For generations
of Americans, the tradition of Thanksgiving Day and NFL football are
historically intertwined.
On Thanksgiving
in 1925, a crowd of 36,000 – then the largest in professional football history
– watched the Chicago Bears play the Chicago Cardinals to a scoreless tie at
Wrigley Field. In 1934, the Detroit Lions and the defending world champion
Bears squared off on Thanksgiving in the first NFL game nationally broadcast,
with NBC radio on the call. This year, the three holiday games will be played
inside stadiums with a combined capacity of over 230,000 and will be aired to
millions across the country and around the world.
The 2017
installment of Thanksgiving Day football will feature a tripleheader for the 12th
consecutive season.
The first
game showcases a battle of NFC North rivals as the Minnesota Vikings travel to
Detroit to face the Lions (12:30 PM ET, FOX). The late afternoon game marks the
40th consecutive Thanksgiving Day contest hosted in Dallas as the Cowboys
welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to AT&T Stadium (4:30 PM ET, CBS). The
holiday concludes at FedExField with the 169th regular-season meeting between
the NFC East rivals Washington Redskins and New York Giants (8:30 PM ET, NBC).
GAME
|
NETWORK
|
LOCAL TIME
|
EASTERN TIME
|
Minnesota Vikings
(8-2) at Detroit Lions (6-4)
|
FOX
|
12:30 PM ET
|
12:30 PM
|
Los Angeles
Chargers (4-6) at Dallas Cowboys (5-5)
|
CBS
| 3:30 PM CT |
4:30 PM
|
New York
Giants (2-8) at Washington Redskins (4-6)
|
NBC
| 8:30 PM ET |
8:30 PM
|
The Lions will
play their 78th Thanksgiving Day game dating back to 1934, while the Cowboys
will play in their 50th since 1966. The Giants and Redskins will play in their 15th
and 10th games, respectively, on the holiday. The Vikings will play in their eighth
and the Chargers will play in their fifth Thanksgiving game.
The
Thanksgiving Day records of the teams playing this Thursday:
TEAM
|
WON
|
LOST
|
TIED
|
Dallas Cowboys
|
30
| 18 |
1
|
Detroit Lions
|
37
| 38 |
2
|
Los
Angeles Chargers
|
2
| 1 |
1
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
New York Giants
|
7
| 4 |
3
|
Washington Redskins
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
MINNESOTA (8-2) at DETROIT (6-4): Thursday’s matchup marks the second consecutive
Thanksgiving meeting between the Vikings and Lions, and the fifth overall
meeting on the holiday. Last season, Detroit cornerback DARIUS SLAY intercepted a pass with 30 seconds remaining in the
fourth quarter and kicker MATT PRATER converted
the game-winning 40-yard field goal as time expired in the Lions’ 16-13 win.
The Vikings
lead the NFC North with an 8-2 record and have won six consecutive games.
Detroit, who has won three in a row and is 6-4 on the season, trails Minnesota
by two games in the division. The Lions defeated Minnesota 14-7 in Week 4 and
have won each of the past three meetings.
Detroit enters
Week 12 following a 27-24 win at Chicago last week. Lions quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD passed for 299 yards
with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 120.2 passer rating and Prater
converted the game-winning 52-yard field goal with 1:35 remaining in the fourth
quarter in the team’s win. Prater has converted three career game-winning field
goals of at least 50 yards with under two minutes remaining in the fourth
quarter or overtime, tied with five others for the most such field goals in
NFL history.
The Lions have
won their past four Thanksgiving Day games by a combined score of 135-54. With
a win on Thursday, Detroit will tie the Tennessee Titans/Houston Oilers
(five consecutive wins, 1979-present) and Chicago Bears (five, 1930-34) for the
fourth-longest winning streak on Thanksgiving Day.
