Which NFL teams have never played on Thanksgiving?
Jacksonville, which along with Carolina entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1995, is the only one of the 32 current NFL teams that has never played a game on Thanksgiving. The Panthers joined the list of Thanksgiving participants when they beat the Cowboys in 2015.
How many times has the Dallas Cowboys played on Thanksgiving?
Dallas has played on Thanksgiving every year since except two. In 1975 and 1977, the NFL awarded Thanksgiving games to the St. Louis Cardinals in an attempt to boost that franchise's national exposure. The Cardinals lost both games, and the Cowboys reclaimed the tradition in 1978.
When was the first prime time Thanksgiving game in the NFL?
In 2006, Kansas City hosted the first prime time Thanksgiving game. The game marked a new "Thanksgiving Tripleheader" tradition. The Denver /Kansas City game marked the first time more than two games were played on Thanksgiving (as well as the first all-AFC holiday matchup) since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.
Why do the Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving Day?
The first owner of the Lions, George A. Richards, started the tradition of the Thanksgiving Day game as a gimmick to get people to go to Lions football games, and to continue a tradition begun by the city's previous NFL teams.
Have the Cincinnati Bengals ever played on Thanksgiving?
Cincinnati played Detroit, the other Thanksgiving day game team, in 2021 in the Motor City. Cincinnati won 34-11.
What NFL teams played on Thanksgiving?
Who is playing on Thanksgiving? The Buffalo Bills play at the Detroit Lions. The New York Giants play at the Dallas Cowboys. The New England Patriots play at the Minnesota Vikings.
Why do Dallas and Detroit always play on Thanksgiving?
The team was looking to boost its popularity and in 1966, they had the chance to play on Thanksgiving. Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm thought it was a great chance to showcase the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on a national scale.
Do the Lions and Bears always play on Thanksgiving?
If it seems like the Detroit Lions always play on Thanksgiving, well, that's because they do. The Lions' annual tradition of playing on the American holiday, which began in 1934, is nearly as old as the franchise itself.
What year did the Cowboys not play on Thanksgiving?
The Cowboys have played on Thanksgiving every year since except two. In 1975 and 1977, the NFL awarded Thanksgiving games to the St. Louis Cardinals instead in an attempt to boost that franchise's national exposure.
What NFL teams always play on Christmas?
Which NFL teams are playing on Christmas? The Green Bay Packers play at the Miami Dolphins. The Denver Broncos play at the Los Angeles Rams. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play at the Arizona Cardinals.
Why do Chicago Bears always play on Thanksgiving?
The Thanksgiving game tradition began in Detriot back in 1934. The then team owner George A. Richards had purchased the Lions earlier that year, and he wanted to build a fanbase. So, he decided to host the back-to-back world champions, the Chicago Bears.
Do the Bears play every Thanksgiving?
The Chicago Bears have played 37 times on Thanksgiving. Here's how they've fared in each game since 1920.
What NFL teams are playing on Thanksgiving 2022?
These are the three Thanksgiving contests: Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions: 12:30 p.m. ET. New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys: 4:30 p.m. ET. New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings: 8:20 p.m. ET.
How many NFL games are played on Thanksgiving?
three gamesThat year, the NFL moved to three games on Thanksgiving. The Lions and Cowboys remained the hosts of the two early games, while the third matchup sees a different host every season. The 2022 NFL Thanksgiving games will feature the 16th tripleheader after the 2020 game was postponed due to COVID.
Who usually plays on Thanksgiving?
If your family is one of those, you may have noticed that two teams seem to always play on Thanksgiving: the Lions and the Cowboys. While there's no official contract that these two teams must play every Thanksgiving, it's been a constant tradition for decades.
What are the three NFL games on Thanksgiving Day?
2022 NFL Thanksgiving tripleheader: Game times, matchups, how to watch, etc. The 2022 NFL Thanksgiving tripleheader includes three terrific matchups: Bills-Lions, Giants-Cowboys and Patriots-Vikings.
Why did Dallas host Thanksgiving?
This is only partly true; Dallas had in fact decided on their own to host games on Thanksgiving because there was nothing else to do or watch on that day. In 1975 and 1977, at the behest of then-Commissioner Pete Rozelle, the St. Louis Cardinals replaced Dallas as a host team (Dallas then hosted St. Louis in 1976).
What team played Thanksgiving Day football in the 1890s?
The Thanksgiving Day games between Michigan and the Chicago Maroons in the 1890s have been cited as "The Beginning of Thanksgiving Day Football.". In some areas, most commonly in New England, high-school teams play on Thanksgiving, usually to wrap-up the regular-season.
What years did Thanksgiving games occur?
