Every year, the NFL and Thanksgiving form an iconic duo. They bring American families together around two key traditions: turkey and football matches. A tradition that dates back to 1934, when George A. Richards, owner of the Lions, launched the idea of this special game to attract more spectators. A meeting was then organized between his Lions and the Chicago Bears, an event which was a success beyond all expectations. Since then, the Lions have played a home game every year on Thanksgiving Day, imitated by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966. A now immutable NFL tradition.
In addition to these two teams, each against a divisional opponent, the NFL has two other matchups in store for us. No less than 4 matches will be played between Thursday and Friday. Open your stomach, the menu promises to be copious.
The entrance: Cornish Pasties from Michigan to whet your appetite
Kick-off Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Detroit Lions (10-1) – Chicago Bears (4-7)
The great Thanksgiving tradition to whet your appetite, head to Michigan for the original Lions-Bears. A historic match therefore, since it will be the twentieth time that these two teams will face each other on this date, for a record of 11-8 in favor of the Bears before this meeting.
But watch out, because the Lions are now the hottest team in the NFL. By beating the Indianapolis Colts, Detroit won its ninth consecutive victory and brought its record to 10-1. Only the Chiefs are doing this well. Fiery attack, iron defense, Detroit's confidence is at an all-time high before facing the Bears in free fall. After a successful start to the season (3-2), Chicago has just lost five consecutive games, including two down to the wire in weeks 11 and 12. The first against the Green Bay Packers (19-20), the second against the Minnesota Vikings (27-30), two other division opponents. Now last in the NFC North and with Caleb Williams on alternating current, the Bears seem to be out of the playoff race. All they have left is pride to avoid the eternal “never two without three”.
The prediction: Detroit Lions
The dish: red turkey or from Italy?
Kick-off Thursday at 10:30 p.m.
Dallas Cowboys (4-7) – New York Giants (2-9)
The Cowboys and Giants are each having a nightmare season in their own way. While having at least one thing in common: the two teams are no longer led by the quarterback from the start of the season. Exit Dak Prescott (injured) and Daniel Jones (cut and since become a Viking), make way for an unexpected duel between Cooper Rush and Tommy DeVito.
For the locals, the objective will be to win two matches in a row for the second time this season (only). Coming off a nice 34-26 victory over the Commanders while New York lost for the sixth time in a row, the task seems within their reach. However, the lights are far from being green. Firstly because they have yet to win a single home match this season. Then, because Tyrone Tracy Jr. (HB) panics the counters on the New York side. Averaging 5.1 yards per carry, he will face a Cowboys defense that ranks second to last in rushing EPA. Well, because the Cowboys have a plethora of injuries to deal with, especially on the offensive line. With the Giants' biggest strength being their pass rush, Cooper Rush will surely be eager to get home to eat his turkey.
The prediction: Dallas Cowboys
The accompaniment: zucchini from Wisconsin
Kick-off on the night of Thursday to Friday at 2:20 a.m.
Green Bay Packers (8-3) – Miami Dolphins (5-6)
To end this Thanksgiving day, the Packers welcome the Dolphins to Lambeau Field. A match which will be played in the evening in the United States, the opportunity to finish the remains of the day.
After starting with a worrying 2-6, record weighed down by the injury of Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins have won three consecutive games since the return of their quarterback. The Packers, meanwhile, have won five of their last six games, including a blowout victory last Sunday over the 49ers. If both teams seem in great shape, beating the Packers (8-3) will not be an easy task for the Floridians. Especially since freezing cold (or even snow) is expected in Green Bay. Considering Tagovailoa is 0-7 when the temperature is below 4 degrees, that's not a good omen. Opposite, Josh Jacobs seems to be the man in good shape of the moment. After running for three touchdowns last weekend, he will want to confirm against a top 10 defense in this area.
The prediction: Green Bay Packers
Dessert: a Gooey Butter Cake, a Missouri specialty
Kick-off Friday at 9:00 p.m.
Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) – Las Vegas Raiders (2-9)
Didn't you have enough? Here are some more. For the second year in a row, Thanksgiving weekend will feature a Black Friday game. So head to Missouri for an AFC West showdown between Chiefs and Raiders.
With a record of 10 wins and 1 loss, the Chiefs currently hold the best record in the AFC and are likely to make the playoffs for the tenth consecutive time. But after a 30-21 defeat against the Bills in week 11, the defending champions had all the difficulty in the world to defeat the modest Panthers. Facing them are the Raiders, a team they already defeated in week 8 on their home field (20-27). Already off to a very poor start this season, they are also suffering from numerous major injuries in the squad. Worse still, the name of their quarterback is not yet known, between Aidan O'Connell who is returning from injury and Desmond Ridder who is far from flamboyant. An opponent who should not pose a problem for the Chiefs, but watch out for slackening as the latter have shown more weaknesses than their 10-1 record would suggest.
The prediction: Kansas City Chiefs
