By Tony Moss, NFL Editor -- When the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions pull up a seat to their Thanksgiving dinner tables on Thursday evening, both would like to be able to give thanks for a win.

The Falcons and Lions, who will face off at Ford Field in the first game of Thursday's holiday double-header, are both in dire need of a trip to the left side of the win-loss column.

Atlanta comes into its Week 12 tilt fresh off back-to-back home losses to the Packers (33-25) and Buccaneers (30-27), defeats that have dropped Jim Mora's team a game back in the both the NFC South and Wild Card races. The Falcons, who will be playing on Thanksgiving Day for the first time in franchise history, are in danger of missing the postseason, with trips to face Carolina (7-3), Chicago (7-3), and Tampa Bay (7-3) still remaining on the docket.

Also looking to pick up some ground will be the Lions, who suffered their third loss in four games by dropping a 20-7 decision in Dallas last Sunday. Steve Mariucci's team, which was playing for sole possession of first place as recently as Week 8, has now fallen three games back of the division-leading Bears in the NFC North. The Lions, who have also lost three of their last four Thanksgiving Day games, currently reside in third place in the division, a game behind second-place Minnesota.

SERIES HISTORY

The Lions lead the all-time series with Atlanta, 22-8, and were 17-10 road winners when the teams last met, in Week 5 of the 2004 season. Detroit also took the last matchup between the two in the Motor City, a 13-10 win in 2000. The Falcons' most recent win in the series came in 2002, at home, and they last won in Detroit during the 1998 season.

Mariucci is 8-4 in his career against the Falcons, including a 7-4 mark while with San Francisco (1997-2002). Mariucci's most memorable confrontation with Atlanta took place in a 1998 NFC Divisional Playoff, when his Niner team took a 20-18 loss. Mora, who served on Mariucci's staff from 1997 to 2002, is 0-1 against both his former boss and the Lions.

FALCONS OFFENSE VS. LIONS DEFENSE

Seeking to build on a recent string of fine passing performances will be Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick (1466 passing yards, 10 TD, 6 INT), who has boosted his passer rating to a respectable 80.7 on the year. In last week's loss to the Buccaneers, Vick completed 21-of-38 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, just the second 300-yard passing day of the quarterback's career. Vick's big day also spelled success for wideouts Michael Jenkins (20 receptions, 2 TD) and Roddy White (14 receptions, 1 TD), as well as trusty tight end Alge Crumpler (43 receptions, 3 TD). Jenkins had a team-high five catches for 69 yards and a touchdown; the rookie White logged four receptions for a game-high 108 yards; and Crumpler chipped in with five grabs for 49 yards and a touchdown of his own. No. 2 receiver Brian Finneran (34 receptions, 2 TD), who leads Atlanta wideouts in catches, hauled in three passes for 40 yards against Tampa Bay. A hot-and-cold Falcon line that has allowed 24 sacks could be without right tackle Todd Weiner (arm) and right guard Kynan Forney (leg), who are both considered questionable for Thursday. Atlanta ranks 27th in the league in passing offense (167.7 yards per game).

The Detroit secondary is expected to get a major lift this week, as top cornerback Dre' Bly (18 tackles, 4 INT) is slated to return from a four-game absence due to a dislocated wrist. Despite missing a month, Bly ranks among the NFL's leaders in picks. The Lions allowed just 110 yards through the air to Dallas' Drew Bledsoe last week, thanks in large part to the efforts of players like cornerback Keith Smith (15 tackles, 1 sack), who had four tackles, and safety Jon McGraw (13 tackles), who had a game-high-tying eight stops. Safety Terrence Holt (36 tackles, 2 INT), who missed last week's game with a back injury, is expected to return for Detroit. The Lions have 22 sacks on the year, including a team-leading seven from end Kalimba Edwards (27 tackles). Edwards had the team's only sack of Bledsoe last Sunday. The Lions are 12th in the NFL against the pass (195.2 yards per game).

Despite the resurgence of the Atlanta passing game, the Falcons continue to sport the league's No. 1-ranked rushing attack (175.8 yards per game). The team amassed 150 ground yards against the Buccaneers last Sunday, with Warrick Dunn (978 rushing yards, 21 receptions, 4 TD) leading the way with 82 yards on 18 carries. T.J. Duckett (265 rushing yards, 5 TD) spelled Dunn with 14 carries for 51 yards and his fifth touchdown of the season, and Vick (377 rushing yards, 4 TD) rushed four times for 17 yards in the contest. Vick's four rushing attempts matched his season-low.

