NFL Thanksgiving Day Schedule & Open Thread

It’s time for Turkey Day, which means a full day of football across the NFL.

Break out the stretchy pants. It’s time for Thanksgiving football!

This year’s three games have very different levels of intrigue. The early game on the 2021 Thanksgiving Day schedule is an ugly NFC North matchup. Will Matt Nagy be fired? Will the Lions ever win a game this season? Those are basically the only questions worth asking at this point, and you can safely put this game on in the background while cooking Thanksgiving dinner in the early afternoon.

The afternoon game today is much more interesting, as the Dallas Cowboys host the Las Vegas Raiders. Both teams are well in the playoff race, with Dallas cruising towards an NFC East title and the Raiders one game back of an AFC Wild Card spot. The Cowboys will be down to a skeleton crew at wide receiver, however, with CeeDee Lamb out with a concussion and Amari Cooper out on the COVID-19 list. That could keep this game a bit lower-scoring, but Dallas is still likely to be able to move the football against the Raiders’ questionable defense.

Finally, the nightcap sees another inter-conference matchup, as the suddenly slumping Buffalo Bills head South to play the New Orleans Saints. Buffalo has slipped a half-game behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East thanks to losses in three of their last five games, including an absolute drubbing by Jonathan Taylor and the Colts a week ago. The Saints are 5-5, meanwhile, and tied with the Vikings for the 6th and 7th spots in the NFC at present. A win for them would go a long way towards solidifying them in playoff position.

Join us throughout the day here to discuss all the games, and from all of us at Acme Packing Company, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving!

Game 1: Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions

Kickoff Time: 12:30 PM ET (11:30 AM CT)
Venue: Ford Field
City: Detroit, Michigan

TV Network: FOX
Commentators: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi

Game 2: Las Vegas Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys

Kickoff Time: 4:30 PM ET (3:30 PM CT)
Venue: AT&T Stadium
City: Arlington, Texas

TV Network: CBS
Commentators: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson

Game 3: Buffalo Bills vs. New Orleans Saints

Kickoff Time: 8:20 PM ET (7:20 PM CT)
Venue: Caesars Superdome
City: New Orleans, Louisiana

TV Network: NBC
Commentators: Mike Tirico, Drew Brees, Michele Tafoya