BroBible
The NFL has been playing games on Thanksgiving since its inception in 1920, and some teams have fared better than others when it comes to the contests that have unfolded during the holiday.
The Jaguars are the only NFL team that has never played on Thanksgiving, while the Buccaneers, Bengals, and Panthers have only been tapped for a single showdown.
There are some other franchises that have only had that opportunity a handful of times, and in my pursuit for a solid sample size, I’m only going to look at teams that have played on that date more than five times.
That leaves us with 19 franchises, and we’re going to kick things off by taking a look at the ones that have done the best.
Contrary to popular belief, Ben Franklin never actively lobbied for the turkey to be named America’s national bird over the bald eagle, although he did write a letter where he referred to the former as the “more respectable” option.
The team that is named after the animal that got the nod has performed better than any other on Turkey Day, and the Eagles were undefeated on Thanksgiving until having their perfect record spoiled against the Lions in 2015.
All but one of the games the Vikings have played on Thanksgiving have been on the road, but they’ve nonetheless done pretty well for themselves. Minnesota has beaten the Cowboys every time they’ve faced off in Dallas and still has a 3-2 edge on a Lions team that’s responsible for both of their losses.
The Titans lost their first two Thanksgiving games when they were still known as the Houston Oilers, but they’re currently riding a five-game winning streak.
The Dolphins initially had a 5-1 record on Thanksgiving, but things have been trending in the wrong direction for a Miami team that’s in the midst of a two-game skid with losses to the Cowboys in 2011 and the Packers in 2024.
It’s only natural that America’s Team has fared pretty well on Thanksgiving, and the team that trails only the Lions when it comes to the most games played on that day has most recently bounced back from a three-game skid with three consecutive victories.
Buffalo may be known for its chicken wings, but the Bills have earned the right to chomp down on a turkey leg more often than not and are also riding a three-game winning streak on Thanksgiving.
The 49ers lost the one and only Thanksgiving game they played at home when they hosted the Seahawks in 2014, but they got revenge after heading up to Seattle in 2023 to...
