Thanksgiving games nfl

As we head into the NFL playoffs, who is poised to emerge in this searing tournament spotlight? Bucky Brooks identifies one X-factor for each of the 14 postseason teams. Around the NFL Staff nfl. Who is playing on Thanksgiving? When are the NFL games on Thanksgiving? How to watch the Thanksgiving NFL games? Related Content. Louis Cardinals could build their popularity under coach Don Coryell, whose teams were nicknamed the Cardiac Kids because of their exciting finishes.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals lost both games decidedly and Rozelle went back to Schramm to ask if the Cowboys would take the Thanksgiving game back. Louis," Schramm said in to the Chicago Tribune. I said only if we get it permanently. It's something you have to build as a tradition.

He said, 'It's yours forever. Given how long the series has lasted, it's not a surprise that the Lions have the most wins and losses on Thanksgiving Day. But two other teams that frequent the holiday tradition are the Bears and the Packers. Ezekiel Elliott has played on Thanksgiving every year but one since joining the Cowboys in He doesn't have one favorite memory. We've got the stage so we just have to go out and handle our business.

Elliott had a viral moment when he tossed Dak Prescott into the Salvation Army red kettle after a touchdown in the game vs.

Lomas Brown, former Lions Pro Bowl OT , said players view the Thanksgiving game as a gauge for how the season is going or how it needs to end.

Or if you're gonna make some noise in the playoffs, you need to start playing better. At that point, everything should be clicking for you, especially if you're at that point in the season. All celebrations generally don't happen until the next day, when Lions players can celebrate with their families.

Brown says he "couldn't wait until after the game was over, man. I would put on weight over the holiday because a brother would throw down because you didn't have no more responsibility after that game until next week. So, it was almost like another little open week and that's the way we kind of looked at it, too. For the Cowboys , most players with families will also celebrate on Friday.

With a late-afternoon kickoff, most of the time players will not get back to their homes until later in the evening, far too late for such a heavy meal. While the Lions don't hold any locker room or team traditions for the holiday game, Brown said that former Lions coach Wayne Fontes did place extra emphasis on the annual contest by dropping inclinations about its importance all throughout the season.

Players took that to heart, too. That was the order every year when I looked at the schedule. Thanksgiving was pretty much the most important thing and we used to emphasize that as leaders on the team. We used to tell all of the young boys coming in that we don't lose on Thanksgiving. That's a game that we said we definitely had to win.

In most years, Cowboys players will visit a Salvation Army shelter in Dallas or Fort Worth and feed early Thanksgiving Day meals to those in need, although that practice has been put on hold the past two years because of the pandemic. In the past, players often were joined by their wives and children.

Jason Witten had his two sons and two daughters participate in handing out meals during his career with the Cowboys. I think they like seeing those fans and being able to hand out that food. There is a tailgating group of more than die-hard Lions fans who gather bright and early at 9 a.

Montcalm St. Usually, they cook about four turkeys and each signs up to bring a side dish. Megan Stefanski, a lifelong Lions fan and longtime season-ticket holder, helps organize the festivities. She makes a five-hour drive from Goetzville, Michigan -- located in the Upper Peninsula -- to Detroit. Mark "Pilgrim" Mullins has been a season-ticket holder since and dresses up yearly as a pilgrim for each Thanksgiving Day game with his daughter, Mandie, accompanying him also in costume.

He also attends the tailgates with Stefanski. And how about perhaps the most famous Cowboys season-ticket or suite holder, Roger Staubach? Even at 79 years young, he still plans to play after the game took a one-year hiatus because of COVID last year.

How much sway does Staubach have? As he entered The Star on Nov. Just thinking about the old Super Bowls, Steelers and the Cowboys The night before Thanksgiving is not necessarily a team turkey dinner for the Cowboys, but turkey and all the fixings are available for the players if they want.

But a lot of the players stick with their traditional night-before-game meal of either a steak, chicken, fish or pasta. Given how most people feel after wolfing down their turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, it's probably wise the players don't gorge themselves like that. The Lions don't have one big team Thanksgiving dinner, as some might think.

Some guys would understandably rather eat at home with family. This year, traditional Thanksgiving fare will be served to players at the Lions' training facility in Allen Park the day before the game. The Joneses are like most of their players. Jackson may be a one-trick pony, but when he's galloping at full speed, this is the damage he can do.

Hunter Renfrow has balled out this year, and that continued against the Cowboys. He's up to receiving yards -- a career high -- with six games to go. Him staying healthy will be key for the Raiders' stretch run. Derek Carr certainly took a step forward in carving up the Cowboys' defense.

He's experienced some untimely drop-offs down the stretch in recent years, and that looked to be the case this season. But he was the most confident he's been in weeks on Thursday.

The Cowboys may be concerning on the whole, but the one thing they don't have to worry about is lack of talent. At full health, they can't be taken lightly. Matt Nagy may have staved off intensified calls for his job by leading the Bears to victory over the winless Lions , but boy did his team do it in ugly, unconvincing fashion. On a day in which Detroit begged Chicago to run away with things thanks to an excess of penalties and ill-advised decisions, the Bears needed a field goal as time expired to seal the deal.

The Cowboys have the talent see above , but they might not have the fortitude. After starting and looking like a potential NFC favorite, they've lost three of four. Worse yet: their defense, buoyed by stars like Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs , consistently let the Raiders move the ball when they needed to, allowing a season-worst 36 points.

Tre'Davious White leaving the Bills' big win with a knee injury doesn't bode well for Buffalo's defense, especially considering it won't face Trevor Siemian and the banged-up Saints every week. White was ruled doubtful to return quickly after departing and later downgraded to out. The Bears can't be celebrated for their win over the Lions. They just can't.