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Lions QB David Blough set all kinds of records in the first half of his NFL debut on Thanksgiving

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

David Blough learned just a few days ago that he’d be making his first NFL start for the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, as they hosted the Chicago Bears. The former Purdue gunslinger didn’t need long to take advantage of his opportunity.

On just the second pass of the game, Blough found a wide open Kenny Golladay for a 75-yard touchdown pass. On the very next possession, the Lions drove down the field again on a 10-play, 78-yard drive to take a 14-7 lead. That drive was capped off by an 8-yard touchdown pass from Blough to Marvin Williams.

By the end of the first half, Blough had completed 7-of-15 passes for 179 yards with two touchdowns.

According to the Detroit Lions PR department, Blough set numerous NFL records for Thanksgiving day in the first half alone.

https://twitter.com/SchutteCFB/status/1200109960945897472?s=20

The 75-yard touchdown pass from Blough to Golladay was the longest first completion by an undrafted rookie quarterback in NFL history. It was also the longest pass of the 2019 season for the Lions, and the longest touchdown pass for the organization since 2013. It’s the longest touchdown pass for Detroit in a Thanksgiving Day game since 1994.

Blough is also the first rookie quarterback to throw two touchdown passes in the first quarter of an NFL debut since Tennessee Titans’ quarterback Marcus Mariota in 2014. Blough’s 179 passing yards are the most for any NFL quarterback making his first start on Thanksgiving.

Not a bad way for the former Boilermaker to start his NFL career.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB