ACRE
Why the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving
Americans have been playing football on Thanksgiving Day for more than a century. In 1891, Yale beat Princeton 19-0 in the first college football game played on the holiday. Professional football started playing official games on Thanksgiving in 1920, starting with six American Professional Football Association (APFA) matchups.
Those six games marked the first Thursday games in professional football history, per the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here’s how the day’s slate of games ended:
- Akron Pros 7-0 Canton Bulldogs
- Decatur Staleys 6-0 Chicago Tigers
- Elyria Athletics 0-0 Columbus Panhandles
- Dayton Triangles 28-0 Detroit Heralds
- Chicago Boosters 27-0 Hammond Pros
- All-Tonawanda 14-3 Rochester Jeffersons
In the 104 years since, professional football has become a fixture on Thanksgiving, save for a break from 1941 to 1944 due to World War II. Two teams have played more games on the holiday than any other: the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.
Both will be in action again this Thursday and hosting division rivals. The Lions kick the day off against the Chicago Bears before the Cowboys face off against the New York Giants in the second game of the day.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Here’s why they’re always playing on Thanksgiving.
Why do the Lions always play on Thanksgiving?
The Lions played their first Thanksgiving game in 1934, their first season in Detroit. Then-owner George A. Richards, a local radio executive, wanted the team to play on the holiday to bring more fans to the stadium. The city’s MLB team, the Detroit Tigers, were the most popular sports team at the time and Richards thought this could get more fans to watch the Lions.
A sold-out crowd at University of Detroit Stadium saw a close game between the Lions and the Bears. The Bears won 19-16 and Richards ensured the game was broadcast across 94 radio stations, per the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
That game was so popular it became a permanent part of the schedule through 1938. The Lions didn’t play on the holiday from 1939 through 1944 but came back when the NFL reinstated Thanksgiving games in 1945 after World War II. They’ve played on the holiday every year since.
Lions’ Thanksgiving record
Detroit has played 84 total games on Thanksgiving, by far the most in the NFL, and they’re 37-45-2 on the holiday. Here are the most common matchups they’ve had:
- Lions-Packers (22 games): Lions lead 12-9-1
- Lions-Bears (19 games): Bears lead 11-8
- Lions-Vikings (5 games): Vikings lead 3-2
Why do the Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving?
Dallas is second to the Lions for the most games on the holiday in NFL history. In the 1960s, NFL viewership was growing rapidly, and the league added a second Thanksgiving game in 1966. Then-Dallas Cowboys president Tex Schramm volunteered the Cowboys to play on the second game, so long as the the team could host the game each year.
The Cowboys won their Thanksgiving debut 26-14 over the Cleveland Browns the tradition continued the following season. The St. Louis (now Arizona) Cardinals took over as a host team for the Cowboys in 1975 and 1977 but Dallas was reinstated in 1978 and have had a permanent place on the holiday ever since.
Cowboys’ Thanksgiving record
Dallas has played 56 total games on Thanksgiving with a 33-22-1 record on the holiday entering 2024. Unlike the Lions, they’ve don’t have popular rivalries for the game; Dallas has played 24 different teams on the holiday. Here are their most common opponents:
- Cowboys-Commanders (11 games): Cowboys lead 9-2
- Cowboys-Dolphins (5 games): Dolphins lead 3-2
- Cowboys-Cardinals (4 games): Cowboys lead 4-0
Have any NFL teams never played on Thanksgiving?
The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only active franchise to have never played on Thanksgiving. Three teams have had one game on the holiday: the Carolina Panthers (2015), Cincinnati Bengals (2010), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2006).
NFL team Thanksgiving records
- Arizona Cardinals: 6-15-2
- Atlanta Falcons: 1-3
- Baltimore Ravens: 2-0
- Buffalo Bills: 6-4-1
- Carolina Panthers: 1-0
- Chicago Bears: 20-15-2
- Cincinnati Bengals: 0-1
- Cleveland Browns: 0-3
- Dallas Cowboys: 33-22-1
- Denver Broncos: 4-7
- Detroit Lions: 37-45-2
- Green Bay Packers: 15-20-2
- Houston Texans: 2-0
- Indianapolis Colts: 2-1-1
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 0-0
- Kansas City Chiefs: 5-5
- Las Vegas Raiders: 4-4
- Los Angeles Chargers: 3-1-1
- Los Angeles Rams: 4-1
- Miami Dolphins: 5-2
- Minnesota Vikings: 7-2
- New England Patriots: 3-3
- New Orleans Saints: 3-1
- New York Giants: 7-6-3
- New York Jets: 4-4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 6-1
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-6
- San Francisco 49ers: 3-2-1
- Seattle Seahawks: 2-3
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 0-1
- Tennessee Titans: 5-2
- Washington Commanders: 4-9
Economia e Negócios6 dias agoBrasil 2026: crescimento moderado e foco na estabilidade econômica
ACRE5 dias agoEmpresa Júnior — Universidade Federal do Acre
ACRE5 dias agoAtlética do Curso de Engenharia Civil — Universidade Federal do Acre
ACRE3 dias agoPrograma insere novos servidores no exercício de suas funções — Universidade Federal do Acre
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/u824415267/domains/acre.com.br/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 48
You must be logged in to post a comment Login