NFL Schedule 2015: Thanksgiving Day games revealed

Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; A general view of an NFL sign for Thanksgiving before the game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; A general view of an NFL sign for Thanksgiving before the game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The NFL released it’s schedule for the 2015 season on Tuesday, and we learned who will be playing on Thanksgiving this year. 


Fans and analysts have long railed against Thursday night games existing, but there has always been one Thursday per year that seems to be exempt from the complaint. Thanksgiving is as much about football as it is about family feasting, and this year’s slate of games looks to stuff us full of football action.

According to the NFL Schedule, which was released on Tuesday night, the three Thanksgiving Day games this year will feature zero AFC teams and will instead be an NFC feast.

Lions vs. Eagles
Cowboys vs. Panthers
Packers vs. Bears

The lack of AFC teams is unfortunate, but there’s plenty to love about the games that we did get. The Lions not playing the Packers seems a little wrong, but the fact that three of the four NFC North teams are playing on Thanksgiving somehow makes everything seem right again.

The Packers hosting a Thanksgiving Day game is just right. There’s something throwback about Thanksgiving in of itself, and having a game at Lambeau Field is about as midwest American has it gets.

More from Dallas Cowboys

As far as the Cowboys are concerned, it would have been much cooler to see them draw the Eagles on that day rather than the Lions, but matching them up against the Panthers works just as well. It’s a chance for the NFL to showcase Cam Newton to a national audience as he continues to build his brand and develop into the John Wall of the NFL.

John Wall took a while to develop into a superstar with the Washington Wizards, and Cam Newton is very much on his career trajectory where it takes a while for him to get ‘it’ — but once he figures it out, it’s game over.

It’s a fun slate of Thanksgiving Day games scheduled for this season, and we should be in for a day packed full of football tradition and glory.