Contending with the Falcons "DVD" rushing trio will be a Lions linebacking crew that has been struggling with injuries of late. Boss Bailey (ankle) and Earl Holmes (knee) both missed last week's game against Dallas, and Teddy Lehman (foot) was recently placed on injured reserve. Bailey (53 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) could be back on Thursday, but Holmes is doubtful to return. That means backups like Wali Rainer (22 sacks), Donte Curry (25 tackles) and Nate Wayne (4 tackles) could be asked to step up. That group combined for 19 stops against Dallas, and fellow LB James Davis (31 tackles) had five tackles of his own. Up front, Shaun Rogers (18 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Dan Wilkinson (17 tackles, 2 sacks) combined for seven tackles against Dallas. The Lions rank 15th in NFL rushing defense (109.9 yards per game).

LIONS OFFENSE VS. FALCONS DEFENSE

One of the major questions to be answered on Thursday will be the identity of Detroit's starting quarterback, as Mariucci would not reveal whether Joey Harrington (1461 passing yards, 8 TD, 10 INT) or Jeff Garcia (407 passing yards, 0 TD, 1 INT) would be behind center against Atlanta. Harrington has started eight of the team's 10 games this year, including the last three, fashioning a 3-5 record. Garcia was 1-1 before being sidelined with a sore leg. Harrington completed 17-of-25 passes for 169 yards without a touchdown or an interception last week against Dallas, also losing a fumble in the loss. The QB got wideouts Roy Williams (24 receptions, 4 TD) and Charles Rogers (10 receptions) involved, with Williams hauling in a team-high five receptions for 72 yards and Rogers logging four grabs for 41 yards. Tight end Marcus Pollard (26 receptions, 2 TD), who leads Detroit in catches this year, was held to two catches for five yards in the defeat. The weak Detroit offensive line has allowed 22 sacks in 2005 to date, but gave up just one of Harrington last Sunday. The Lions are 25th in the league in passing offense (176.7 yards per game).

Whoever takes the snaps for Detroit will be operating against an Atlanta defense that ranks 14th in the NFL against the pass (199.5 yards per game) and held the Buccaneers' Chris Simms to 118 yards through the air last Sunday. At the heart of that effort was cornerback DeAngelo Hall (47 tackles, 4 INT), who held No. 1 Tampa Bay receiver Joey Galloway without a catch on the day. Hall will likely be matched up with Roy Williams this week, with Ronnie Heard (8 tackles) featured on the other side. Heard made his first start as a Falcon last week, and posted a pair of tackles. Elsewhere in the secondary, strong safety Bryan Scott (50 tackles, 1 sack) comes into the Lions game ranked third on the team in stops. The Falcons pass rush has generated 25 sacks on the year, including a team-leading seven from tackle Rod Coleman, but has missed the presence of end Brady Smith (3 sacks). Smith has missed three straight games with a dislocated toe, and is not expected to be in uniform against Detroit. End Patrick Kerney (26 tackles) is second on the club in sacks with four.

Still seeking his first 100-yard rushing game of 2005 is Lions running back Kevin Jones (491 rushing yards, 5 TD, 18 receptions), who was limited to 29 ground yards on 12 carries in last week's loss to the Cowboys. Jones did manage to score his fifth touchdown of the year in the defeat, and also caught three balls for 38 yards out of the backfield. The second-year pro is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry on the season. Jones has been alternately spelled by Artose Pinner (136 rushing yards, 2 TD) and Shawn Bryson (208 rushing yards, 1 TD, 25 receptions) this year. Bryson, who is second on the team in receptions, had four rushes for 15 yards and a couple of catches in Dallas. Fullback Cory Schlesinger (5 receptions) rushed once against the Cowboys, netting one yard. The Lions are 23rd in the league in rushing offense (92.7 yards per game).

Atlanta has struggled mightily against the run in recent weeks, allowing a pair of rookies - Green Bay's Samkon Gado and Tampa Bay's Cadillac Williams - to top the 100-yard mark in each of the last two weeks. Clearly, the Falcons miss middle linebacker Edgerton Hartwell, who is out for the year with a ruptured Achilles suffered against the Patriots on Oct. 9. In Hartwell's absence, the Falcons need their linebacking crew of Keith Brooking (68 tackles, 3 INT, 2 sacks), Demorrio Williams (86 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT) and Michael Boley (34 tackles) to step up. Brooking had five tackles and an interception against the Buccaneers, while Williams, who ranks among the NFL's tackles leaders, had a team-high seven stops. In the trenches, tackles Jonathan Babineaux (15 tackles) and Coleman (24 tackles) had three stops each versus Tampa Bay. The Falcons rank 22nd in NFL rushing defense (119 yards per game) entering Week 12.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Lions have injury concerns on both sides of the football, and their defensive problems are particularly unsettling when considering all the weapons that the Falcons have in their offensive arsenal. Whether Harrington or Garcia takes the snaps for Detroit is immaterial, since the Lions' o-line is still horrendous. Look for Atlanta to come out focused in a must-win situation and to run the ball effectively in a winning effort.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Falcons 24, Lions 16