All three of the generally recognized iterations of the American Football League that played during this era ( AFL I in 1926, AFL II in 1936 and AFL III in 1940) played Thanksgiving games, which are also listed as indicated. Non-NFL team games between league teams and non league teams counted in the 1920 standings.
What year did the Tigers and Staleys play Thanksgiving?
1920: An urban legend states that the Chicago Tigers and Decatur Staleys challenged each other to a Thanksgiving duel, in Chicago, in the league's inaugural season, with the loser being relegated out of the league at the end of the season, purportedly explaining why the Tigers were the only NFL team to fold after the 1920 season (no other team would fold until 1921). The claims of it being a duel are unsubstantiated; nevertheless, the Tigers, after a 27–0 win over the non-league Thorn Tornadoes the next week, never played football again. The Staleys would move to Chicago during the next season, later renaming themselves the Bears.
Why is Detroit always early?
Detroit always hosted the "early" game because a 12:30 p.m. EST kick-off at Dallas would be 11:30 a.m. local time ( CST ), and the NFL avoids starting games before noon locally. The two games rotated annually as intra-conference ( NFC at NFC) and inter-conference ( AFC at NFC) games.
When did the Chargers last play Thanksgiving?
San Francisco likewise played their first Thanksgiving game since 1972 in 2011, and the Los Angeles Chargers, who last played on the holiday in 1969 (while the team was still an AFL franchise in San Diego) before actually joining the league, appeared for the first time as an NFL member in 2017.
When was Thanksgiving football invented?
The concept of American football games being played on Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1876 , shortly after the game had been invented, as it was a day that most people had off from work. In that year, the college football teams at Yale and Princeton began an annual tradition of playing each other on Thanksgiving Day. The University of Michigan also made it a tradition to play annual Thanksgiving games, holding 19 such games from 1885 to 1905. The Thanksgiving Day games between Michigan and the Chicago Maroons in the 1890s have been cited as "The Beginning of Thanksgiving Day Football." In some areas, most commonly in New England, high-school teams play on Thanksgiving, usually to wrap-up the regular-season.
Which NFL team has the most losses on Thanksgiving Day?
The answer here is a bit obvious and comes by default. The Lions lead the way in Thanksgiving losses with 42, but that has come after playing 81 games on the holiday. So unless they were legendary Thanksgiving winners, there was no way to avoid topping this list of losers.
Also Read Article Continues below
Losing on Thanksgiving can be seen as a negative. But for the all-time leaders, the Lions, it also comes with a lot of winning. The overall positive is that they get this national spotlight on an annual basis and usually get to enjoy an extended holiday weekend following the short week.
Which NFL teams have never played Thanksgiving?
Below are the numbers of Thanksgiving appearances for all 32 current NFL franchises. Only the Jacksonville Jaguars have never played on Thanksgiving. Team. Thanksgiving games. Detroit Lions. 79 (79 consecutive) Dallas Cowboys.
What NFL team plays Thanksgiving game in the late afternoon?
When the NFL creates its schedule each year, per tradition, the only constants are the Lions hosting their early afternoon Thanksgiving game and the Cowboys hosting their late afternoon Thanksgiving game.
What football teams always play on Thanksgiving?
When Detroit hosts Chicago on Thanksgiving in 2019, it will mark the the 18th Thanksgiving day meeting between the Bears and the Lions. Chicago has appeared on Thanksgiving 33 times, but only because it's a division rival of Detroit, which has played more Thanksgiving games than any other NFL franchise.
What time is the Lions game on Thanksgiving Day?
8:20 p.m. ET. NBC. The Lions will play their 80th Thanksgiving Day game dating back to 1934, while the Cowboys will play in their 52nd since 1966. The Bears and Bills will play in their 36th and ninth games, respectively, on the holiday.
How many fans watched the Cowboys win the Cotton Bowl?
A total of 80,259 fans watched the team beat the Browns at the Cotton Bowl.
How many times has Chicago been on Thanksgiving?
Chicago has appeared on Thanksgiving 33 times, but only because it's a division rival of Detroit, which has played more Thanksgiving games than any other NFL franchise. The Lions, who have a 37-40-2 record in Thanksgiving games, started the tradition in 1934, their first year in Detroit.
Does Dallas play Thanksgiving?
Dallas has played on Thanksgiving every year since except two. In 1975 and 1977, the NFL awarded Thanksgiving games to the St. Louis Cardinals in an attempt to boost that franchise's national exposure. The Cardinals lost both games, and the Cowboys reclaimed the tradition in 1978.
Which team has not played Thanksgiving?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only team that has not played on Thanksgiving.
Why does the NFL play Thanksgiving more than the AFC?
Because of the NFL schedule imbalance - each team plays only 4 of 16 games outside its conference - the NFC plays far more often on Thanksgiving than the AFC.
