NFL Predictions for Thanksgiving 2010
With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, we are looking forward to two things: turkey and football.
As an anual NFL tradition, there are three games on Turkey Day every year. This year we have three not-so-great-looking games. On CBS at 12:30 p.m., Tom Brady and the Patriots take on Calvin Johnson and the Lions in Detroit.
Then at 4 p.m. on Fox, the Saints will try and get revenge on the Cowboys from last year when Dallas gave the Super Bowl champs their first loss. At 8:20 p.m. on NFL Network, the underachieving Bengals take on Mark Sanchez and the Jets.
It should be a great day of football as always on Thanksgiving. Here are my predictions for the three football games on Thanksgiving.
Lions and Cowboys Thanksgiving Controversy
1 of 5
While it has remained a tradition to keep the games in their host cities every season, in recent years NFL fans as well as other teams have wanted the Thanksgiving games rotated on an annual basis. The NFL adopted a compromise position in 2006 when it added the third game to NFL Network, rotated on an annual basis, allowing the Lions and Cowboys to keep their home games.
The issue came up again in 2008, albeit solely focusing on the Lions, heading into that year's Thanksgiving games. Leading into the game, there was already some popular support for removing the Lions from the Thanksgiving game and replacing it with a game with more of a playoff impact, either through rotation like the night game or one that is flexibly scheduled.
The Lions matchup was with the Titans, whose 10-0 start had come to an end in their regular Sunday game that week to the Jets. The Lions were winless heading into the game, and by the end of the season, had become the first NFL team go winless in a season since the 1976 Buccaneers finished 0–14.
The team has also had three local blackouts heading into the game, the first non-sellouts for the team since 2001, and they required an extension to sell out the Thanksgiving game in time for it to be televised locally.
Indeed, the Titans improved to 11–1 for the year by crushing the Lions 47–10, dropping the Lions to 0–12 and handing them their worst loss ever (measured by margin of loss, 37 points) on Thanksgiving.
Following the 2008 season, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the Lions would be permitted to keep their Thanksgiving game for at least the 2009 season. Though league officials reserved the right to revisit the situation, this did not occur, and the Lions played on Thanksgiving as usual.
Lions president Tom Lewand claims that their game is not in jeopardy, the controversy is media-generated and that the owners have never seriously talked about removing them; however, this contradicts Goodell, who stated that "it's come up a few times."
On March 23, 2009, the league owners officially kept the Lions on the Thanksgiving game with an announcement that the Lions would host the Packers on Nov. 26.
If a change were to be made, under current television contracts with CBS and Fox (which expire after the 2013 season), the early game (with a 12:30 p.m. start time) would have to be hosted by a team in the Eastern time zone and in the United States (if it were to be moved back a half hour, the Central time zone would also be eligible to host, but because of numerous issues including extended halftime shows, this is unlikely; the annual game in Toronto is also out of the running because the date of American Thanksgiving is not a holiday in Canada).
Their opponent would have to be of the opposite conference of the one playing the Cowboys (as it is today). Furthermore, such a move would leave the Dallas Cowboys as the only team to always play on Thanksgiving, and with the Cowboys being the league's biggest television draw, there have been far fewer public calls to remove them.
SI.com columnist Peter King had originally speculated during the controversy that when the current schedule rotation ends after 2009, both the Cowboys' and Lions' home Thanksgiving games would be reassessed by the league and possibly revoked—the Lions' for their poor performance, and the Cowboys' because of a perceived unfair home-field advantage that requires the visiting team to both travel and prepare for a game only four days after their previous one. This never materialized, and the 2010 season featured no changes to the permanent hosting.
Patriots vs. Lions
2 of 5
Detroit: Coming off a loss to the previously winless Bills, the Lions lost to the Cowboys on Sunday. After losing three straight games that they should have won, the Lions are in desperation mode.
New England: What a win against the Colts. Nonetheless, the Patriots face a tough task with three days off, plus going on a plane.
Prediction: After coming off a win against the struggling Colts, the Patriots might be looking at this as a pushover game, with the Jets coming up on Dec. 6. But the Patriots will get it done.
Patriots 27, Lions 17
Saints vs. Cowboys
3 of 5
New Orleans: After coming off a loss against the Browns, the Saints beat the Panthers and Seahawks in dominating fashion. Now they play the suddenly hot Cowboys in their first Thanksgiving game.
Dallas: Two in a row for the Cowboys against the Giants and Lions has the Cowboys in a spot to be a spoiler for the rest of the year.
Prediction: Two hot teams going at each other here, but the Saints will get it done.
Saints 31, Cowboys 28
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Bengals vs. Jets
4 of 5
Cincinnati: The most underachieving team in the AFC got even worse. At home they were winning by 20 over the Bills and they lost. 49-31. What???????
New York: Three fantastic finishes over the Lions, Browns and Texans have the Jets at 8-2 and in first place in the AFC East.
Prediction: The Jets finally get the team they need to face after three heart attack-inducing games.
Bengals 14, Jets 34
Other Predictions for Week 12
5 of 5
Jaguars @ Giants: Giants win
Steelers @ Bills: Steelers win
Vikings @ Redskins: Redskins win
Panthers @ Browns: Browns win
Game of the week, Packers @ Falcons: Falcons win
Eagles @ Bears: Eagles win
Rams @ Broncos: Rams win
Buccaneers @ Ravens: Ravens win
Sunday Night Football, Chargers @ Colts: Colts win
Monday Night Football, 49ers @ Cardinals: Cardinals win
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")