NFL Thanksgiving review: Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers impress

NFL fans hoping to be entertained on Thanksgiving were not disappointed as all three Turkey Day games hit the over, although the games themselves could have been more competitive.

The early matchup brought an upset as the Detroit Lions lost at home to the Green Bay Packers having been a heavy favorite, but the later games produced dominant wins for NFC powerhouses the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers.

Let's take a look at each game and what the performances mean for the teams over the rest of the season.

Packers upset Lions at Ford Field

The Lions had the best record of the six teams in action on Thanksgiving as their game against the Packers in front of an expectant Ford Field crowd kicked off, but the Lions could not win the game as they lost 29-22.

The home side were never quite able to recover from a lightning-fast start by the Packers, who led 20-6 after the first quarter. The teams exchanged early touchdowns as Jayden Reed opened the scoring for the Packers and Lions tight end Sam LaPorta answered quickly.

However, two quick touchdowns for the Packers via a Tucker Kraft reception and a fumble return by Jonathan Owens put Green Bay firmly in the driver's seat.

The Lions made the score more respectable with a last-minute TD by Josh Reynolds, but there was no denying that it was a disappointing performance from Detroit.

The Lions (8-3) still have a healthy two-game lead over the 6-5 Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North and are -800 to finish first in the division.

Games against the Saints, Bears and Broncos next should give them a good chance to get back on track before a tough final run that sees them facing the Vikings twice either side of a matchup with Dallas that could be vital in terms of NFC playoff seeding.

The Lions are now +1000 for the NFL Championship and +500 to win the NFC.

It was an impressive and important win for the Packers, whose thoughts would have had to turn to next season had they fallen to 4-7, but at 5-6 they are far from out of the hunt for a wild-card place in the NFC, currently ranking just outside in 8th.

They are +130 to make the playoffs this season and -160 to miss out. They have another tough test in their next game, however, as they host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13.

Cowboys dominate against Commanders

The Cowboys were double-digit favorites against the Washington Commanders but the line could have been vastly higher and they would still have covered.

Dallas moved to 8-3 on the season with a 45-10 walloping of the Commanders, who fell to 4-8 on the year.

NFL history was made in the game, too, as Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland capped off the beatdown with a 63-yard interception-return touchdown. It was his fifth pick-six of the season, which has never been done by one player before, and he still has six games of the regular-season left to add to his tally.

The Commanders' offense was effective at moving the ball and quarterback Sam Howell had 300 passing yards, but they were unable to convert some nice plays into points and their ineffective defense allowed Dallas to quickly pull clear,

Five Cowboys offensive players reached the end zone in addition to Bland's defensive score, as QB Dak Prescott passed for 331 yards and four touchdowns.

The Cowboys now have a 5-0 home record but are still chasing the 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East and the teams' meeting in Week 14 should be one to savor.

The Cowboys are +625 to win the division and +900 for the NFL Championship, while Bland is +6600 to be named Defensive Player of the Year.

The Commanders are out to +2000 to make the playoffs after losing for the third straight game.

49ers thankful for big divisional win

The 49ers appear to be fully recovered from their dip in form in the second half of October, when they lost successive games to the Browns, Vikings and Bengals.

Thursday's 31-13 road win at Seattle followed victories over Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, all by double-digit margins, and they again look a dominant force in the NFC.

The 49ers offense looks impossible to stop when everything is working well and running back Christan McCaffrey rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks, while the Niners defense sacked Seattle QB Geno Smith six times.

The Seahawks trailed 24-3 at halftime, but got back in the game with a pick-six from Jordyn Brooks and a field goal reduced the 49ers' lead to 11 heading into the fourth quarter.

However, the home team's challenge petered out and a Brandon Aiyuk touchdown reception took the 49ers clear again.

San Francisco now joins Kansas City and Philadelphia as a co-favorite for the NFL Championship at +450 and is +200 to win the NFC (also the same price as the Eagles).

The Seahawks are out to +900 to win the NFC West after a costly head-to-head loss.