Football has been an indelible part of Thanksgiving Day for decades, and this year’s NFL schedule goes retro in that regard.
In 1934, the Lions began a franchise tradition of playing on Thanksgiving by playing host to the Chicago Bears. The visitors would win that game, 19-16, but it established an annual football ritual in Detroit. The Lions have played a home game on Thanksgiving annually since then, except for a six-season hiatus from 1939 to 1944.
The Bears visit Detroit this Thanksgiving as well, marking the 18th time the teams have clashed on the holiday. Chicago holds a 9-8 series lead entering the 2019 matchup.
After that, the Buffalo Bills visit the Dallas Cowboys in a battle of teams with designs on the playoffs. The night game is an NFC South grudge match between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons.
Look for the rest of the Week 13 game previews from the USA TODAY Sports Network on Friday.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Fox
Records: Bears 5-6, Lions 3-7-1
Line: Bears by 2½
Bears’ keys: Getting a couple of long runs from rookie RB David Montgomery would do wonders to reduce the pressure on QB Mitchell Trubisky to engineer long drives, which is not his game.
Lions’ keys: QB Jeff Driskel’s ability to avoid pressure and run will stress the Bears’ defense. It’s imperative for Detroit’s defense to pressure the Bears and force their offense to work for its accomplishments.
Who wins? Detroit’s special teams will make a big splash in what remains the most important game on the Lions’ calendar every season. Lions 27, Bears 21
– Jeff Risdon