The Bills most memorable Thanksgivings: O.J. Simpson, Josh Allen own Turkey Day records

While the Buffalo Bills aren't always a part of the NFL's annual Thanksgiving Day schedule, they are tied for the eighth-most appearances on Turkey Day with 11, going 6-4-1 in those games.

Their first-ever Thanksgiving Day game took place back in their AFL days in 1961, which was only the second season in Bills history.

On that day at the famed Polo Grounds, the Bills took on the Titans of New York, who, of course, went on to become the New York Jets. Buffalo jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on an 8-yard touchdown pass from John Green to Elbert Dubenion but then allowed the Titans to score the next 21 points.

The Bills got to within seven on a 1-yard touchdown run from quarterback M.C. Reynolds in the fourth quarter but ultimately took a 21-14 loss.

Their most recent Turkey Day game was contested in 2022 against the Detroit Lions, a game in which Josh Allen made a little history in a 28-25 victory.

Before we get to that, however, let's first look back on one of the most memorable Thanksgiving Day performances of all time, one provided by you know who.

O.J. Simpson rushed for a then-NFL record 273 yards in a Bills Thanksgiving Day loss in 1976

On November 25, 1976, the Bills visited the Motor City for a Turkey Day clash with the Lions.

Buffalo was in bad shape at this point, and head coach Lou Saban had resigned just five games into this campaign, at which point offensive line coach Jim Ringo took over.

The Bills had lost seven straight coming into this Week 12 matchup with Detroit, and they lost this game and the final two games of the year as well.

However, this Thanksgiving Day provided one of the greatest single-game performances of all time, courtesy of O.J. Simpson, who had actually demanded a trade prior to the season but ultimately agreed to a three-year deal.

Simpson carried the ball 29 times against the Lions and set a new NFL record with 273 rushing yards, breaking his own record of 250, which he'd set against the New England Patriots during his NFL MVP-winning campaign in 1973, which was also the year he became the first to rush for 2,000 yards.

Simpson, who scored a pair of touchdowns, got no help against Detroit that day at the Pontiac Silverdome, as the rest of the Buffalo offense accounted for just 49 yards in a 27-14 loss.

Simpson's record lasted less than a year, as Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton rushed for 275 yards against the Minnesota Vikings on November 20, 1977, and O.J.'s total has since been passed four additional times. Nevertheless, his 273-yard effort remains a Thanksgiving Day record.

Josh Allen is the only NFL QB to win in all three Thanksgiving Day time slots

Since Josh Allen entered the league in 2018, he's played in three Thanksgiving Day games and has won all three.

In 2019, the Bills were in the mid-afternoon slot against the Dallas Cowboys and took a 26-15 victory over America's Team, with Allen completing 19 of 24 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown. He also added a score on the ground.

In 2021, Buffalo was in the late game for a road matchup with the New Orleans Saints and dominated, earning a 31-6 win behind four Allen touchdown passes.

And in 2022, as mentioned, the Bills were back in Detroit to face the Lions in the early game and took a hard-fought 28-25 win, with Allen throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 78 yards and a touchdown.

With the win over the Lions, Allen became the first NFL quarterback to record victories in all three Thanksgiving Day time slots since the prime-time game was added to the schedule in 2006.