Nothing goes better with turkey and stuffing than football. The Thanksgiving Day games have been a tradition in the United States since the first game in Philadelphia in 1869. The first NFL game was played Nov. 25, 1920, and a game was played every year from 1941 to 1944 when the tradition halted because of World War II.
There are two teams that have been Thanksgiving staples: the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys. The Lions began playing on this day because the owner at the time, G.A. Richards, was trying to get more fans in the stands. Detroit played the Chicago Bears in 1934 and every year after that.
The Cowboys didn’t jump on the bandwagon until 1966, but they have played every year since also to build their fan base. Since those dates it has gone down in history that every year the Lions play the morning game, the Cowboys play in the afternoon and now there is a third game between two non-fixed teams.
This year the Lions kick off against the Bears at 12:30 p.m. where of course, they meet at Ford Field in Detroit. This could wind up being a one-sided affair where the Bears take control and run away with the game. The Bears post an impressive 6-3 record being led by all-world pass rusher Kahlil Mack and rising star Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears’ offense has been impressive as they have 29.9 points per game average which places them fifth in the NFL. Their other strong suit is their rushing attack at 120 yards per game keeping them just out of the top 10 at 12th.
This offense might just be too much for the struggling Lions’ defense. The Lions’ defense is middle of the pack ranked 16th in the NFL letting up 362 yards a game. They let up 132 rushing yards a game which could help the Bears stay on top. Finally, the Lions let up 27 points per game which is almost on pace with how many the Bears score, meaning the Bears are almost guaranteed over 25 points, compared to the Lions’ offense who only scores 22 points a game. Anything can happen as this is football; however, these stats show it could be a very one-sided game.
The next game will be the 4:30 p.m. rematch between the Redskins and the Cowboys. The last time these two teams met the Redskins won the game by a field goal making the final score 20-17. This is an NFC East game, which means no matter how bad or good the teams are the games are always competitive and physical. These two teams both have a poor offense that lacks explosiveness and ways to score points.
The Cowboys’ offense scores 20 points per game while Washington scores 19, and the Cowboys have 185 passing yards a game while the Redskins have 216. Finally, the Cowboys have 133 rushing yards a game while the Redskins have 121 yards. The X-factor in this game will be the defenses and that the fact that the Cowboys are home. At home, Dallas is a completely different team with the No. 6 ranked defense in the NFL. Washington has the 15th ranked defense; however, their X-factor is that they only let up 90 rushing yards a game. The Cowboys are 29-18-1 on Thanksgiving which sets up a possible revenge win on the current NFC East Leaders.
The final game will be at 8:20 p.m. between the offensive juggernauts that are the Saints and the Falcons. The Saints have been one of the hottest teams this year and are a likely favorite to win the Super Bowl. The Saints score an incredible 36 points per game while posting over 400 total yards with 287 passing and 126 rushing yards per game. With the addition of veteran receiver Brandon Marshall this team can only get better and put up even more points. However, this is not to discount the Falcons’ offense which is ranked right behind New Orleans at seventh overall; the post 27 points a game with 403 total yards and 319 passing yards and 89 rushing yards a game. The X-factor in this game is that the Saints’ defense is ranked 21st while the Falcons are ranked 27th. The Saints’ defense only lets up 80 rushing yards a game and 396 passing yards, while the Falcons let up 294 passing yards and 119 rushing yards per game. The biggest difference will be if the Falcons can stop Alvin Kamara.
Final score predictions: the Bears over the Lions 31- 24, the Cowboys over the Redskins 27- 24 and the Saints over the Falcons 35-38.
