NFL Thanksgiving Games Preview

Watching the Lions and the Cowboys play home games on Thanksgiving Day has become a tradition but the NFL recently added a third game to the Turkey Day slate, giving fans 10 hours of football to be thankful for.

Pay per head services remind you that the day starts with the Packers traveling to Detroit to play the Lions at 12:30 PM ET on Fox, followed by the Raiders facing the Cowboys (4:30 PM ET, CBS) and a prime-time showdown between the Steelers and the Ravens (8:30 PM ET, NBC).

Here’s a look at what we can expect on these games.

Green Bay Packers (5-5-1) vs. Detroit Lions (6-5)

The Packers, who led the NFC North a month ago, are winless in four games since Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone.

That injury gave the Lions a chance to lead the division comfortably but they squandered that opportunity losing to the Steelers on the road and against the struggling Buccaneers at home.

The Packers had rally from 16 down to get a tie with the Vikings last Sunday and they desperately need to win this game to keep up in the division until Aaron Rodgers returns. Matt Flynn will start, becoming the fourth quarterback to start a game for the Packers this year.

Oakland Raiders (4-7) vs. Dallas Cowboys (6-5)

The Cowboys are coming off a last-second win over the Giants last week and they’re currently tied for first place in the NFC East at 6-5 with the Eagles.

Running back Darren McFadden has returned to practice for the Raiders and he is expected to serve as a complement to Rashad Jennings in this game.

The Cowboys desperately need to get linebacker Sean Lee back but his status for this Thanksgiving clash is questionable.

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-6) vs. Baltimore Ravens (5-6)

These two teams really hate each other and there’s plenty on the line in this game. Both teams are playing better as of late, but slow starts have left both with a 5-6 record and little margin for error.

The Steelers have won three straight games and five of their last seven while the Ravens are coming off their best defensive performance of the year, a 19-3 win against the Jets.