How many NFL games are played on Thanksgiving?
Three NFL Games are played on Thanksgiving. One hosted by the Detroit, one by Dallas and one Primetime Game.
When did football start celebrating Thanksgiving?
Apparently, Football in the United States and Thanksgiving have been compliments since 1876 when Prince Vs Yale were the premier teams. Since, 1876 into the early 1900's high school and college football ruled on Thanksgiving.
Do the Jaguars play Thanksgiving?
Through 2019, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who joined the league in 1995, have never played on Thanksgiving day.
Which NFL team has never played Thanksgiving?
Jacksonville, which along with Carolina entered the NFL as an expansion franchise in 1995, is the only one of the 32 current NFL teams that has never played a game on Thanksgiving. The Panthers joined the list of Thanksgiving participants when they beat the Cowboys in 2015.
What teams have never played on U.S. Thanksgiving?
The Jaguars have to be looking at the Lions and their 79 appearances on Thanksgiving and thinking: Come on, can't we just get one game?
How many years have the Cowboys been on Thanksgiving?
The Cowboys, playing in their 52nd Thanksgiving game since 1966, have played host on the holiday for 41 years in a row. The Saints, 9-2 and running away with the NFC South, are looking for revenge against the 3-8 Falcons a few weeks after Atlanta inexplicably pulled off an upset in New Orleans.
How many people watched the Cowboys game on Thanksgiving?
An absurd 30.5 million people watched last year's Cowboys game on Thanksgiving. The number for the Lions game was 26.6 million viewers. Fifteen of the top 20 TV broadcasts in 2018 were NFL games, and that doesn't count the pre-game show for Super Bowl 52, which ranked No. 5. Below are the full rankings.
How many times have the Buccaneers played Thanksgiving?
The Buccaneers, Texans and Bengals also have just one Thanksgiving appearance apiece. The Arizona Cardinals technically have played on Thanksgiving just once, but the Cardinals franchise, which began in Chicago and spent many years in St. Louis before it moved to the desert, has appeared on Thanksgiving 23 times.
When did the Cowboys start playing Thanksgiving games?
And another one joined some 30 years later. The Cowboys, who have a 37-40-2 record in Thanksgiving games, started their Thanksgiving game tradition in 1966 , when then-general manager Tex Schramm signed up for the holiday game in an effort to boost the franchise's popularity. It worked.
What channel is Lions vs Bears on?
As for the U.S. TV channels for the three American Thanksgiving games in 2019, Lions vs. Bears will be presented on Fox. Cowboys vs. Bills will get the Tony Romo treatment with a national broadcast on CBS. The night cap, Falcons vs. Saints, will feature the "Sunday Night Football" broadcast crew on NBC.
Overview
Game standings
Of current NFL franchises. This includes American Football League (AFL) games; however, it does not include All-America Football Conference (AAFC) games.
The last currently active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving through 2022 is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who joined the league in 1995.
An idiosyncrasy in the NFL's current scheduling formula, which has been in effect in its basic for…
History
The concept of American football games being played on Thanksgiving Day dates back to 1876, shortly after the game had been invented, as it was a day that most people had off from work. In that year, the college football teams at Yale and Princeton began an annual tradition of playing each other on Thanksgiving Day. The University of Michigan also made it a tradition to play an…
Game results
(Winning teams are denoted by boldface type; tie games are italicized.)
• All three of the generally recognized iterations of the American Football League that played during this era (AFL I in 1926, AFL II in 1936 and AFL III in 1940) played Thanksgiving games, which are also listed as indicated.
• Non-NFL team games between league teams and non league teams counted in the 1920 standings. The All-Tonawanda Lumberjacks later joined the league as the T…
Game MVPs
Since 1989, informal and sometimes lighthearted Man of the Match/MVP awards have been issued by the networks broadcasting the respective games. Running back Emmitt Smith holds the record for most Thanksgiving MVPs with five (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2002), followed by Tony Romo with four (2006, 2007, 2009 and 2013). Among players not on Detroit or Dallas, Drew Brees and Brett Favre each hold three; no AFC player holds more than two (Tom Brady and Josh Allen). Voti…
Broadcasting
DuMont was the first network to televise Thanksgiving games in 1953; CBS took over in 1956, and in 1965, the first color television broadcast of an NFL game was the Thanksgiving match between the Lions and the Baltimore Colts.
Starting in 2012, all three broadcast networks with NFL rights will carry one game apiece. The first two games are split between CBS and Fox. These games are rotated annually, with CBS getting th…
See also
• American football on Thanksgiving
• National Football League Christmas games
External links
• NFL.com Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving Day Game Results, from the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• American Football League Thanksgiving game boxscores