Football On Thanksgiving Day By The Numbers
Nov 21, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:37 am
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
by Andrew Pasquini – Sports 1140 KHTK
Football on Thanksgiving has been a tradition for the NFL since 1920 and the tradition continues this year with three games. The Chicago Bears will travel to Detroit to take on the Lions, Washington takes on the Dallas Cowboys, and the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints will close out the day. Here’s a look at the NFL on Thanksgiving by the numbers:
1920
The NFL began its tradition of Thanksgiving with a slate of six games that featured the Dayton Triangles vs the Elyria Athletics, the Chicago Boosters vs the Rochester Jeffersons, and the Detroit Heralds vs the Columbus Panhandles, which ended in a 0-0 tie.
1941-1944
There were no Thanksgiving games held these four years.
1945
The Detroit Lions hosted the Cleveland Rams starting the tradition of the Lions hosting the morning game on Thanksgiving Day. The Lions lost to the Rams, 28-21. The Lions hold a 37-39-2 record on Thanksgiving Day.
1970
The Dallas Cowboys joined the Detroit Lions as the only two teams to host a Thanksgiving game on a yearly basis, beating the Green Bay Packers, 16-3.
2006
Starting in 2006, the NFL added a night game to Thanksgiving, as part of their new weekly Thursday Night games. The first game was the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Denver Broncos.
6-1
The Philadelphia Eagles hold the best record on Thanksgiving Day games minimum of seven games. The Ravens, Panthers, Texans, and Saints are all undefeated on Thanksgiving but have only played a couple of games. The Jacksonville Jaguars have never played on Thanksgiving, making them the only team in the NFL not to play on Thanksgiving.
6
Six is the record for most touchdowns in a single Thanksgiving game, held by Ernie Nevers in 1924. Both Peyton Manning (2004) and Bob Griese (1977) threw for six touchdowns, which is the record for most touchdown passes in a single Thanksgiving game.
2,469
Matthew Stafford holds the record for most career passing yards on Thanksgiving with 2,469 in eight games. Tony Romo is second with 2,338.
