Why the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys Always Play on Thanksgiving

On By Littum

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Americans have been playing football on Thanksgiving Day for more than a century. In 1891, Yale beat Princeton 19-0 in the first college football game played on the holiday. Professional football began playing official games on Thanksgiving in 1920, starting with six American Professional Football Association (APFA) matchups.

These six games marked first Thursday games in professional football historyaccording to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is how today’s playlist ended:

  • Akron Pros 7-0 Canton Bulldogs
  • Decatur Staleys 6-0 Chicago Tigers
  • Elyria Athletics 0-0 Columbus Panhandles
  • Dayton triangles 28-0 Detroit Heralds
  • Chicago Boosters 27-0 Hammond Pros
  • All of Tonawanda 14-3 The Rochester Jeffersons

In the 104 years since, professional football has become a fixture on Thanksgiving, except for a hiatus from 1941 to 1944 due to World War II. Two teams have played more games on the holiday than any other: Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.

Both will be in action again this Thursday, hosting division rivals. The lions kick off the day against Chicago Bears before the Cowboys face off New York Giants in today’s second match.

Here’s why they always play on Thanksgiving.

Why do the Lions always play on Thanksgiving?

The Lions played their first Thanksgiving game in 1934, their first season in Detroit. Then-owner George A. Richards, a local radio executive, wanted the team to play on the holiday to bring more fans to the stadium. The city’s MLB team, the Detroit Tigers, was the most popular sports team at the time, and Richards believed that this might bring more fans to see the Lions.

A sellout crowd at the University of Detroit Stadium saw a close game between the Lions and Bears. The Bears won 19-16, and Richards arranged for the game to be broadcast across 94 radio stations, per Pro Football Hall of Fame.

That game was so popular that it became a permanent part of the schedule through 1938. The Lions did not play on the holiday from 1939 to 1944, but returned when the NFL reinstated Thanksgiving games in 1945 after World War II. They have played on holiday every year since.

Lions’ Thanksgiving record

Detroit has played 84 total games on Thanksgiving, by far the most in the NFL, and they are 37-45-2 on the holiday. Here are the most common matchups they’ve had:

  • Lions-Packers (22 games): The Lions lead 12-9-1
  • Lions-Bears (19 games): Bjørn leads 11-8
  • Lions-Vikings (5 games): Vikings lead 3-2

Why do the Cowboys always play on Thanksgiving?

Dallas is second only to the Lions for the most games on the holiday in NFL history. In the 1960s, NFL viewership grew rapidly, and the league added another Thanksgiving game in 1966.Dallas Cowboys president Tex Schramm announced the Cowboys to play in the second game as long as the team could host the game each year.

The Cowboys won their Thanksgiving opener 26-14 over Cleveland Browns the tradition continued the following season. St. Louis (now Arizona) Cardinals took over as host team for the Cowboys in 1975 and 1977, but Dallas was reinstated in 1978 and has been a fixture on the holiday ever since.

Cowboys’ Thanksgiving record

Dallas has played a total of 56 games on Thanksgiving with a 33-22-1 record on the holiday going into 2024. Unlike the Lions, they have not had popular rivalries over the game; Dallas has played 24 different teams on the holiday. Here are their most common opponents:

  • Cowboys-Commanders (11 games): Cowboys lead 9-2
  • Cowboys-Dolphins (5 games): Dolphins lead 3-2
  • Cowboys-Cardinals (4 games): Cowboys lead 4-0

Have any NFL teams never played on Thanksgiving?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are the only active franchise that has never played on Thanksgiving. Three teams have had one game on the holiday: Carolina Panthers (2015), Cincinnati Bengals (2010) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2006).

NFL team Thanksgiving records

  • Arizona Cardinals: 6-15-2
  • Atlanta Falcons: 1-3
  • Baltimore Ravens: 2-0
  • Buffalo Bills: 6-4-1
  • Carolina Panthers: 1-0
  • Chicago Bears: 20-15-2
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 0-1
  • Cleveland Browns: 0-3
  • Dallas Cowboys: 33-22-1
  • Denver Broncos: 4-7
  • Detroit Lions: 37-45-2
  • Green Bay Packers: 15-20-2
  • Houston Texans: 2-0
  • Indianapolis Colts: 2-1-1
  • Jacksonville Jaguars: 0-0
  • Kansas City Chiefs: 5-5
  • Las Vegas Raiders: 4-4
  • Los Angeles Chargers: 3-1-1
  • Los Angeles Rams: 4-1
  • Miami Dolphins: 5-2
  • Minnesota Vikings: 7-2
  • New England Patriots: 3-3
  • New Orleans Saints: 3-1
  • New York Giants: 7-6-3
  • New York Jets: 4-4
  • Philadelphia Eagles: 6-1
  • Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-6
  • San Francisco 49ers: 3-2-1
  • Seattle Seahawks: 2-3
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 0-1
  • Tennessee Titans: 5-2
  • Washington Commanders: 4-9