After an afternoon of feasting on turkey and football, we will all settle down to a nightcap featuring the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, bitter rivals facing off in a pivotal matchup that will go miles in determining playoff seeding.
One of the many storylines for Thursday will be how the 49ers are able to slow down the NFL's No. 1 rushing offense, earning 169.6 yards per game. The combination of the beastly Marshawn Lynch and shifty Russell Wilson (leading quarterbacks with 644 yards rushing) makes the Seahawks' read option a devastating weapon.
"They're a tough running game to defend," said San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, per ESPN.com. "They've got Marshawn Lynch, who we all know is, if he's not the best back in the league he's second to somebody, I wouldn't know who that would be. And then you've got (Wilson) back there who could pull the ball at any time and become a runner himself."
In describing what it will be like for the 49ers to put their own tryptophan-hold on the duo Thanksgiving night, Fangio compared Wilson with a Hall of Famer who used to dazzle on Turkey Day.
"So, it's like defending Lynch and his great running style, and when Wilson has the ball in his hand, he's like defending Barry Sanders with his quickness and speed and elusiveness," Fangio said. "He's a tough assignment. He's got more rushing yards than most of the running backs in the league."
Sure, that comparison is a bit of a silly stretch, but with the 30th ranked passing attack and the No. 1 rushing attack, you can bet the Seahawks will emulate the Lions attack of decades ago, and run the ball a ton on Thanksgiving.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews the Week 13 games and reacts to the news of RGIII's benching in D.C. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.