The History of the NFL Thanksgiving Game

Every year on Thanksgiving Day, the NFL hosts a game for its fans to enjoy. Learn about the history of this tradition and how it has become one of the most popular events of the year.

The first NFL Thanksgiving game

The NFL Thanksgiving game has been a tradition since the league’s inception in 1920. The first game was played in Detroit, Michigan between the Lions and the Chicago Bears. The Lions won the game 7-6.

The Detroit Lions vs. the Chicago Bears

The first NFL Thanksgiving game was held on November 28, 1934, between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. The game was broadcast on radio station WJR in Detroit, with over 26,000 fans in attendance. The Lions defeated the Bears 26-7, with rookie receiver Calvin Johnson scoring the first touchdown in Thanksgiving game history.

The Green Bay Packers vs. the Detroit Lions

The first NFL Thanksgiving game was played in 1934, when the Detroit Lions hosted the Green Bay Packers. The Lions won, 19-16.

Since then, the Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving game every year except for 1939 and 1944, when they could not host due to stadium damage from a tornado and World War II, respectively.

In 1951, the NFL decided that all Thanksgiving games would be played in Detroit. This remained the case until 1966, when the Dallas Cowboys hosted their first Thanksgiving game.

Since then, three other teams have hosted Thanksgiving games on a rotating basis: the Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins, and the New York Jets.

The second NFL Thanksgiving game

The New York Giants vs. the Detroit Lions

On Thanksgiving Day in 1934, the Detroit Lions hosted the New York Giants at Detroit’s University of Detroit Stadium. The Lions had only been in existence for four years, while the Giants were one of the NFL’s original teams. The game was a rematch of a pre-season game that the Giants had won handily, 28-0.

The Lions were determined to make Thanksgiving their own and came out firing, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter. The Giants responded with a touchdown of their own, but the Lions went into halftime leading 14-7.

In the second half, both teams played tough defense and neither was able to score. As the game wound down, it looked like the Lions would hang on for their first Thanksgiving victory. But then, with just a few minutes left in the game, Giants quarterback Ed Danowski found wide receiver Hank Soar open for a touchdown pass that tied the game at 14.

The teams went to overtime, where the Giants finally prevailed, 21-14. It was a thrilling game that helped cement Thanksgiving as a day for football.

The Washington Redskins vs. the Dallas Cowboys

The Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys have played each other on Thanksgiving Day eight times. The Cowboys lead the series 5-2-1. The first game was in 1966, when the Cowboys beat the Redskins 38-14. The most recent game was in 2012, when the Redskins beat the Cowboys 38-31.

The third NFL Thanksgiving game

On November 26, 1959, the third NFL Thanksgiving game took place in Detroit. The Lions played host to the annual Thanksgiving game for the first time in team history. The game pitted the first-place Lions against the second-place New York Giants.

The Minnesota Vikings vs. the Detroit Lions

In 1968, the NFL added a third game to the Thanksgiving lineup, pitting the Minnesota Vikings against the Detroit Lions. This game became known as the “turkey bowl,” and it was an instant hit. The Turkey Bowl was so popular that it led to the creation of a fourth Thanksgiving game in 2006, when the Dallas Cowboys faced off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Miami Dolphins vs. the Dallas Cowboys

The third NFL Thanksgiving game was played on November 24, 1966, between the Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys were the defending champions of Super Bowl I, and the Dolphins were making their first appearance in a Thanksgiving Day game. The game was broadcast on NBC, with Curt Gowdy and Paul Christman calling the action.

The Dolphins took an early lead with a touchdown in the first quarter, but the Cowboys responded with two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-7 lead at halftime. After a scoreless third quarter, the Dolphins scored another touchdown in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 14-14. The Cowboys then scored a field goal to take a 17-14 lead, but the Dolphins responded with another touchdown to win 21-17.

This was the first Thanksgiving Day game that featured two teams with winning records, as both teams entered the game with 6-4 records. It was also the first Thanksgiving Day game to be played in prime time.