One Thing Each NFL Team Should Be Thankful for

This Thursday, Americans will get together in their homes and communities with friends and family to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

A tribute to the unlikely peaceful exchange between America's early English colonists and the Native American tribes near Plymouth Rock, we now use the holiday weekend to think about the many things we are grateful for. 

One part of many family's holiday traditions is watching NFL football, and no matter which side you support, there is definitely something each team can be thankful for this weekend.

Here is one thing (sometimes two things) each NFL team should feel thankful for...

Arizona Cardinals: Drafting Patrick Peterson

While few things have gone right for the Arizona Cardinals this season, one thing the team they should be very thankful is the drafting of cornerback Patrick Peterson. The LSU product has been one of the breakout stars of the season, helping in both the defense and special teams, where he has contributed three punt return touchdowns (including this special 99-yard overtime game winner against the St. Louis Rams).

Peterson should find himself the foundation in the desert for years to come.  

Also thankful for: Larry Fitzgerald, Not giving up more pieces to acquire quarterback Kevin Kolb

Atlanta Falcons: Having a Coach with Moxie

The Atlanta Falcons, sitting at 6-4, should be thankful for the decision-making of head coach Mike Smith. 

It may not have worked, but put me down as a fan of Smith's call to go for it on a decisive fourth and one against division rival New Orleans Saints. While it's easy to say it's a huge sign of disrespect to the defense to not get them on the field, I'd like to think it's a bigger rip on your offense to suggest that they can't move the ball 12 inches. (Needless to say, they might have wanted to try a more ambitious play than a run up the middle).

As Nate Jackson argues for Deadspin, football can't always be a game of numbers (unless it's fantasy football). Sometimes you take big risks, and over the course of the year those decisions can pay off. 

Baltimore Ravens: Torrey Smith

The Baltimore Ravens have been desperate for a wide receiver who can stretch the field, and it appears they have found that in rookie Torrey Smith. The team's second leading receiver, Smith has totaled 590 yards and five touchdowns since his early season explosion against the St. Louis Rams (where he caught three touchdowns in the first half).

With the team set to make a deep playoff run, having somebody like Smith will make their lives much easier.  

Buffalo Bills: Low Expectations

While fans of the Buffalo Bills may be disappointed about the team's recent performance (1-4 in their last five games), they may find solace in the fact their team will fit in with the underperforming squads of the past few seasons.

This season had all the hallmarks of being different. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was sensational right until the point he signed a big contract extension, and running back Fred Jackson has been exceptional.

Despite the early success, they eventually fell back to where many expected them to be before the season started. At 5-5, they are a long way from making their long-awaited return to the playoffs.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton

The Carolina Panthers have a lot of holes to fill in their roster, but they have to be thrilled with the progress made this season by rookie quarterback Cam Newton.

Having already broken the rookie record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, Newton has one challenge in the final weeks of the year: turn the impressive stat sheet numbers into wins.

If the Panthers can actually notch a few W's to wrap up the year, the team will definitely have a lot to be thankful for. 

Chicago Bears: The Short Memory of Opposing Punters

When opposing punters kick to Chicago Bears Devin Hester, they put their team at major risk of getting scored on. Despite this reality, it seems there is an endless supply of kickers willing to make that mistake.

As the Bears prepare for life without quarterback Jay Cutler, they may want to draw up a way to make their entire offense reliant on Devin Hester punt returns. 

Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton

Few people around the league expected Andy Dalton to be so impressive in his rookie campaign, and even fewer people expected the Bengals to be winners. Dalton and the Bengals have followed through on both points.

Paired with the exceptional wide receiver A.J. Green, Dalton has proven to have all the talents necessary to be successful, and for the most part has been effective in limiting his mistakes and turnovers.

Only one game behind the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals will have a little more work to put the finishing touches on a stunning turn around season.

Cleveland Browns: High Draft Picks

Things haven't worked as planned for the Cleveland Browns this season, but it's clear the team will be grateful for the high draft picks set to come its way for the 2012 draft.

The team has struggles throughout its offense and hurts for lacking a proven wide receiver option. They may also be needing a new running back, depending on how they work with the frequently injured Peyton Hillis. 

For now, the team may need to rethink this winning thing they tried this past Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It may cost them a draft spot or two...

Dallas Cowboys: DeMarco Murray

The Dallas Cowboys have exploded back into contention in the tightly contested NFC East, and a lot of that has stemmed from the excellent play of rookie running back DeMarco Murray.

Picked up in the third round, Murray has tallied 747 yards in only 10 games, giving the Cowboys an option they didn't have early in the season. His 253 yards in the game against the St. Louis Rams was a team record, previously set by Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.

With the race coming down to the line, there's no doubt they'll be putting a lot of their playoff hopes on the excellent rookie. He's that good.

Denver Broncos: John Fox

He may not have personally picked to use quarterback Tim Tebow, but the Denver Broncos have to be pretty thankful to head coach John Fox for reworking the offense to take advantage of his quarterback's skills.

Eschewing traditional quarterback responsibilities like consistent passing to allow for more flexible rushing options, the team has rolled to an excellent 4-1 record in Tebow's first five games starting this season.

