NFL 2016: Week 12 NFL Thanksgiving Day Preview

NFL 2016: Week 12 NFL Thanksgiving Day Preview

For the first time since 1935, Thanksgiving Day features three games with all six teams owning a record of .500 or better. Here's a preview of this season's Thanksgiving Day NFL Football triple header

[ Related: NFL 2016: Week 12 NFL Preview ]

Thanksgiving Day: A Tradition of Friends, Family and NFL Football

For generations of Americans, the tradition of Thanksgiving Day and NFL football are historically intertwined.

On Thanksgiving in 1925, a crowd of 36,000 -- then the largest in professional football history -- watched the Chicago Bears play the Chicago Cardinals to a scoreless tie at Wrigley Field. In 1934, the Detroit Lions and the defending world champion Bears squared off on Thanksgiving in the first NFL game nationally broadcast, with NBC radio on the call. This season, the NFL's three Thanksgiving games will be played inside stadiums with a combined capacity of over 200,000 and will be aired to millions across the country and around the world.

For the first time since 1935, Thanksgiving Day features three games with all six teams owning a record of .500 or better.

The six teams participating in this year's holiday festivities all won in Week 11, marking the third time in the past 20 seasons that all teams playing on Thanksgiving Day were victorious in the preceding week.

The 2016 installment of Thanksgiving Day football features a tripleheader for the 11th consecutive season.

The first game showcases a battle for first place in the NFC North as the Minnesota Vikings travel to Detroit to face the Lions (12:30 PM ET, CBS). The late afternoon game at AT&T Stadium marks the 112th overall meeting between Washington and the Dallas Cowboys (4:30 PM ET, FOX). The holiday concludes with an AFC showdown as the Indianapolis Colts host the Pittsburgh Steelers on NBC (8:30 PM ET).

The Lions play in their 77th Thanksgiving Day game dating back to 1934, while the Cowboys play in their 49th since 1966. Washington and the Vikings play in their ninth and seventh games, respectively, on the holiday. The Steelers play in their eighth and the Colts will play in their fourth Thanksgiving game.

[ Related: Detroit Lions: A Thanksgiving Day Tradition ]

Next: NFL 2016: Week 12 NFL Preview

Thanksgiving Day Records of the Teams Playing this Season

Minnesota (6-4) at Detroit (6-4)

The first matchup of the day marks the Minnesota Vikings fourth visit to Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.

In the last Thanksgiving meeting between the clubs, Detroit quarterback Scott Mitchell passed for 410 yards with four touchdowns and running back Barry Sanders rushed for 138 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run with 5:18 remaining in the fourth quarter, in the Lions' 44-38 victory on November 23, 1995. Vikings quarterback Warren Moon threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

The Detroit Lions enter Week 12 following a 26-19 win against Jacksonville. The Lions scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and became the first team in NFL history to record six wins when trailing in the fourth quarter in the team's first 10 games of a season.

Last year, Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford set a team record with five touchdown passes on Thanksgiving in Detroit's 45-14 win over Philadelphia and became the first quarterback in team history to throw for five touchdowns with no interceptions in a game. Detroit defensive end EZEKIEL ANSAH tied a Thanksgiving Day record with 3.5 sacks in the victory.

The Lions have won their past three Thanksgiving Day games by a combined score of 119-41. In six career games on Thanksgiving Day, Stafford has passed for 1,987 yards (331.2 per game), the third-most in NFL history. He aims for his fifth consecutive Thanksgiving game with at least 330 passing yards.

In Week 11, Minnesota defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 30-24.

Vikings cornerback XAVIER RHODES had a 100-yard interception-return touchdown -- his first of two interceptions on the day -- and wide receiver/kick returner CORDARRELLE PATTERSON had a 104-yard kickoff-return touchdown in the win as the Vikings became the first team since the 1962 Dallas Cowboys to have a 100+ yard interception-return touchdown and a 100+ yard kickoff-return touchdown in the same game.

Minnesota has won five of its six Thanksgiving Day games and plays on the holiday for the first time since 2000. In that game, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss compiled 144 receiving yards with two touchdowns and running back ROBERT SMITH rushed for 148 yards and a score in Minnesota's 27-15 win at Dallas.

Washington (6-3-1) at Dallas (9-1)

Washington and the Dallas Cowboys square off in a NFC East matinee on Thursday afternoon.

Dallas has won six of its seven Thanksgiving Day matchups against Washington, dating back to 1968.

In the last Thanksgiving meeting between the two teams, Washington, led by rookie quarterback ROBERT GRIFFIN III (304 passing yards, four touchdowns) and rookie running back ALFRED MORRIS (113 rushing yards, one touchdown), totaled 437 yards of offense in a 38-31 victory at Dallas in 2012.

Washington enters Week 12 following a 42-24 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football.

Washington quarterback KIRK COUSINS passed for 375 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 145.8 passer rating in the victory. Wide receivers PIERRE GARÇON (116 receiving yards, one touchdown) and JAMISON CROWDER (102 receiving yards, one touchdown) both had 100 receiving yards and scored a touchdown, while rookie running back ROBERT KELLEY rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns, including two scores in the fourth quarter.

The Cowboys have won nine consecutive games entering Thursday's contest, the longest single-season winning streak in franchise history. Last week, Dallas rookie quarterback DAK PRESCOTT passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-17 win over Baltimore. Prescott joined CHARLIE CONERLY (1948), Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (1983) and RUSSELL WILSON (2012) as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to have multiple touchdown passes in five consecutive games.

Tight end JASON WITTEN, who will play in his 14th Thanksgiving Day game this week, has 70 catches on the holiday, the most all-time. His 776 receiving yards trail only HERMAN MOORE (834) for the most on Thanksgiving.

Pittsburgh (5-5) at Indianapolis (5-5)

Pittsburgh and Indianapolis close out an all-day spread of Thanksgiving football with a meeting of two teams in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

The Colts host their first Thanksgiving game and play their first game on the holiday since 2007. In that contest, Indianapolis quarterback PEYTON MANNING threw for three touchdowns and running back JOSEPH ADDAI rushed for a score in the Colts' 31-13 win at Atlanta.

In addition to the holiday festivities, Indianapolis will honor Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees TONY DUNGY and MARVIN HARRISON with the Hall of Fame Ring Ceremony at halftime.

Last week, Indianapolis quarterback ANDREW LUCK passed for 262 yards with two touchdowns and running back FRANK GORE added 121 scrimmage yards (50 rushing, 71 receiving) in the Colts' 24-17 win over Tennessee.

Pittsburgh defeated the Cleveland Browns 24-9 in Week 11. Steelers running back LE'VEON BELL recorded 201 scrimmage yards (146 rushing, 55 receiving) and a rushing touchdown, while the Pittsburgh defense notched eight sacks and held Cleveland's offense to 209 total yards. Linebacker JAMES HARRISON (77.5 sacks) set the Steelers' all-time sack record in the contest, surpassing JASON GILDON (77 sacks from 1994-2003).

The Steelers will play on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2013, when the team dropped a 22-20 decision to Baltimore. Pittsburgh was one of the earliest teams featured in Thanksgiving Day action, as the team played against the Philadelphia Eagles in back-to-back years in 1939 and 1940.

NFL Teams with the Most Thanksgiving Game Appearances

Most Points Scored on Thanksgiving

Most career passing yards on Thanksgiving

Most career TD passes on Thanksgiving

Active NFL franchises with the best winning percentage on Thanksgiving (minimum five games)

Most career receptions on Thanksgiving

Most career receiving yards on Thanksgiving

Next: NFL 2016: What To Look For Week 12

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