Thanksgiving NFL Schedule 2024: Previewing Cowboys, Lions & Turkey Day Games
The 2024 NFL schedule was officially released on Wednesday, and this year's slate includes a trio of intriguing games for Thanksgiving Day.
As per tradition, the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions will both host games in the afternoon before giving way to the evening's nightcap.
This year, the Chicago Bears will visit the Lions at 12:30 p.m. ET (CBS), while the New York Giants will visit the Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. ET (Fox). The Green Bay Packers will then play host to the Miami Dolphins at 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC) to end the festivities.
Here's a game-by-game look at this year's Thanksgiving schedule.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
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Watching the Lions on Thanksgiving hasn't always been a treat, and Detroit hasn't won on the holiday since beating the Minnesota Vikings in 2016. However, the Lions are now one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
Last year saw the Lions win their first playoff game since 1991, and they pushed all the way into the NFC Championship Game. Detroit came within a few plays of knocking off the San Francisco 49ers in that one, though its defense couldn't prevent Brock Purdy from mounting a comeback.
Fortunately, the Lions put some effort into improving their secondary this offseason, trading for cornerback Carlton Davis and using their first two draft picks on corners Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Detroit kept most of its core intact during free agency and recently reached a long-term extension with quarterback Jared Goff.
"He's earned an extension," Lions general manager Brad Holmes told 97.1 The Ticket's Costa and Jansen shortly before the deal got done. "It's important, it's a high priority for us."
Detroit also extended standout receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and offensive tackle Penei Sewell this offseason.
The Lions were legitimate Super Bowl contenders last year, and if anything, they're a more complete team now.
The Bears haven't reached the postseason since the 2020 season, but they're sure to generate plenty of buzz in 2024. Chicago used the first overall pick in last month's draft on former USC star Caleb Williams, and he's set to command a very impressive offense.
The Bears already had playmakers in D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet and Khalil Herbert. To that unit, they added Pro Bowl wideout Keenan Allen, Pro Bowl running back D'Andre Swift and rookie receiver Rome Odunze.
Williams was widely considered to be a "can't-miss" quarterback prospect and an upgrade over 2023 starter Justin Fields. The Lions, though, had their fair share of issues with Fields and the Bears last year.
Chicago thumped Detroit 28-13 in their second meeting last season, and the Lions had to overcome a 12-point deficit in the 4th quarter to win the first. Rivalry games are always fun, and this one could be sensational.
The Bears lead the all-time series 105-78-5.
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
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The Cowboys were one of the more impressive teams during the 2023 regular season. After winning 12 games and the NFC East, however, Dallas got embarrassed 48-32 in the wild-card round.
Unfortunately, it's hard to say that the Cowboys have gotten better since their postseason run came to an end. Dallas parted with key contributors like Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard, Tyler Biadasz, Dorance Armstrong and Johnathan Hankins while doing nothing in free agency to replace them.
Dallas' "big" additions in free agency were linebacker Eric Kendricks and former starting running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The Cowboys will likely need to lean heavily on rookies like offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, pass-rusher Marshawn Kneeland and center Cooper Beebe.
On a positive note, Dallas is still a premier franchise with key building blocks like quarterback Dak Prescott, wideout CeeDee Lamb, pass-rusher Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs at its core. Of course, Prescott and Lamb are both set to be free agents in 2025, while Diggs is coming off a torn ACL.
Depending on how things unfold with Diggs' recovery and extension talks in the coming months, these could still be relevant storylines in late November.
The Cowboys are also looking for their third consecutive win on Thanksgiving.
The Giants, who lost 28-20 to the Cowboys two years ago on Thanksgiving, are coming off a more lackluster season. New York won just six games in 2023, lost quarterback Daniel Jones to a torn ACL and then parted with Saquon Barkley in free agency.
However, the Giants also added a bevy of talent this offseason, including pass-rusher Brian Burns and rookie receiver Malik Nabers. If Jones can get and stay healthy and return to the form he showed during New York's 2022 playoff run, this could become a very interesting matchup.
Fans can get an early look at New York's 100th NFL season this summer. The league announced on Wednesday that the Giants will be the featured subject of HBO's Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants.
The Cowboys have won six straight meetings against their rivals and lead the all-time series 75-47-2.
Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers
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Like the Lions, the Packers had a breakthrough season in 2023, culminating with a huge win over the Cowboys.
Green Bay's season was a bit more surprising, however, as no one was quite sure what to expect in Jordan Love's first full season as the starter. The Packers traded Aaron Rodgers during the 2023 offseason and entered Week 1 with the league's youngest roster.
Love ended up playing like a worthy successor to Rodgers, despite some early struggles. He was electric down the stretch and finished with 31 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions and a 96.1 passer rating.
With Love entering the final year of his contract, his inevitable payday could be a huge talking point on Thanksgiving.
The Packers should also be firmly in the playoff race by late November. The team didn't lose many key contributors in free agency and added standout veterans like running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney.
Green Bay did, however, release longtime starting running back Aaron Jones—who was subsequently signed by the rival Vikings—after adding Jacobs.
The Packers are no strangers to Thanksgiving games, having played the Lions on 22 occasions and beating them 29-22 in last year's matchup. Green Bay has played in 37 Thanksgiving games in total.
The Dolphins haven't won a postseason contest since 2000, but they've been one of the league's most exciting teams in recent years because of their offense.
Tua Tagovailoa has developed into a high-level quarterback under head coach Mike McDaniel, while speedy playmakers like Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane have made for one explosive attack. Miami added breakaway threats Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie running back Jaylen Wright to that group this offseason.
A showdown between Love and Tagovailoa should make for some exhilarating prime-time action, especially if both teams are vying for playoff positioning.
Since the Packers and Dolphins play in different conferences, they don't have an extensive head-to-head history. They did face off in 2022, however, a game Green Bay won 26-20.
The Dolphins have appeared in seven Thanksgiving games but last appeared in 2011, a 20-19 loss to the Cowboys.
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