He's also inspired the defense to play at a higher level during the streak as well.

Detroit Lions: Relevancy

In the first time in what has to be forever, the Thanksgiving matchup between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers should be interesting.

Sitting at 7-3, the team now finds itself right in the middle of the NFC playoff hunt, and that success is thanks to both the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford and some very impressive defensive play.

The team, after a small drop-off in October, put together a very complete performance against the Carolina Panthers. There's no doubt the Lions hope they can repeat that kind of offensive whirlwind against the Packers.

Green Bay Packers: Perfection

More than halfway along with a perfect record, the red-hot Green Bay Packers have to be impressed with what they've seen from their entire roster.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been about as good as a quarterback can be, and the defense has been good enough to keep the team rolling. 

It'll be tough to imagine the kind of effort that will be needed to beat the Packers this year, but they will surely get a big challenge from their division rival Detroit Lions Thursday. 

Houston Texans: Having a Strong Running Game

The Houston Texans may not be happy with the loss of starting quarterback Matt Schaub, but the team's outlook is greatly benefitted thanks to the team's impressive collection of running backs.

Running backs Arian Foster and Ben Tate have allowed the Texans to have the second best rushing attack in the league and will take the pressure off incoming starter Matt Leinart.

It may not be the team's ideal situation to drop in quality in the passing game, but any loss in that portion of the game will surely be made up by the team's stellar ground attack.

Indianapolis Colts: The Availability of Andrew Luck

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning's injury is more serious than most people expected, and the Colts have been struggling majorly so far this season (they are on track to go winless barring a major improvement in play). 

With that said, the silver lining in this situation is the team's likelihood it will gain the first overall pick in next year's draft, and with that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

While the team may have a difficult decision in balancing the potential of Luck and the future health of Manning, they will surely find themselves with a solid quarterback situation next season.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew

The Jacksonville Jaguars may not be all hot this season, but the team should be thankful for the work of running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew has been dominating and is now second in the league with his 941 rushing yards.

For a team that's rebuilding rapidly (rookie Blaine Gabbert has shown some solid signs of improvement), it's good for the Jaguars to know that they should be able to count on some quality production from their ground game for the next few seasons. 

Kansas City Chiefs: Todd Haley's Play Calling

The Kansas City Chiefs may be struggling (that loss to the New England Patriots Monday night was embarrasing), but fans have to appreciate the risky playcalling of head coach Todd Haley. 

In addition to showing an addiction to calling blitzes, Haley has also shown a fondness for the unusually timed onside kick. The offense might not be able to take advantage of some of these recovery opportunities, but it's good to see a coach willing to take some chances.

Even with injuries mounting and the team's offense, defense, and special teams sputtering, the Chiefs will be interesting to watch due to Haley's bold (read: crazy) calls from the sideline. 

Miami Dolphins: Grit

The Miami Dolphins have shown plenty of grit (and totally blown their draft positioning) with their play the last few weeks. Winless into November, the team has won their last three with dominating performances over the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills. Quarterback Matt Moore has led the charge, playing nearly mistake-free football during the run. 

It may not be a murderer's row slate of games, but for a team that hadn't had much success the past few weeks have to feel pretty good. 

Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder

The present may be dim, but the future is very much bright for the Minnesota Vikings thanks to their stellar rookie quarterback Christian Ponder. Taking over for the beleaguered Donovan McNabb, Ponder has shown plenty of promise in his first few games.

While he clearly has plenty of learning to do, the growth of Ponder (and the great play of running back Adrian Peterson) should ensure that this team's offense is heading in the right direction in the next few seasons.

New England Patriots: Tom Brady

The New England Patriots have seemed a little slower this season (really due to their less than stellar defense), but that has nothing to do with the stellar play of quarterback Tom Brady.

Brady, who, like Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, is on pace to shatter Dan Marino's single season passing record, has found his success in distributing the ball to several different receivers.

Brady has found his biggest success connecting with his tight ends, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski, who have a real knack for getting unusually open. Wide receiver Wes Welker has also been a beneficiary, as he is having a career year (although he confusingly only had two catches Monday against the Kansas City Chiefs).

As the Patriots look for another deep playoff run, all eyes will be on Brady to turn in more great performances.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees

The New Orleans Saints are the best in the NFC South, and a lot of that has to do with the impressive play of their quarterback Drew Brees.

One of three quarterbacks on track to break the passing yard mark of the great Dan Marino (Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are the others), Brees has put together one his best seasons as a pro.

Though the team has been far from perfect this season (check their loss to the St. Louis Rams), any success this team will have will flow capably through the hands of Brees.

New York Giants: Eli Manning

The New York Giants are tied atop the NFC East, and that success has been possible largely thanks to the play of quarterback Eli Manning. 

He's put together one of the top passer rating numbers in the league and has organized late rallies in five of the team's six wins. 

He may not be in the NFL's elite class of passers, but Manning has shown he is more than capable of putting together some very solid wins.

New York Jets: Rex Ryan

For this one, all NFL fans should be thankful that there is a coach with the candor of New York Jets' Rex Ryan. When his team's doing well, he has no problem hyping them up. He's also not afraid to call out his team or quarterback Mark Sanchez when they're down.

