When the NFL was founded, they started playing games on Thanksgiving, which has been a tradition for years and years going back to the early college days. Two teams have traditionally played on Thanksgiving for many years. One of them being the Detroit Lions. They’ve hosted games on that day since 1934. The other team being the Dallas Cowboys, who have been hosting since 1966. The league finally added another game in 2006 so one would be played in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at night. Watching Thanksgiving day in the NFL is a long-standing tradition for many as they get to eat some turkey and watch some football.
Thanksgiving Day In The NFL
Bears vs Lions
Thanksgiving day starts off with an NFC North showdown when the 5-6 Chicago Bears travel to face the 3-7-1 Detroit Lions. The Bears are trying to stay in the playoff race while the Lions are just trying to play spoiler. The Lions will be without quarterback Matthew Stafford, so Jeff Driskel will get the start yet again. The Bears haven’t been able to figure out the offense with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. They sit behind the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers in the North Division by two games as well as the wild card. One loss will halt any chances they have. Any division game, especially inside the North, is always tough.
Bills vs Cowboys
This afternoon game is between two playoff contenders as the surprising Buffalo Bills sit at 8-3 and in a firm position in the first wild card. The Dallas Cowboys aren’t in an as good position as they only sit a game up in the division and two out of a wild card. This game will tell us something about both teams. Even though the Cowboys are 6-5, they still are a threat and a win for the Bills would boost their confidence and give them a good win headed down the stretch. The Bills have a really good defense so if the Cowboys can score some points and win, that would be a really good victory. They are 4-6 this decade on Thanksgiving. They want to end it on a good note. This game will probably be the most interesting matchup of the day.
Saints vs Falcons
The day ends with another division battle. This time, it’s in the NFC South when the 3-8 Atlanta Falcons take on the 9-2 New Orleans Saints. The Falcons offense can be explosive but the defense is nowhere near at the top and that showed last game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Saints are coming off a close victory against the Carolina Panthers. They are in the middle of a race for one of the top two seeds in the playoffs. The Falcons would love to spoil it all for the Saints and give them their third loss. The Saints have a pretty good chance to get to ten wins this week as they face a beat-up opponent.
Thanksgiving Feast
All three games on Thanksgiving have at-least one team fighting for a playoff spot. Teams will want to make a big statement heading down the stretch and Thursday is a great day to show that in front of the whole world. It’s time for some turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and some pumpkin pie but it’s also time for a little football action on Thanksgiving.
