Getty Deshaun Watson celebrates a touchdown against Detroit.
It’s not often an NFL fanbase is actually satisfied with a team for blowing their squad out, but at this point, there’s not much conventional about the Detroit Lions fanbase.
No doubt Lions fans were livid and fed up with a 41-25 blowout loss to the Houston Texans on Thanksgiving Day, but a few days later, the ringing defeat actually ushered in change, with the dramatic firings of Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia. As a result, Lions fans were overjoyed, and have been looking for folks to thank.
They’ve identified one such person in Texans’ quarterback Deshaun Watson. Watson had an amazing afternoon at quarterback for Houston, and was a big reason the Texans were able to slaughter the Lions. Now, Lions fans are donating to Watson’s favorite charity to help thank him for the loss.
It’s happening again: This time, it’s #Lions fans donating to @deshaunwatson’s charity to thank him for his play on Thursday night that led to the housecleaning. Details here:
The Deshaun Watson Foundation has taken in a reported $1,070 from Lions fans according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. His foundation helps support families and youth in underserved communities and is no doubt a great cause no matter the reason for the donations.
Something else that’s cool? As Rapoport pointed out, Watson himself has taken notice and is matching the donations providing the first 100 with a free lunch in Detroit at Lefty’s, a place Watson has a business interest in.
It’s clear pairing up with Watson has been a win-win for Lions fans and the quarterback himself, who might just have himself a favorite adoptive city following what happened in Week 12.
Deshaun Watson Torched Lions Thanksgiving Day
Watson was on point from start to finish for the Texans against the hapless Detroit defense. Simply, the Lions didn’t stand a chance with him slinging and running the ball. Watson had an amazing afternoon, putting up 318 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. Watson broke the game open in the second half with some huge plays, and after that point, the frustration with Patricia and his tenure only seemed to reach a bigger boiling point.
Arguably, Watson was the best player on the field on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit, and these donations serve as a nice reward for his ability to play a big game and dominate an opponent.
Lions Fans Have History Getting Involved
Detroit fans get involved with things like this constantly, and most recently, the team’s fanbase was combining on Reddit to try and harm the rival Minnesota Vikings’ draft pick by sending Yannick Ngakoue to the Pro Bowl. The goal was to give the Vikings a worse compensatory pick in the end given Ngakoue’s contract.
These donations help serve a good cause, but they only help to prove how passionate Detroit’s fanbase is in the end. Whether it’s trying to hurt a rival team from the NFC North or trying to give thanks to a player who helped usher in some much needed change, the Lions fans are right there to help most of the time.
No doubt Watson has to feel grateful for the donations, and lions fans are grateful he had a great game on Thanksgiving Day.
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