NFL Rumors: Vikings will play Lions on NFL Thanksgiving

The Detroit Lions will continue their tradition of hosting NFL Thanksgiving, with the Minnesota Vikings coming to town this year.

While the NFL schedule hasn’t been released yet, the first game on NFL Thanksgiving has been revealed to Pro Football Talk. The Detroit Lions have made a tradition of hosting Thanksgiving games, but for the first time since 1995, their opponent on Turkey Day will be reigning NFC North champions the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings will also get a Sunday Night Football slot against the Green Bay Packers in Week Two, which will be their first game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Teams are always vying for a spot on NFL Thanksgiving, but with the Vikings coming off a division-winning season, they are poised to get more national coverage this year as compared to last year. The fact that they are playing a divisional opponent makes this game that much more important.

The Vikings are looking to repeat their regular season success from last year as well as wash the poor taste of their playoff exit out of their mouth. The Lions, while they missed the playoffs, had a strong second half of the season after starting it at 1-7. However, if they are looking to get back to the playoffs, they will have to do it without Calvin Johnson who made a stunning choice to retire in the offseason.

The NFC North is usually one of the toughest divisions in the league to predict, and every team can certainly make a good case for winning it. This Thanksgiving game could go a long way to helping figure out who will.

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