Which NFL Teams Always Play on Thanksgiving?
It’s that time of year again! Time to start thinking about which NFL teams always play on Thanksgiving.
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving Day a record 41 times since the inception of the holiday in 1876. No other team in the NFL has played more games on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys have also hosted more Thanksgiving games than any other team, with 29.
History of the Dallas Cowboys playing on Thanksgiving
The Dallas Cowboys have been playing on Thanksgiving Day since 1966. They are one of three NFL teams to play every year on Thanksgiving, along with the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys have hosted more Thanksgiving games than any other team, with 38 as of 2019. They have also played on Thanksgiving more times than any other team, with 39 games total.
The Dallas Cowboys first played on Thanksgiving in 1966, when they lost to the Cleveland Browns 26-14. The following year, they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 38-10 in their first Thanksgiving game at home. The Cowboys have played at home on Thanksgiving every year since then, with the exception of 1975 and 1977. In those years, they played their Thanksgiving games on the road against the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, respectively.
The Dallas Cowboys have had mixed results on Thanksgiving over the years. As of 2019, they have a record of 26-13 on the holiday. Their most recent Thanksgiving game was a 27-20 loss to the Buffalo Bills in 2016.
Why the Dallas Cowboys play on Thanksgiving
It all started in 1966. The NFL was looking to expand its footprint and prime-time television seemed like the perfect way to do it. NBC was given the first Thanksgiving Day game, which featured the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys — two of the most storied franchises in NFL history. The game was a ratings bonanza and set the stage for what has become a Thanksgiving tradition.
The Dallas Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1966, with the exception of two years (1975 and 1977). They are currently tied with the Detroit Lions for the most Thanksgiving Day appearances, with 33 apiece. The Cowboys have a record of 27-26-1 on Thanksgiving Day, while the Lions are 26-38-2.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934. The team has a long-standing tradition of being thankful for its fans and giving them something to be thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. The Lions have hosted Thanksgiving games at Ford Field since 2002.
History of the Detroit Lions playing on Thanksgiving
The Detroit Lions have a long history of playing on Thanksgiving. The team first played on the holiday in 1934, when they hosted the Chicago Bears. The Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year since, with the exception of 1939-1944 (due to World War II) and in 1999 (due to a scheduling conflict).
The Lions have been one of the most popular teams to watch on Thanksgiving, due in part to their success over the years. They have won more Thanksgiving games than any other team, with a record of 34-20-2 as of 2018. The team has also appeared in more Thanksgiving games than any other team, making them a tradition for many fans.
If you’re looking for a team to watch on Thanksgiving, the Detroit Lions are always a good choice.
Why the Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving
The Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving every year because they are the oldest franchise in the NFL. The tradition started in 1934 when the Lions were first established. They have played on Thanksgiving ever since, with the exception of a few years during World War II.
The Lions aren’t the only team that plays on Thanksgiving, but they are the only team that has played on Thanksgiving every year since the tradition started. The Dallas Cowboys also play on Thanksgiving every year, but their tradition started in 1966.
So why do the Lions play on Thanksgiving? It’s a tradition that dates back to the earliest days of the franchise, and it’s one that the Lions have continued to this day.
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have a long tradition of playing on Thanksgiving Day. They have played on Thanksgiving Day more times than any other team in the NFL. The Packers have a record of 33-22-1 on Thanksgiving Day. The Packers have played on Thanksgiving Day every year since their founding in 1919.
History of the Green Bay Packers playing on Thanksgiving
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league’s National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Home games have been played at Lambeau Field since 1957.
The Packers are the last of the “small town teams” which were common in the NFL during the league’s early days of 1920–1949. Founded in 1919 by Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, the franchise traces its lineage to other semi-pro teams in Green Bay dating back to 1896. Between 1919 and 1920, the Packers competed against other semi-pro clubs from around Wisconsin and Michigan, before joining the American Professional Football Association (APFA), now known as the NFL, in 1921. Although Green Bay is by far the smallest major league professional sports market in North America, Forbes ranked the Packers as the world’s 26th most valuable sports franchise in 2016, with a value of $2.35 billion.
Why the Green Bay Packers play on Thanksgiving
The Green Bay Packers are one of eight NFL teams that play on Thanksgiving. The Packers have been playing on Thanksgiving since the team’s founding in 1919. The Packers’ opponents have included the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and Dallas Cowboys.
The Packers-Lions rivalry is the oldest Thanksgiving Day rivalry in the NFL, with the two teams meeting on Thanksgiving Day every year since 1930. The Packers-Bears rivalry also dates back to 1930, when the two teams played each other on Thanksgiving Day for the first time. The Cowboys joined the mix in 1966, when they began playing on Thanksgiving Day as well.
The Packers have had a long tradition of playing on Thanksgiving Day, and it is a tradition that the team looks forward to continuing in the future.
