FLORIDA, USA — It's Thanksgiving, which means it's time for America's favorite tradition — no, not the turkey but the pigskin! That's right, we're ready to tune into some NFL football and watch several teams duke it out for the win.
This of course includes the Detroit Lions, who have been playing every Thanksgiving since 1934 (with a few exceptions during World War II), according to ESPN. This year, the team is leading the NFC and has only lost one game this season.
For decades, the Lions game was the only NFL spectacle airing on Thanksgiving. That changed, however, when the NFL added a home game for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s.
Then, in 2006, the NFL launched a third game to its Thanksgiving Day roster; this game, however, doesn't have a specific host team.
So, who is playing football on Thanksgiving and where can you catch the game? Here's what to know about the NFL games today.
What NFL games are happening on Thanksgiving?
There are three NFL games happening on Thanksgiving. Here are the matchups:
- The Chicago Bears vs. the Detroit Lions
- The New York Giants vs. the Dallas Cowboys
- The Miami Dolphins vs the Green Bay Packers
Bears vs Lions
The Chicago Bears will face off against the Detroit Lions at 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS, which means you can catch the game right here on 10 Tampa Bay.
The Lions are leading the NFC with a 10-1 record while the Bears are only 4-7.
Fun fact, the first game the Lions played on Thanksgiving was against the Bears, all the way back in 1934. The Lions lost 19-16, but are favorites to win in the 2024 matchup.
Chicago has beaten Detroit three straight times on Thanksgiving, sending Lions fans home unhappy in 2021, 2019 and 2018.
The Bears will play the Lions on the holiday for the 20th time, trailing only Green Bay's 22 appearances in Detroit on Thanksgiving.
Giants vs Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys go into their annual Thanksgiving Day home game against the New York Giants coming off a victory in Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. The Cowboys are 0-5 at home this season but have beaten the Giants seven consecutive times.
This is the second Thanksgiving meeting in three seasons for the NFC East rivals. There had been just one before that, a 30-3 Dallas victory in 1992. The Cowboys won 28-20 two years ago. The Giants are 0-4 on the holiday since a 13-6 win at Detroit in 1982.
The game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Fox.
Dolphins vs Packers
The Miami Dolphins chase their fourth consecutive victory and the Green Bay Packers try to win their third straight when they face off in a Thanksgiving night game at Lambeau Field.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has thrown seven touchdown passes without an interception over his past two games. Tagovailoa threw three interceptions when he last faced the Packers in a Green Bay 26-20 victory on Christmas Day 2022.
The Packers are coming off a 38-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The Packers are in the midst of a 12-day stretch in which they play three games.
The game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
