Top 5 Thanksgiving NFL Football Games
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's Thanksgiving week, which means three things for most people across America on Thursday -- family, food and football.
And it's not necessarily in that order. But it's an annual tradition for Thanksgiving that families gather together and remember what they are thankful for. We all try to say we'll be healthier, but then that changes when you look at the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. The food coma arrives, finished off by the pumpkin pie and then an afternoon of watching football on the couch ensues.
For the die-hard football fans, the TV watching starts with an appetizer as there's always a game before the early dinner. And a holiday full of traditions is no different in NFL standards. Essentially since the concept of football on Thanksgiving Day started, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys always play. This year, the Lions face the Bears in the early game, followed by the Cowboys and Eagles in the afternoon and a nightcap of San Francisco against Seattle.
So what are some of the top Thanksgiving games in NFL history? How many were the Vikings involved in? Our list of the top Thanksgiving Day games includes two Vikings wins and three games that went to overtime. Here's a sample.
1998: Moss, Vikings Beat Cowboys 46-36
For Minnesota Vikings fans, the easy choice is a 46-36 win over the Cowboys on Nov. 26, 1998. The Vikings went to the NFC Championship game that year, and we all know how that ended. But it was a breakout rookie season for Randy Moss, and he didn't disappoint in the national spotlight. Moss only had three catches in the game, but they went for a combined 163 yards and three touchdowns.
1987: Vikings Beat Cowboys 34-28 In OT
It was a shootout of a game, but Darrin Nelson's 24-yard rushing touchdown gave the Vikings a 34-28 overtime victory in 1987. It was Nelson's second touchdown of the game and also put him over the 100-yard mark for rushing on the day.
1998: Lions Beat Steelers 19-16 In OT
The Detroit Lions victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thanksgiving Day in 1998 is likely remembered for something that happened that had a big impact on the outcome of the game, though it wasn't actually a play. In the overtime coin toss, Jerome Bettis called "tails" and the referee thought he called "heads" and the coin landed on tails. Jason Hanson went onto kick the game-winning field goal from 42 yards out for the Lions. It was one of four field goals for him in the game. The Steelers held Barry Sanders to just 33 yards on 20 carries in a tough loss.
1980: Bears Beat Lions 23-17 In OT
The Lions couldn't hold a double-digit fourth quarter lead against the Bears in a Thanksgiving Day loss in 1980. Chicago scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to force overtime, where the Bears returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for the game-winning score. Walter Payton had 18 carries for 123 yards rushing in the game.
1986: Packers Beat Lions 44-40
There wasn't a lack of offense when the Packers and Lions met on Thanksgiving Day in 1986 as the two teams combined for 84 points. Al Del Greco kicked three field goals in the first half to keep Green Bay close. The Lions appeared to have the game won, but the Packers scored 14 fourth-quarter points to put away a 44-40 victory.
Bonus – 1993: Leon Lett Flap, Cowboys Lose In Blizzard
The 1993 game between the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins was memorable enough as a bizarre snowstorm and below freezing air hit Dallas for the game. The Dolphins, down 14-13 late in regulation, were driving to kick a potential game-winning field goal. The Cowboys blocked it, but Leon Lett made a colossal mistake when attempted to recover the ball. The Dolphins got it back at the 3-yard line and went onto win the game, 16-14.
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This year's games are Chicago at Detroit, Philadelphia at Dallas and Seattle at San Francisco. While weather shouldn't be a factor in any of the three games, the schedule is clearly back-loaded with two games as the Cowboys/Eagles and Seahawks/49ers tilts should be far more competitive than the Bears/Lions.