For Thanksgiving, the Cowboys want to continue their good momentum with 4 games between Thursday and Friday.
Kick-off Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Detroit Lions (8-2) – Green Bay Packers (4-6)
Paradoxically, the Lions’ narrow victory against the Bears almost consolidated this team at the top of the table. Manhandled, pushed around by a motivated team, the Lions managed to escape the Chicago trap. A match they might have lost not so long ago. Now, Dan Campbell’s men can win in different ways, even when Jared Goff is not at his best.
To kick off this Thanksgiving, they welcome the Packers who are also coming off a victory. At home, Detroit must not miss the opportunity to put pressure on its opponents in the NFC. Starting with the Cowboys and the 49ers who will play straight away. For their part, Jordan Love’s partners have not yet given up all hope of the playoffs, but each defeat from now on would eliminate them almost definitively.
Kick-off Thursday at 10:30 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys (7-3) – Washington Commanders (4-7)
Micah Parsons is ready for the treat! Cowboys love Thanksgiving. Accustomed to playing on this particular day, they display a record of 32 victories for 22 defeats and 1 match null. Above all, they often take the advantage against Commanders. Since 1966 and the first Dallas game on the 4th Thursday of November, Texas players have won 8 of 10 meetings against their division rival.
A trend which could be confirmed this Thursday with Dan Quinn’s defense ready to cause trouble in Washington. The Commanders have the line that concedes the most sacks behind the Giants. Since the start of the season, Sam Howell has been grounded at 51 covers. It is 11 more than the third (the Jets with 40 sacks conceded). Facing one of the best pass-rushsymbolized by Micah Parson, Ron Rivera’s men have things to worry about.
Kick-off on the night of Thursday to Friday at 2:20 a.m.
Seattle Seahawks (6-4) – San Francisco 49ers (7-3)
As surprising as it may seem given the opposing dynamics, these two teams are only one game apart. A home victory for the Seahawks would allow them to come back on par with their opponents of the day. They would even be first in this NFC West thanks to the tie breaker. However, it appears that the 49ers are back to their best. In difficulty a few weeks ago with three consecutive defeats, San Francisco got off to a good start.
Brock Purdy delivered an error-free match against Tampa Bay which reassured the supporters. When the Californians play like that, few teams are able to resist them. Not sure the Seahawks are part of the lot. Pete Carroll hasn’t beaten Kyle Shanahan since 2021 season and remains on three consecutive defeats. Thursday would be a good time to stop this negative spiral, but the task will be difficult.
Kick-off Friday at 9:00 p.m.
New York Jets (4-6) – Miami Dolphins (7-3)
Something new this year, the NFL is not only offering us three games during Thanksgiving, but a little bonus. The AFC East will indeed be in the spotlight during Black Friday. For the first time, a big league game will be played on a Friday. Miami is traveling to New York with the firm ambition of remaining firmly at the top of the division. The Dolphins have time to see it coming, but they must create collective confidence as the playoffs approach.
The victory against the Raiders was not their flashiest, but the Floridians are also learning to win trap matches. As could be the case this Friday. Every time New York managed to bring down a big team (Philadelphia, Buffalo…), Robert Saleh’s men did it by causing losses of bullets. Miami’s offense will need to stay focused. We will also observe the first match of Tim Boyle, starting in place of Zach Wilson, left on the bench.
