now finishing up the rest of Thanksgiving dinner so I’m going home now and devour that I imagine.”

NOTES

David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs were wearing custom Sonic and Knuckles cleats for the Thanksgiving game. Montgomery wore the Knuckles version with a yellow stripe and Gibbs sported the Sonic version with a white stripe. The cleats were predominantly red.

Jameson Williams had the highlight of the game when he leaped over Chicago’s Kevin Byard III on a 15-yard run with 5:45 left in the third quarter. It led to a 1-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Sam Laporta, putting the Lions up 23-7.