Ranking the Best NFL Thanksgiving Games of All Time

Week 13 of the 2024 NFL campaign is a high-profile one, as it comes during the Thanksgiving holiday.

There are no byes, so all 32 teams will be in action on either Thursday, Friday, Sunday or Monday.

Thursday’s lineup features the Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions, New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers.

To get ready for the Turkey Day festivities, let’s take a look back at the 10 best Thanksgiving NFL games of all time.

No. 10: New York Giants 13, Detroit Lions 6 (1982)

If you like defensive struggles (as many people did back in the 80s), a 1982 Thanksgiving battle between the Lions and Giants was not one to be missed.

It was dominated by none other than second-year linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who had an interception, a sack, a forced fumble and a QB pressure that led to another interception.

As for Taylor’s own pick, he returned it 97 yards for the game-winning touchdown that broke a 6-6 tie in the fourth quarter. 

No. 9: Buffalo Bills 28, Detroit Lions 25 (2022)

Fast forward 40 years and Detroit came out on the losing end of another Thanksgiving thriller.

There were two lead changes and a tie during a wild fourth quarter that saw the Lions draw level at 25-25 with 23 seconds left on a Michael Badgley 51-yard field goal.

However, Josh Allen tossed a 36-yard strike to Stefon Diggs on the first play of the ensuing possession and that led to a Tyler Bass game winner for the Bills from 45 yards out.

No. 8: Green Bay Packers 44, Detroit Lions 40 (1986) 

The Lions also played the role of turkeys in 1986. Their offense certainly didn’t disappoint, but neither the defense nor special teams could help maintain a 37-23 third-quarter advantage.

After getting within three points, Green Bay forced a Detroit punt and Walter Stanley promptly returned it 83 yards for a touchdown with 41 seconds left. 

No. 7: Dallas Cowboys 42, Green Bay Packers 31 (1994)

Eight years later, the Packers were on the other end of a Thanksgiving shootout. They took leads of 17-3 in the second quarter and 24-13 in the third (both on touchdown passes from Brett Favre to Sterling Sharpe), but could not get across the finish line.

Jason Garrett led the comeback, as Dallas scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the second half. 

No. 6: Las Vegas Raiders 36, Dallas Cowboys 33 (OT) (2021) 

Three years ago another thriller saw the Cowboys suffer an OT loss inside Jerry World. It was the sixth - and remains the most recent - overtime game on Thanksgiving.

Dallas never led but twice tied the game in the fourth quarter, first with a Dak Prescott-to-Dalton Schultz TD plus two-point conversion and then on a 45-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein in the final seconds.

The ‘Boys got the ball first in OT, but a punt led to a Daniel Carlson game-winner for the Raiders.

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No. 5: Dallas Cowboys 24, Washington 23 (1974)

Not only was Washington the considerably superior team in 1974, but it also led 16-3 in the third quarter and saw Dallas QB Roger Staubach leave the game with an injury.

Against all odds, backup Clint Longley - a rookie - engineered an incredible comeback that ended in the form of a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson with 28 seconds remaining. 

No. 4: Miami Dolphins 16, Dallas Cowboys 14 (1993)

Perhaps the most infamous Thanksgiving moment ever saw the Cowboys come out on the wrong side of things. They had their 1993 game against Miami won after blocking a field goal with 15 seconds left.

Instead of letting it be a dead ball, however, Leon Lett tried to recover it - thus making it live. Lett slipped and fumbled the ball away, at which point the Dolphins recovered and were awarded another play.

Pete Stoyanovich promptly converted his second chance to win it for Miami. 

No. 3: Detroit Lions 19, Pittsburgh Steelers 16 (OT) (1998)

Not to be entirely outdone by Lett, Lions vs. Steelers in 1998 will also live on in infamy.

Pittsburgh forced OT against Detroit on a Norm Johnson field goal with four seconds remaining, however, that’s when things went haywire.

At the ensuing coin toss Jerome Bettis called tails, but head referee Phil Luckett thought Bettis said heads. Thus the Lions got the ball when they probably shouldn’t have and immediately drove down the field for a Jason Hanson game winner.

No. 2: Minnesota Vikings 46, Dallas Cowboys 36 (1998)

1998 has undoubtedly produced the most memorable Thanksgiving football and not just because of Lions vs. Steelers. That is joined in Turkey Day lore by one of the most amazing individual performances of all time.

Rookie WR Randy Moss made only three catches, but all three went for touchdowns and for a total of 163 yards. Minnesota led wire-to-wire even though Dallas RB Emmitt Smith also scored three TDs.

No. 1: Chicago Bears 23, Detroit Lions 17 (OT) (1980)

The Bears improbably scored touchdowns on back-to-back plays to complete an incredible Thanksgiving comeback against the Lions.

After trailing 17-3 in the fourth quarter, Chicago QB Vince Evans ran in a game-tying TD as time expired in regulation.

Dave Williams then returned the opening kickoff of overtime for a 95-yard touchdown, ending the game in sudden fashion.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.