However, both Ryan and the league would be thankful if he avoided a fiasco like the one that developed last week. Heckled by a fan, Ryan made sure he got in a full rebuttal (with plenty of four letter words thrown in). For the exchange, Ryan was fined a whopping $75,000.

Oakland Raiders: Hue Jackson

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so the Oakland Raiders have to be grateful that their head coach Hue Jackson was willing to go all out to find a high quality replacement for injured quarterback Jason Campbell in Carson Palmer. 

Going against backup Kyle Boller, Jackson spent a first round pick in 2012 and conditional second round pick in 2013 to get the veteran from the Cincinnati Bengals, who had been languishing in personal exile from the game up until that point.

While the initial results weren't pretty (especially his three picks in his first outing against the Kansas City Chiefs), both the Raiders and Palmer have stepped their game up to win the past two games. 

Philadelphia Eagles: LeSean McCoy

Not everything has been going well for the Philadelphia Eagles this season, but they should be more than thankful for the kind of effort they have received from running back LeSean McCoy. 

Now leading the league in rushing, McCoy has been a bright spot for an offense that has found itself beset by both injuries and dumb mistakes (looking at you DeSean Jackson). 

While the odds of the team making the playoffs are miniscule, they would have no chance of that success if not for McCoy's inspired play.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of a tight division race with rival Baltimore Ravens, and it's tough to imagine this team having that kind of success without the leadership of Mike Tomlin.

While the team struggled against the Ravens, two of their three losses on the year have been by less than one score. Otherwise, the Steelers have cruised through most of their schedule, including a nice four-game win streak in October. 

Coming off the bye week, they will also be thankful they have a soft matchup against the battered Kansas City Chiefs Sunday.

San Diego Chargers: Finding a Scapegoat

The San Diego Chargers have assembled an excellent group of talent, but for some reason, the team has not been able to put up the wins. After years of underperforming, someone has to take the blame.

That blame will be put solely on head coach Norv Turner. Not that he fumbled away a snap that would have set up a game winning field goal. Or allowed the Chicago Bears to drop 31 points last Sunday (despite a broken thumb from their quarterback Jay Cutler).

Nope. It's clearly all on Norv Turner.

San Francisco 49ers: Hiring Jim Harbaugh

Few things have been a bigger surprise in the NFL this season than the runaway success of the San Francisco 49ers. That success has to be directly linked to new coach Jim Harbaugh.

At 9-1, the Niners have an equal amount of wins as the rest of the division.

Coming in from Stanford, Harbaugh was pivotal in getting improved play from the much-maligned quarterback Alex Smith and forming a defense that has put up a remarkable turnover ratio of +17 (the best in the league.)

The team now has a juicy Thanksgiving matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, coached by his brother John Harbaugh.

Seattle Seahawks: Sidney Rice

He may have been struggling with injuries for the first part of the season, but the Seattle Seahawks have to be thankful for the production of wide receiver Sidney Rice.

Even as quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has proven to be a disappointment, Rice has put up respectable reception and yardage numbers. He stepped up this past week, throwing a 55-yard completion to fellow wide receiver Mike Williams.

For what was the Seahawk's major offseason acquisition, Rice has shown that he will be a major producer for years to come. 

St. Louis Rams: Steven Jackson

Things have been pretty rough for the St. Louis Rams this year, but one player that's been almost better than ever has been running back Steven Jackson.

Even as team's have zeroed in on his production, Jackson has been able to average more than 80 yards a game (that includes his 56 yard performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on only two rushes).

He's been fighting through injuries for most of the season, but it's clear there's almost no way to hold Jackson down.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Short Memories

I've been very impressed so far with the collective ability of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to get past huge losses. 

The team has sprung back from blowout losses to put in surprisingly energized efforts. After their 3-48 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Bucs beat division rival New Orleans Saints the very next game. After a 9-37 humiliation to the Houston Texans, they went out the next week and nearly upset the perfect Green Bay Packers. 

It's clear the Buccaneers have some work to do to really challenge for NFC South supremacy, but by looking at their ability to bounce back from adversity, that has to be a silver lining.

Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker

The Tennessee Titans are in a little bit of a rebuilding period this season and have seen several parts of their team disappoint (looking entirely at you, running back Chris Johnson).

However, they got a good taste of their future quarterback, Jake Locker, Sunday, and they had to like what they saw.  Stepping in for an injured Matt Hasselbeck, Locker was impressive in keeping the team competitive against the tricky Atlanta Falcons.

It's tough to say when the team will want to bring him in permanently, but when they do they should be pretty happy. 

Washington Redskins: Certainty

The Washington Redskins will have a lot of questions over the off-season, but one thing they should be happy about is the certainty they have about their quarterbacks, Rex Grossman and John Beck. Neither of them should come back next season.

Both have truly struggled in the nation's capital this season and have not been helped by coach Mike Shanahan's insistence on making the starter role a game of musical chairs.

With plenty of good passer options set to go in the first round of the upcoming draft, it seems like they would be crazy to not try to go after one themselves.