Live updates: Lions trail Texans 23-14 at halftime of Thanksgiving clash

Nolan Bianchi

| The Detroit News

The Detroit Lions host the Houston Texans in their annual Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field. You can follow the action here throughout the game with live updates by Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News.

Halftime leaders

Passing

DET – Matthew Stafford: 10/15, 160 yds., Int.

HOU – Deshaun Watson: 9/14, 141 yds., 2 TD

Rushing

DET – Kerryon Johnson: 8 att., 32 yds.

HOU – Duke Johnson: 7 att., 27 yds.

Receiving

DET – T.J. Hockenson: 4 rec., 80 yds.

HOU – Will Fuller: 3 rec., 59 yds.

Lions forced to punt on final drive before half

Detroit takes over at the 25 with 1:44 left in the first half. The Lions trail 23-14 and have all three timeouts in their back pocket.

Kerryon Johnson rushes for 4 yards on first down. Matthew Stafford’s second-down pass for Marvin Jones is overthrown, incomplete.

Stafford chucks it deep for Marvin Hall, who can’t locate the ball. There was a defensive holding penalty on Houston, though, which’ll give the Lions a first down at the 34.

Johnson catches a screen pass and runs all the way to Houston’s 46-yard-line for a gain of 20.

Stafford overthrows Jones near the sideline on first down. 46 seconds remain in the half, the Lions still with all three timeouts. Stafford’s completion to Hockenson on second down is for only 2 yards. Stafford is sacked for a loss of 4.

Timeout #1 Houston (0:15 2nd)

Houston receives the punt and takes a knee to end the half.

END 2ND: Texans 23, Lions 14

Texans extend lead to 23-14 with 1:44 left in half

Houston takes over at its own 20 with 6:15 to go in the half. The Texans lead, 20-14.

Deshaun Watson hits Will Fuller on first down for a gain of 12.

Duke Johnson carries for 5 yards on the next play. Fuller gets open over the middle again, and Watson stays on the money with a strike that results in a 37-yard gain to the Detroit 26.

Nick Williams and John Penisini get to the quarterback on first down to force a loss of 9. A delay-of-game penalty before the next snap makes it second-and-24.

Watson escapes from pressure yet again and fires complete to Brandin Cooks for a 27-yard completion to the Detroit 13. First down, Texans.

Watson keeps, scrambles for a gain of 4 on first down. The Texans are flagged for offensive pass interference on the next play, bringing up second-and-16 at the 19.

**Two-minute warning**

Watson’s second-down pass to Duke Johnson is caught, but for a loss of 5. It’s third-and-21: Watson again tries to attack Jamie Collins in coverage, but this pass falls incomplete.

Ka’imi Fairbairn connects for a 42-yard field goal.

Texans 23, Lions 14 (1:44 2nd)

Lions punt from Texans territory

Detroit takes over at the 25, trailing 20-14 with 10:18 to go in the half.

Adrian Peterson is stopped for no gain *gasp* on first down. Marvin Jones reels in a 12-yard pass on the next play to move the chains.

Nobody’s open on first down, and Matthew Stafford throws it away. Peterson is stopped for a loss of 2 on second down. Kerryon Johnson make a great move to avoid a tackler near the line of scrimmage on third-and-12, and sprints to the marker for a gain of exactly 12 to keep the drive alive.

Johnson rushes up the middle for 3 yards on first down. Second-and-7 at the 50: Johnson carries again, this time going down at the 49 for a gain of 1. Stafford’s third-down pass to Jamal Agnew misses the mark and falls incomplete.

Jack Fox’s punt goes for a touchback.

Texans 20, Lions 14 (6:15 2nd)

Texans regain lead on Johnson’s touchdown reception

Houston takes over at the 40 after an unusual error from punter/kicker Jack Fox.

Deshaun Watson’s first-down pass draws a pass interference flag, which moves the Texans into Lions territory at the 45.

Watson scrambles for 11 on the next play, bringing up first-and-10 at the Detroit 34.

Duke Johnson rushes for 5 yards on first down and 4 on second down.

Injury alert: Lions DT Danny Shelton was hurt on the play and is being tended to by the training staff.

Johnson moves the chains on third-and-1 with a 2-yard run up the middle.

Watson escapes from pressure and throws a touchdown pass to Will Fuller, but it’s called back for a holding penalty. Now first-and-20 at the 33.

Watson finds the mismatch with linebacker Jamie Collins covering the running back Johnson, and lobs it up on a wheel route that’s caught for a 33-yard touchdown pass. Houston back in front.

Texans 20, Lions 14 (10:18 2nd)

Lions punch ball in after roller-coaster drive swings momentum in Detroit’s favor

The Lions take over at their own 22, and will try to complete the first play of its drive without turning the ball over.

