For the second straight year, we have a little bit of history to go with your turkey.
Instead of gravy, it's the New Orleans Saints who will host a divisional contest for the Thanksgiving night prime-time game. They'll meet the Atlanta Falcons, with whom they battled last season in two thrillers that helped determine playoff seeding, in their first home Thanksgiving game in franchise history.
New Orleans played in a Thanksgiving game once before, edging the Cowboys 30-27 in Dallas in 2010. Atlanta is 1-1 in Thanksgiving contests, topping Detroit 27-7 in 2005 and falling to Indianapolis 31-13 in 2007.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS
This one has all the feels of a classicThanksgiving Day matchup. I can see the throwbacks already. Two legacy franchises clash in an NFC North battle between a Lions team expected to contend for a postseason berth and a Bears squad that's looking to make a significant jump, now that it has its franchise quarterback installed and a new head coach behind the wheel. Matt Nagy gets a holiday showdown in his first season, and the Lions get a potentially important home contest against a team it should be equipped to beat. Matthew Stafford vs. Mitchell Trubisky? Sign us up.
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX
This rivalry has some fresh pizazz, thanks to the arrival of Alex Smith to the Redskins and the departure of Dez Bryant from the Cowboys. Whose Thanksgiving will Josh Norman aim to ruin this year? We lose that classic matchup, but get a potential Smith-Dak Prescott battle. We were robbed of a quality season from the Redskins last year thanks to a rash of injuries, so it's somewhat difficult to know what to expect from this meeting, but we'll get a familiar face on an opposite sideline: Orlando Scandrick will now line up opposite the fellows donning the stars instead of counting himself as one of them. Juicier than grandma's home-baked ham.
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
As any well-traveled (or well-engorged) Thanksgiving veteran knows, the feast isn't complete without dessert. Consider this meeting the absolute best slice of pumpkin pie. Matt Ryan and Co. return to the Big Easy to face sage, skilled signal-caller Drew Brees and a potent Saints team ready to make amends for last season's stunning, heartbreaking finish. No better way for them to celebrate the holiday by first watching the parade before marching over the Falcons -- or is Atlanta here to score a tasty road upset? Tune in after the food coma and just before making your first plate of leftovers.
