Hello and happy Thanksgiving football fans! Usually, Thursday nights provide us with one game to start off the impending weekend of football. However, this holiday is different for the NFL. Instead of just one Thursday game, we get a triple header, Let’s preview all three games that are on today’s menu.
12:30 PM EST
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
To date, the 2019 season has been a disappointment for both of these teams. The Chicago Bears we’re attempting to build off of the double-digit wins they produced a year ago and returned a lot of parts from what had been the best defense in football last season. However, with just four games left, Khalil Mack and co. are barely hanging on in the chase for a Wild Card spot. For the Lions, they came out of the gate on fire winning two of their first three games—the other being a Week 1 tie. Now, with just three wins for the season and starting quarterback Matthew Stafford missing another game with an ailing back their focus should be squarely on 2020.
David Blough, an undrafted rookie, will get the start for Detroit as Jeff Driskel is banged up as well. Putting the Purdue graduate across the line of scrimmage from the defense this talented spells doom for the Lions. Yet, all hope may not be lost. In his second season as a head coach, Matt Nagy has seen his Andy Reid-lite offense grind down to an unrecognizable unit. Mitchell Trubisky has been a shell of what he brought in 2018. For as well as the Bears defense has played at times, their offense has done them no favors most weeks.
PREDICTION: BEARS 24 , LIONS 9
4:30 PM EST
Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys
If we expand the Thanksgiving connection to these slate of games than this one would be the main course for the day. The Buffalo Bills have quietly put together a very good case to be taken seriously as a threat in the AFC. On the back of the stellar defense, Josh Allen’s arm and legs, and the newly minted third all-time rushing yards leader (Frank Gore) this team have piled up wins. When looking at their schedule though, the New England Patriots are the only elite team they’ve played to date. The Dallas Cowboys want to be perceived as elite but at 6-5–and barely hanging onto the lead in the NFC East—they have failed to separate themselves from the pack. Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper have all been great throughout the season but wins keep slipping away from this team.
Following Sunday’s 13-9 loss in Foxboro, Dallas owner Jerry Jones didn’t hold his tongue as he called out the coaching staff for what was in his opinion an unsatisfactory performance. Rumors are rampant that Cowboys’ head coach is on the Super Bowl or bust plan this season and back-to-back losses will only heighten that noise around the franchise. Meanwhile, Buffalo is likely to face four consecutive teams with winning records. To bring in a tried and true food analogy, they hit the meat and potatoes portion of their season. A few bad plays and poor decisions could easily see this team drop from a sure thing in the postseason standings to dropping back towards the middle of the pack. With both teams needing a win and the game is on national television we will see who handles the pressure best.
PREDICTION: COWBOYS 27 , BILLS 24
8:20 PM EST
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons
These teams just faced each other 18 days ago. At that time, the New Orleans Saints looked like a juggernaut on their way to Super Bowl contention and the Atlanta Falcons looked like a team in dire need of changes on the coaching staff. This also would be the first game Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas would share the field for since Week 2. A blowout was expected and a blowout we got. The Falcons manhandled the Saints on their way to winning 26-9 and likely saving Dan Quinn’s job. Even sweeter for Atlanta was that they were able to thoroughly dominate their opponent on their home field. At times, the Superdome has been kryptonite to the Falcons but it wasn’t on that day.
Once again the teams meet and the narratives aren’t too different. After securing consecutive wins against New Orleans and the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons we’re embarrassed at home by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ending any talk about possibly sneaking into the playoff hunt. New Orleans has won two straight and once again looks like the cream of the crop within the NFL. Sean Payton’s team is out for revenge as they are one poorly played game back of sitting atop the NFC standings alongside the San Francisco 49ers. Like most desserts, revenge is a dish best served cold.
PREDICTION: Saints 30 , Falcons 17
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