coincidence, as the Lions get set to hit the national stage Thursday against the unbeaten Green Bay Packers.
In 1962, Vince Lombardi's team came to Detroit with a 10-0 record — then left Tiger Stadium with a 26-14 loss that was its only blemish during a run to a championship.
STORY: flex schedule more often?
BLOG: Tebow responds to Plummer's comments on his faith
This week, that was news to Suh.
"I'm not a big history buff," Suh said.
Yet he is fully aware of more recent history. The Lions once owned their annual holiday showcase, but are now working with a streak of seven consecutive Thanksgiving losses.
"We definitely want to take that back under control," Suh said, "What has it been, seven years? It would be a great year to continue breaking some of these streaks."
The Packers have been on their roll since losing 7-3 at Ford Field last December when Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of the game in the second quarter with a concussion after sliding head-first into Suh. Now Rodgers triggers the NFL's most potent offense while buzz intensifies about Green Bay's prospects for a perfect season.
Can anybody beat the Packers?
That question borders on an insult in the Lions' locker room.
"We're all professionals," said defensive end Chris Avril. "Their record doesn't faze us. They put their pants on just like we put ours on."
Jerome Bettis, the Hall of Fame-credentialed former running back, has said for weeks that a division team would have the best shot at defeating Green Bay. Bettis originally pegged the surging Chicago Bears as that team.
Two things have altered Bettis' thinking: Jay Cutler and Kevin Smith.
Cutler broke his thumb Sunday against San Diego, and will miss six to eight weeks. If the Bears are to beat Green Bay on Christmas, they will have to do it with Caleb Hanie at QB.
Smith, meanwhile, has suddenly provided Detroit a desperately-needed backfield boost. Signed off the street Nov. 7, Smith had his first extensive action in more than a year during Sunday's win against Carolina and produced a career-high 201 yards from scrimmage. He rushed for 140 yards, averaging 8.8 yards per carry.
The Lions rushing game has struggled, with Jahvid Best missing the past four games after suffering a concussion. Smith, a third-round pick by the Lions in 2008, was plagued by injuries during three seasons and wasn't resigned after last season.
"He adds balance," Bettis said Tuesday. "They were so one-dimensional. They are still a team that will set up the run with the pass, but he makes them that much better."
Now Bettis is bullish on Detroit's chances of springing an upset.
"If I had to circle a date for the Packers' first loss, now it's Thanksgiving," Bettis said. "They're beatable. Tampa Bay just went into Green Bay and fought hard, but didn't have the firepower. It wasn't the type of one-sided game we've seen from the Packers."
Firepower hasn't been much of a problem for Detroit's offense. Matthew Stafford passed for five touchdowns on Sunday, when the Lions became the first NFL team to notch three victories in a season in games they trailed by 17 points.
The Lions (7-3) don't see the comeback route as a formula for beating the Packers, but echo Bettis' theory about playing division rivals.
"You know them, and they know you," said receiver Nate Burleson. "When you're as good as the Packers have been, you can intimidate people. I can imagine some of the teams they've played, when they walk in, they're thinking, 'Oh brother, we've got to play the Packers today.' When it's a division opponent, it's like wrestling with your best friend. You know what moves he's got. It's just a matter of who wants it more that day."
When the 1962 Lions scored their big upset, the fuel came from a defense that sacked Bart Starr 11 times. If Detroit is to win on Turkey Day for the first time since a 22-14 decision against Green Bay in 2003, it will likely take a similar defensive jolt.
With Rodgers leading the NFL with a 128.8 passer rating and 31 TD passes, the Packers are averaging a league-best 35.5 points per game.
"We're going to have to put some pressure on him," said defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, tied with Avril with a team-high six sacks. "Try to get him off his spot and affect his timing."
Burleson sees a bigger picture. After a 5-0 start, the Lions have lost three of their past five games, including a 37-13 drubbing Nov. 13 at Chicago.
"It's a great opportunity for us," he said. "A win would change everybody's perception. We had a hard one in Chicago. A lot of people jumped off the bandwagon. But all of those people who hopped off will probably jump right back on it, if we pull this one off."
Then again, spoiling perfection is incentive enough. Detroit could get another crack at when teams will meet again in Green Bay in the regular-season finale on New Year's Day. But perhaps there's history to be repeated this week.
"Everybody sees it as The Perfect Pack, the best team in the league right now," said Suh. "Well, we can shatter their hopes for being 16-0."
Five other things we learned from Week 11:
…Defenses can still come through in the clutch. Even with the deluge of points this season, three teams — the Ravens, Eagles and Browns — needed to rely on defense to close out narrow victories. The Browns, however, might have gotten a boost from Jacksonville O-coordinator Dirk Koetter's decision to have rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert throwing into the end zone on the final play rather than trying to run to paydirt with Maurice Jones-Drew.