WASHINGTON–Football is a part of most Thanksgiving traditions.
Whether it involves playing a game with your cousins in the park to work up an appetite for the big meal, or unbuckling your belt in order to collapse onto the couch and watch the professionals immediately after stuffing your face, football is just as much a part of Thanksgiving as the turkey.
This year, the Burgundy and Gold will be spending Thanksgiving with their friends and families, just like the rest of us, giving the D.C. fans yet another reason to be thankful.
That’s because Washington is just 2-6 all time in Thanksgiving games, the worst winning percentage of teams with at least eight Turkey Day appearances.
Detroit leads the NFL in Thanksgiving appearances. The Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving Day game every year dating back to 1945.
This year, the Lions host the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be making their third Thanksgiving Day appearance in the past seven years.
The Eagles are one of five Thanksgiving undefeateds, and are 6-0 on the holiday. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on FOX.
The NFL must have decided that if one Thanksgiving tradition is good, two must be better, because the Dallas Cowboys began their Thanksgiving hosting tradition in 1966.
In the past 50 years, the Cowboys have only failed to host a Thanksgiving game on two occasions, 1975 and 1977.
Carolina, one of only two teams never to play on Thanksgiving, will end its drought on Thursday, when the undefeated Panthers travel to take on a Dallas team that is desperate for a win. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on CBS.
The Thanksgiving nightcap, a tradition started in 2006, is an NFC North divisional tilt and one of the NFL’s oldest rivalries: the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears.
The Packers will be making their 36th Thanksgiving Day appearance, the third most in NFL history, while the Bears are right behind them with 34. Green Bay is tied for the NFC North lead, while Chicago is on the fringe of the NFC playoff picture. Both Thanksgiving game veterans need a win to help solidify their playoff positioning. Kickoff for the late game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on NBC.
Washington will have to wait until Sunday to hit the gridiron in what is shaping up to be the most important game of the season. The team hosts the NFC East-leading New York Giants, and a win would give Washington a share of the division lead. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on FOX.