The most
consecutive wins on Thanksgiving:
TEAM
|
SEASONS
|
CONSECUTIVE WINS
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
1939-2014
|
6
|
Dallas Cowboys
|
1980-85
|
6
|
Detroit Lions
|
1950-55
|
6
|
Houston
Oilers/Tennessee Titans
|
1979-present
|
5*
|
Chicago Bears
|
1930-34
|
5
|
Detroit
Lions
|
2013-present
|
4*
|
*Active
streak
| ||
In seven career
games on Thanksgiving Day, Stafford has passed for 2,219 yards (317 per game)
and 15 touchdowns, both the second-most in NFL history.
The
players with the most career passing yards and touchdown passes on Thanksgiving:
PASSING
YARDS
| |||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
PASSING
YARDS
|
Tony Romo
|
Dallas
|
10
|
2,338
|
Matthew Stafford*
|
Detroit
|
7
|
2,219
|
Troy Aikman^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
2,174
|
Danny White
|
Dallas
|
10
|
1,545
|
Bart Starr^
|
Green Bay
|
8
|
1,345
|
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| |||
TOUCHDOWN
PASSES
| |||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
TOUCHDOWN
PASSES
|
Tony Romo
|
Dallas
|
10
|
18
|
Matthew Stafford*
|
Detroit
|
7
|
15
|
Bobby Layne^
|
Detroit
|
8
|
14
|
Danny White
|
Dallas
|
10
|
14
|
Troy Aikman^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
11
|
Brett Favre^
|
Green Bay
|
4
|
11
|
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| |||
In Week 11, the
Vikings held the Los Angeles Rams to 254 total yards in the team’s 24-7
victory. Minnesota wide receiver ADAM
THIELEN recorded six catches for 123 yards with a touchdown and running
back LATAVIUS MURRAY rushed for two
touchdowns in the win. Thielen, who has 62 catches for 916 yards this season, joined
RANDY MOSS (2003) as the only
players in franchise history to have at least 60 catches and 900 receiving
yards in the team’s first 10 games of a season.
Minnesota has
won five of its seven games on Thanksgiving Day and ties for the
second-highest winning percentage (.714) on the holiday (minimum five games).
The
active franchises with the highest winning percentages on Thanksgiving (minimum
five games):
TEAM
|
WON
|
LOST
|
TIED
|
WINNING
PCT.
|
Philadelphia Eagles
|
6
|
1
|
0
|
.857
|
Houston
Oilers/Tennessee Titans
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
.714
|
Miami Dolphins
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
.714
|
Minnesota
Vikings
|
5
| 2 |
0
|
.714
|
New York Giants
|
7
| 4 |
3
|
.636
|
Note: tie games prior to 1972 do not
count in winning percentage
| ||||
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4-6) at DALLAS (5-5): The Chargers and Cowboys meet for the
11th time in series history, with Dallas holding a 6-4 advantage. Thursday
marks the first Thanksgiving Day meeting between the two teams.
Los Angeles had
five interceptions – all in the first half – in the team’s 54-24 win over
Buffalo last week. The Chargers are the first team with five interceptions
in the first half of a game since the 1973 Miami Dolphins (December 3 vs.
Pittsburgh).
The Chargers are
making their fifth appearance on Thanksgiving Day and the first since defeating
the Houston Oilers 21-17 at the Astrodome on November 27, 1969. In that
contest, the Chargers overcame a 10-point second-half deficit, punctuated by a
fourth-quarter interception-return touchdown by defensive back KENNY GRAHAM.
The Chargers’ 48-year
gap between Thanksgiving Day appearances is the longest in NFL history.
