NFL Thanksgiving football schedule 2023: The NFL announces holiday games and opponents for the Cowboys and Lions.
The NFL is now as much a part of Thanksgiving history as the pilgrims and the turkey dinner.
And seeing the holiday matchups for Thanksgiving and Christmas is one of the most anticipated aspects of the league’s annual schedule release.
Thanksgiving afternoon and evening will include, of course, turkey and all the trimmings, but also Detroit and Dallas, and the league has assembled quite the charcuterie board with their opponents.
After all of that, there’s a tasty prime-time nightcap.
The NFL’s Thanksgiving schedule is quite varied. The Lions and Cowboys will each make another appearance to add to their historic runs, and they’ll be joined this year by historical division rivals Green Bay, which has a new quarterback, and Washington, which is looking for a franchise quarterback.
The Lions are playing the Packers in two of their three Thursday games this season, one of which is their annual Turkey Day appearance. In Week 4, the NFC North rivals will meet in Green Bay.
After trading Aaron Rodgers to the Jets, the Packers are a wild card. Green Bay has signed fourth-year pro Jordan Love to replace the four-time MVP.
The Lions, despite being the division favorite, haven’t won a Thanksgiving game in six years. Last year, they came close but were defeated by the Bills 28-25 on a last-second field goal.
These teams last competed in this holiday special in 2013. The Lions defeated the Packers 40-10.
The Commanders, like the Packers, are struggling with their quarterback situation. They’re attempting to build a winner while competing in a division that has emerged from the abyss in recent years.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, are looking to make a comeback after going 12-5 and finishing second in the NFC East to the Eagles last season.
Under the Lumen Field lights, the final Thanksgiving Day matchup pits NFC West heavyweights against one another.
San Francisco considers itself a Super Bowl contender and will expect a strong performance against Geno Smith and Seattle. The Seahawks, who have their own postseason hopes, have played four Turkey Day games, the most recent in 2014. The Legion of Boom was on fire that day, thrashing a potent 49ers offense 19-3 in Seattle.
The Lions and Cowboys are both regulars on the Thanksgiving Day schedule.
The Lions established the custom in 1934. It will be their 78th consecutive Thanksgiving game in 2023. They did not play from 1939 to 1944 due to World War II.
The idea for a game on Thanksgiving Day came from then-Lions owner George A. Richards. He was attempting to divert attention away from the Tigers, Detroit’s most popular sports team at the time.
On Thanksgiving, the Lions are 37-43-2. Their 2022 meeting ended in heartbreak when the Bills won 28-25 on a last-second field goal. In the twenty-first century, Detroit has only won six Thanksgiving Day games.
In 1966, the Cowboys joined the Lions on the holiday schedule for the same reason Richards did: to be thrust into the national spotlight. Their match in 2023 will be their 56th appearance. They were absent in 1975 and 1977 as the St. Louis Cardinals attempted to gain traction on the day. Dallas reclaimed the slot after Big Red failed to do so.
The Lions are 37-43-2 on Thanksgiving. Their 2022 meeting ended in heartbreak as the Bills won 28-25 on a last-second field goal. In the twenty-first century, Detroit has won only six Thanksgiving Day games.
The Cowboys joined the Lions on the holiday schedule in 1966 for the same reason Richards did: to be thrust into the national spotlight. Their 56th appearance will be in 2023. They sat out in 1975 and 1977 as the St. Louis Cardinals attempted to gain traction on the day. Big Red failed to do so, and Dallas reclaimed the slot.
The Jaguars are the only team that has not been called to play a Thanksgiving Day game. With the team now under Trevor Lawrence’s ownership, Jags fans may soon have the opportunity to eat mashed potatoes and gravy while watching their team play.
The Panthers, Bengals, and Buccaneers have all made only one appearance. Eleven of the 32 NFL teams have played on Thanksgiving no more than five times.
Here is the list of Thanksgiving game appearances:
