DETROIT -- Darius Slay smiled, ear to ear, and his eyes lit up while he sat on the stool in front of his stall.Detroits standout cornerback cant wait to play on Thanksgiving with a lot at stake for a change.The Lions will have a featured game on the holiday as usual, continuing a tradition that dates to 1934, but it will be very significant to them in the standings unlike many matchups over the past two-plus decades.Detroit (6-4) hosts the Minnesota Vikings (6-4) in a matchup of first-place teams in the NFC North. It will be the first time the Lions are in first place on the holiday since 1993, which is also the most recent year the franchise won a division title.I love it, Slay said. We know the risks, and the stakes.If the Lions beat Minnesota for the second time this month and sweep the season series, they would win the head-to-head tiebreaker if both teams are tied at the end of the regular season.You cant help but think about that, said Detroit receiver Golden Tate, who flipped into the end zone for a game-winning touchdown in overtime at Minnesota in Week 9.The winner of the game will definitely have an advantage in the division and will be in the drivers seat down the stretch.If the Vikings win, they will move into first place with a favorable schedule that includes only one team that currently has a winning record.I dont necessarily think this is necessarily for the division championship, Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer said. Its not like its the last game of the season.Here are some things to watch when Detroit and Minnesota kick off the NFLs holiday tripleheader:DIGGING IT: The Lions limited receiver Stefon Diggs to a season-low 6.15 yards per catch in the previous meeting, but he set a career high with 13 receptions.You let him catch too many and at some point in time hes going to burn you because hes explosive, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said.Thats an area where weve just got to continue to get better. Theres not a point in time where you say, `Hey, well let that guy catch as many balls as hed like.ROLLING ROBERTS: When the Lions signed Andre Roberts in June, a month after Washington cut him, they were hoping he would compete to be their returner and possibly provide depth at receiver.Roberts has surpassed expectations, becoming the first Detroit player to return two punts for a touchdown in a season since 2005. He has also made some clutch catches, including a 27-yard reception that set up Matt Praters game-tying kick as time expired at Minnesota.BERGER THE BULWARK: One bright spot on Minnesotas depleted offensive line has been veteran center Joe Berger, who will make his 36th straight start.The native of Newaygo, Michigan, played at NCAA Division II Michigan Tech and went undrafted before stints with the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys.Hes a really smart guy, quarterback Sam Bradford said. Hes really helped me with protections. I think thats one of the first things when you learn a new offense as a quarterback. You want to know, `How am I being protected? What are the calls? And hes been awesome.MAKING HISTORY: Detroit, which has trailed in the fourth quarter of every game, is the first NFL team to have the first 10 games decided by seven points or fewer.SPECIAL SPECIALISTS: Detroits Sam Martin and Minnesotas Jeff Locke are two of the top punters in the NFL. Martin leads the league with a net average of 45.8 yards. Locke ranks second in the NFL with 25 punts pinned inside the 20.Last week when Minnesota was clinging to a six-point lead over Arizona late in the fourth quarter, Locke had a 72-yard punt with a friendly roll to push the Cardinals deep into their territory.What Locke has learned to do, perhaps unlike former Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh and some of his struggling peers, is forget about mistakes.In the past, I mightve been sitting on a bad punt and letting it affect the next punts, he said. But now Ive learned especially this year just to clear it.Soon after Walsh missed an extra point and had a field goal blocked in the loss to Detroit, the Vikings released the former All-Pro kicker and signed Kai Forbath to replace him.Forbath and Prater both had an extra point blocked last week. They contributed to the total of 12 extra points missed , the most in one week since the NFL merger in 1970.Prater has been an asset for the Lions. He made a season-long, 58-yard field goal at Minnesota before the Lions won 22-16. He has also made three game-winning field goals this season with 1:29, 1:28 and 4 seconds remaining in games.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.twitter.com/larrylageJeffery Simmons Jersey . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Derrick Henry Womens Jersey .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. http://www.titansstoreonline.com/Black-24-Derrick-Henry-Womens-Jersey/ . Luis Suarezs double powered Liverpool to a 4-0 victory over Fulham, and Southampton easily overcame Hull 4-1 to continue the south coast clubs impressive start to the season. Liverpool and Southampton sent Chelsea down to fourth place as the west London club was held to 2-2 at home. Corey Davis Womens Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Amani Hooker Youth Jersey . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night.Sepp Blatter will learn the result of his appeal against an eight-year ban from football on Tuesday and he is nervous and expecting bad news, according to a source close to the 79-year-old. Blatter was banned along with former UEFA president Michel Platini, both for eight years, by FIFAs ethics committee last December.Both mens appeals were heard by the FIFA appeals committee last week and, if they lose, they have each said they will take their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Blatter and Platini were banned over a disloyal payment of £1.3m between them in 2011, made without a written FIFA contract.Both men claim they had a verbal agreement for FIFA to pay Platini additional salary for his work as Blatters presidential adviser from 1999-2002.ddddddddddddBut FIFA ethics prosecutors have counter-appealed to seek life bans for both men.Blatters is also expected to publish a book - Sepp Blatter: Mission Football - about his lief within FIFA in the next few days. Published by Swiss company Werd & Weber, a preview read: Despite the success, Blatter repeatedly had to put up with harsh reviews and prejudices.In this richly illustrated book, written by his spokesman, Thomas Renggli, Sepp Blatter tells how he learned to deal with the hostility. Also See: FIFA election could be suspended ' ' '