Kerryon Johnson rushes up the middle for a gain of 8 on first down, then moves the chains with a 3-yard run on second down.

Matthew Stafford throws complete to T.J. Hockenson on a screen, and the sophomore tight end runs for a gain of 17 to midfield.

Stafford comes up firing on the next play, this time hitting Quintez Cephus over the middle for a gain of 16.

Kerryon Johnson rushes up the middle for a gain of 7 to the 27 of Houston, bringing the first quarter to a close.

END 1ST: Texans 13, Lions 7

Johnson gets enough yards for a first down on the next play, but after review, officials say that he fumbled the ball before hitting the turf. Houston recovered at the 21, where it’ll be Texans ball.

Texans 13, Lions 7 (14:32 2nd)

On the very next play, Houston fumbles. The ball is recovered by Jahlani Tavai at the Houston 26.

Kerryon Johnson makes a nice catch on first down to give Detroit a new set of downs at the 12.

Johnson rushes for 2 yards on the next play. The Texans are flagged for illegal contact on second down, which gives the Lions 5 yards and an automatic first down.

First-and-goal at the 5 coming up.

Adrian Peterson runs to the 1-yard-line on first down, and gets in on the second-down handoff for a Lions touchdown.

Lions 14, Texans 13 (12:56 2nd)

Texans take 13-7 lead after Lions turn ball over on consecutive plays

The Lions take over at their own 23 with 4:24 left in the first. They’ll look to bounce back from a pick-6 by J.J. Watt on the previous play from scrimmage.

And they do not, in fact, bounce back. Jonathan Williams fumbles on the first play of the drive, and the Texans have it again at the 30.

Lions 7, Texans 6 (4:24 1st)

Houston takes over at the 30. Deshaun Watson fires to Duke Johnson on first down for a gain of 16, and the Texans are already in the red zone.

Watson throws to the end zone on the next play, drawing a pass interference flag. It’ll be first-and-goal at the 1.

C.J. Prosise is dropped for a loss of 1 on first down, but he catches a 2-yard pass from Watson on second down to give Houston its first lead of the game.

Texans 13, Lions 7 (2:58 1st)

Texans even score on J.J. Watt’s pick-6

The Lions will take over at their own 25 with a 7-0 lead and 4:45 left in the first quarter.

Matthew Stafford attempts a screen pass (or something like that), and it’s picked off by J.J. Watt and returned to the end zone. Touchdown, Texans.

The extra point attempt is missed.

Lions 7, Texans 6 (4:38 1st)

Lions defense forces two straight punts to open game

Houston will take over at its own 25 after the Lions touchdown.

Deshaun Watson jukes a linebacker behind the line of scrimmage, takes off, makes another man miss, and gets to the 37 for a gain of 12.

Duke Johnson rushes for 8 yards on first down. He has enough to move the chains on second down, but it’s brought back because of a hold. On second-and-12, Watson’s pass misses the mark and falls incomplete. The Lions force another incompletion on third down, and will get the ball back again.

Lions 7, Texans 0 (4:45 1st)

Trick play helps Lions take 7-0 lead vs. Texans

Detroit takes over at its own 16 with 11:10 left in the opening quarter after forcing the punt. The Lions are looking to break a scoreless tie.

Adrian Peterson gets the ball on first down, and the run goes for no gain. Peterson again gets the ball on second down, and this time he gains maybe a half-yard. A third-down throw to T.J. Hockenson is complete for a gain of 10 to the 26, which’ll keep the drive alive.

Kerryon Johnson hauls in a pass on first down that’s good for 5 yards. The Lions run a trick play that involves two laterals, the second going back to Matthew Stafford, who winds up and hits Hockenson for a monster gain of 51 yards.

It’ll be first-and-10 at the Houston 17.

Houston takes a pass interference penalty on the 2-yard-line on the next play, and that’ll make it first-and-goal at the 2 for Detroit.

Peterson is stopped short of the goal line, a gain of 1. He punches it in on the next play to give the Lions an early lead.

Lions 7, Texans 0 (6:54 1st)

In progress: Texans take field first in Thanksgiving Day clash

Detroit wins the toss and defers to the second half. Houston takes over at the 22.

Duke Johnson rushes for 3 yards on first down. Deshaun Watson loads up and throws deep to Keke Coutee on second down, but the throw just catches the fingertips, incomplete. Will Fuller grabs a 10-yard pass on third down to move the chains.

Then it’s Brandin Cooks with a reception, a gain of 11 to the Houston 46.

Watson’s next pass is dropped. Johnson is stuffed for no gain on second down, bringing up third-and-10. Watson nearly gets away from a collapsing pocket, but is eventually crushed from behind by Jarrad Davis with Everson Griffen hanging on his leg. Loss of 2.

Jamal Agnew waves for a fair catch at the 16.

Lions 0, Texans 0 (11:10 1st)