Football has been an indelible part of Thanksgiving Day for decades, and this year’s NFL schedule goes retro in that regard.
In 1934, the Lions began a franchise tradition of playing on Thanksgiving by playing host to the Chicago Bears. The visitors would win that game, 19-16, but it established an annual football ritual in Detroit. The Lions have played a home game on Thanksgiving annually since then, except for a six-season hiatus from 1939 to 1944.
The Bears visit Detroit this Thanksgiving as well, marking the 18th time the teams have clashed on the holiday. Chicago holds a 9-8 series lead entering the 2019 matchup.
After that, the Buffalo Bills visit the Dallas Cowboys in a battle of teams with designs on the playoffs. The night game is an NFC South grudge match between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.
Look for the rest of the Week 13 game previews from the USA TODAY Sports Network on Friday.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Fox
Records: Bears 5-6, Lions 3-7-1
Line: Bears by 2½
Bears’ keys: Getting a couple of long runs from rookie RB David Montgomery would do wonders to reduce the pressure on QB Mitchell Trubisky to engineer long drives, which is not his game.
Lions’ keys: QB Jeff Driskel’s ability to avoid pressure and run will stress the Bears’ defense. It’s imperative for Detroit’s defense to pressure the Bears and force their offense to work for its accomplishments.
Who wins? Detroit’s special teams will make a big splash in what remains the most important game on the Lions’ calendar every season. Lions 27, Bears 21
– Jeff Risdon
Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys
TV: 4:30 p.m. ET Thursday, CBS
Records: Bills 8-3, Cowboys 6-5
Line: Cowboys by 6½
Bills’ keys: They’ll need a strong performance from their trio of rookie RB Devin Singletary, veteran RB Frank Gore and dual-threat QB Josh Allen.
Cowboys’ keys: Dallas needs at least two of its three receiving weapons (Amari Cooper, Randall Cobb and breakout star Michael Gallup) to shine, and the defense (especially DE DeMarcus Lawrence) must contain Allen’s running.
Who wins? The Cowboys’ passing game weapons will prove to be too much, while their running back duo creates mismatches against the Buffalo linebackers. Cowboys 31, Bills 17
— K.D. Drummond
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
TV: 8:20 p.m. ET Thursday, NBC
Records: Saints 9-2, Falcons 3-8
Line: Saints by 6½
Saints’ keys: They need to convert third downs if they want to avoid being upset by the Falcons again. They made good on only 3 of 12 third downs as the Falcons’ dominated them 26-9 in Week 10. By controlling the clock, the Saints can keep QB Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ offense off the field.
Falcons’ keys: Atlanta’s defensive line must get after Saints QB Drew Brees the way it did in Week 10, when the Falcons sacked him six times. Offensively, the Falcons should use the short passing game to compensate for their lack of a rushing attack.
Who wins? The Falcons are better than their record would indicate, but the Saints are a better football team. Expect New Orleans to squeeze out a close win at the finish. Saints 20, Falcons 17
— Matt Urben
Lines by BetMGM.com
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