Predicting the biggest turkeys of the NFL’s Thanksgiving day slate

Peanut butter and jelly. Salt and pepper. Football and Thanksgiving.

The NFL has become synonymous with the American holiday because of the league's Thanksgiving Day slate. Fans enjoy three games from the afternoon to evening while stuffing their faces, making for an incredible occasion. There truly aren't many better viewing experiences for sports buffs.

This year, the festivities include an intriguing list of teams. The Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions, AKA the usual suspects, are featured for the 59th consecutive year. Moreover, the Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers round out the program.

Here's how the matchups shakeout between the six squads:

While we feast on turkey (with gravy), green bean casserole, stuffing and pecan pie, these groups will battle in primetime. But when all is said and done, those mentioned below will wish they were home rather than on the gridiron after poor on-field showings.

Predicting the biggest turkeys of the NFL’s Thanksgiving day slate

Tommy DeVito

The Giants haven't played on Thanksgiving since 2022, which also happened to be against the Cowboys. Nevertheless, at the time, starting quarterback Tommy "Cutlets" DeVito was a fifth-year senior at Illinois. So, the undrafted second-year pro adds some new blood to this rivalry, though that hardly matters when he's highly ineffective.

Few signal-callers get dumped more than DeVito, demonstrated by his 17.21 percent sack percentage in 2023. He was taken down behind the line of scrimmage 37 times across nine appearances, more than full-time passers like Trevor Lawrence and Lamar Jackson.

DeVito had the wind knocked out of him in New York's Week 12 brutal 30-7 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barring any unforeseen setbacks, head coach Brian Daboll anticipates him being under center for the G-Men. However, this only sets the 26-year-old to get his bell rung further by a Cowboys pass-rushing unit boasting standout sack artist Micah Parsons.

With Parsons and the Cowboys on tap, DeVito's sack-a-palooza should continue. Especially considering he'll be throwing behind a paltry Giants offensive lineman missing stalwart blindside protector Andrew Thomas.

Tua Tagovailoa

Following Miami's latest victory over the New England Patriots, Tua Tagovailoa made some comments that will surely rile up Packers fans.

Tagovailoa, who's notoriously struggled in cold-climate contests, is eager to "kill narratives" at Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving. As good as that sounds, it'll be much easier said than done, specifically versus a formidable opponent with a stingy defense.

The Packers rank 11th in opponent total and passing yards per game. Moreover, they allow the 10th fewest points. So, not only will Tagovailoa and the Dolphins passing attack be hard-pressed to move the ball through the air, but scoring won't come easily.

Green Bay has a respectable bunch of pass rushers along the front seven who generate pressure frequently. Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and company can wreak havoc and muck things up for Tagovailoa. Then, when they do, star safety Xavier McKinney is lurking in the secondary and ready to pick you off, demonstrated by his league-leading seven interceptions.

With an 0-7 record in sub-40-degree weather and forecasts in the mid-20s, Tagovailoa will be in for a rude awakening.

Matt Eberflus

Oddly enough, despite the ongoing madness in Chicago, Matt Eberflus' role as the head coach of the Bears remains intact. Like a cockroach, he's difficult to exterminate. But there aren't many more fitting ways for his disastrous tenure to end than getting bludgeoned by the Lions under a national spotlight.

Per ESPN Bet, as of this writing, the Bears are listed as 10.5-point underdogs in their upcoming clash with the Lions. So, not only are fans anticipating a lopsided affair, but the sportsbooks are also in alignment.

Sitting at 10-1, Detroit is an absolute buzz saw. They've won their last nine games, including four of the past by double digits. Since Week 8, the Lions have outscored their foes 178 to 63. Meanwhile, the Bears have lost five in a row.

Chicago and Detroit are two clubs headed in polar opposite directions. The gap between them is absurdly wide, and that will prove true on Thanksgiving. After being a punching bag for the Lions for 60 minutes, heads will begin rolling for the Bears, starting with Eberflus.