TEAM
|
SEASONS
|
YEARS BETWEEN THANKSGIVING DAY
APPEARANCES
|
San
Diego/Los Angeles Chargers
|
1969-2017
|
48
|
New York
Giants
|
1938-1982
|
44
|
San Francisco
49ers
|
1972-2011
|
39
|
Los
Angeles/Oakland Raiders
|
1970-2009
|
39
|
Baltimore/Indianapolis
Colts
|
1965-2004
|
39
|
The Cowboys
look to rebound in Week 12 following a loss to Philadelphia last week. Dallas
defensive end DEMARCUS LAWRENCE ties
for the NFL lead with 11.5 sacks and quarterback DAK PRESCOTT is one of two quarterbacks in NFL history (CAM NEWTON) with at least 35 passing
touchdowns (39) and 10 rushing touchdowns (11) in their first two seasons.
Last season, Prescott
passed for a touchdown and rushed for a score in the Cowboys’ 31-26 win over
the Redskins on Thanksgiving Day.
Cowboys tight
end JASON WITTEN, who will play in
his 15th Thanksgiving Day game this week, has 73 catches on the holiday, the
most all-time. His 809 receiving yards trail only HERMAN MOORE (834) for the most on Thanksgiving.
The
most career receptions and receiving yards on Thanksgiving:
RECEPTIONS
| ||||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
RECEPTIONS
| |
Jason Witten*
|
Dallas
|
14
|
73
| |
Calvin Johnson
|
Detroit
|
9
|
55
| |
Herman Moore
|
Detroit
|
10
|
51
| |
Michael Irvin^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
49
| |
Emmitt Smith^
|
Dallas
|
13
|
42
| |
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| ||||
RECEIVING
YARDS
| |||
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
GAMES
|
RECEIVING
YARDS
|
Herman Moore
|
Detroit
|
10
|
834
|
Jason Witten*
|
Dallas
|
14
|
809
|
Calvin Johnson
|
Detroit
|
9
|
769
|
Michael Irvin^
|
Dallas
|
10
|
722
|
Tony Hill
|
Dallas
|
9
|
622
|
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
| |||
NEW YORK GIANTS (2-8) at WASHINGTON (4-6): The Redskins and Giants close out an
all-day spread of Thanksgiving football with a meeting of two NFC East rivals.
Washington and New York face off for the 171st time in series history
(including the postseason), with the Giants holding a 99-67-4 advantage.
New York wide
receiver ROGER LEWIS, JR. made an
acrobatic 34-yard reception in overtime and kicker ALDRICK ROSAS converted the game-winning 23-yard field goal two
plays later in the Giants’ 12-9 victory over Kansas City in Week 11. Giants
safety LANDON COLLINS recorded a
career-high 14 tackles and an interception in the win.
The Giants will
play on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2009 and the 15th time overall.
The Giants made their first appearance on Thanksgiving Day in 1926, when they
defeated the Brooklyn Lions 17-0 at Ebbets Field, and were one of the earliest
teams featured on Thanksgiving, playing 11 games on the holiday prior to 1939.
Last week,
Washington quarterback KIRK COUSINS
passed for 322 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 132.6
rating in the Redskins’ overtime loss at New Orleans. Cousins has nine
career games with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions, tied
with Pro Football Hall of Famer SONNY
JURGENSEN and JOE THEISMANN for
the most such games in franchise history.
Washington plays
on Thanksgiving for the second consecutive season and will host a game on the
holiday for the first time in franchise history. Last season, Cousins completed
a franchise-record 41 passes for 449 yards with three touchdowns and no
interceptions for a 120.7 passer rating in Washington’s loss to Dallas.
Cousins’ 449
passing yards are the second-most in a single game on Thanksgiving, trailing
only Pro Football Hall of Famer TROY
AIKMAN, who passed for 455 yards on November 26, 1998.
The most
passing yards in a game on Thanksgiving:
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
DATE
|
PASSING YARDS
|
Troy Aikman^
|
Dallas
|
November 26,
1998
|
455
|
Kirk
Cousins
|
Washington
|
November
24, 2016
|
449
|
Tony Romo
|
Dallas
|
November 22,
2012
|
441
|
Matthew
Stafford
|
Detroit
|
November 22,
2012
|
441
|
^Pro Football
Hall of Famer
| |||
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