Ahead of the upcoming NFL Thanksgiving games, we’re answering the question of why do the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys always play on this date every year?
Why Do The Detroit Lions And Dallas Cowboys Always Play On NFL Thanksgiving?
NFL Thanksgiving features an exciting slate of matchups including Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks.
NFL fans might have noticed over the years that the Lions and Cowboys host games on every Thanksgiving. But why is that the case?
Detroit have hosted Thanksgiving Day games for the longest of any franchise in the league. Dating all the way back to 1934 – 89 years ago – the Lions began the tradition against the Chicago Bears.
Then-team owner George A. Richards believed that hosting a game on the national holiday would get more people inside the stadium and it turned out to be a huge success, becoming a staple tradition of the NFL ever since.
Detroit, who have lost each matchup on this day since 2016, will fancy their chances of undoing the streak against Green Bay. They enter with a record of 8-2, currently the second-best in the league.
If the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, the Lions will go into their matchup against the Packers with the joint-best record in the NFL.
DAVID MONTGOMERY FOR THE LEAD AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM
📺: #CHIvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/jckqnJwdb2 pic.twitter.com/Im20i7JT3Z— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2023
As for the Dallas Cowboys, who host the Commanders in Arlington, they are much newer to the Thanksgiving tradition having began playing on this day in 1966. The team’s former GM Tex Schramm wanted to increase publicity by playing on the nationwide holiday.
Over 80,000 supporters attended the Cowboys’ first Thanksgiving clash and they’ve played on the date in every year since – excluding 1975 and 1977 when the St. Louis Cardinals replaced Dallas as a host team.
Dallas resumed hosting duties due to the Cardinals’ consistently low attendance and the NFL hasn’t looked back. Detroit always occupy the early time slot and Dallas take the late afternoon slot.
In 2006, the NFL introduced a third Thanksgiving game to be played on prime time. There are no fixed teams for this slot, so the league decides who plays – with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks going head-to-head this year.
THE PICK-6 KING DARON BLAND DOES IT AGAIN.
📺: #DALvsCAR on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/jckqnJwdb2 pic.twitter.com/GQhL47ZBnd— NFL (@NFL) November 19, 2023
NFL Thanksgiving Schedule and TV Channels
- Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions: 12:30pm ET on FOX
- Washington Commanders @ Dallas Cowboys: 4:30pm ET on CBS
- San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks: 8:20pm ET on NBC
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