Thanksgiving and NFL football games go hand in hand. The tradition dates back to the league’s first season in 1920. NFL Thanksgiving games predate the Super Bowl by 46 years.
There have been changes. No one was watching on their phones when the Dayton Triangles beat the Detroit Heralds 28-0 on Nov. 25, 1920. Thanks to the glory of technology, you can watch all three Thanksgiving games this season as they’re broadcast live on the Yahoo Sports app. It’s better than arguing with your loved ones about politics.
Here’s a look at the three Thanksgiving games of this 100th NFL season:
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions, 12:30 p.m. ET
Just imagine the reaction if Mitchell Trubisky got topped by David Blough on Thanksgiving.
Who is Blow? He’s the one who took the practice snaps as Detroit’s quarterback this week. Matthew Stafford is out. Substitute Jeff Driskel is suffering from a hamstring injury. If Driskel can’t play, Blough would take his first NFL shots. Blough played at Purdue, went undrafted and then posted a 72.9 passer rating in the preseason for the Cleveland Browns. The Browns traded Blough to the Lions in a 2022 seventh-round pick trade.
Regardless of whether Driskel or Blough plays for the Lions, the quarterback under the most pressure going into Thursday’s game will be Trubisky. Trubisky was solid last season, then hit a major slump this year. With the Bears struggling, a season after winning the NFC North, Trubisky received the majority of the scorn from Bears fans. A bad Thanksgiving outing, perhaps against an unknown rookie making his NFL debut, would make things much worse for Trubisky.
Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET
The biggest story in Best Thanksgiving Game is clearly Cowboys coach Jason Garrett and his job security. Prepare for a lot of discussions with Garrett during the broadcast.
There’s another team involved in the game, and they’re most likely heading to the playoffs. The Bills have had a great run this season and lead the AFC wildcard field at 8-3. Buffalo’s defense leads this team, although sophomore quarterback Josh Allen is capable of some exciting moments. At least one of Thursday’s Game 2 teams is a good bet to be in the playoffs.
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons, 8:20 p.m. ET
Midway through the season, the Saints were 7-1. They went 5-0 as Drew Brees recovered from a thumb injury. They looked like the best football team.
Then the Falcons came to New Orleans.
Atlanta, in the midst of a horrible season and with coach Dan Quinn facing constant questions about his job security, pulled off perhaps the biggest upset of the NFL season. They outscored the Saints in a 26-9 victory. The result was unexpected and the way the Falcons got around the Saints was stunning.
The Saints really haven’t looked good in the last three games, starting with the loss to the Falcons. They beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-17, but with a big assist from Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston and his turnovers. Last week, the Saints barely secured a 34-31 win over the Carolina Panthers, earning a game-winning field goal when time expired. They took a huge break when Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed a short field goal in the final two minutes.
What do we do with the saints now? They are still 9-2 and have a good chance of securing the NFC’s No. 1 seed. A rebound against the Falcons at Thanksgiving would ease some concerns about their recent slump.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Do you have any advice? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab