4 NFL teams that could replace the Lions on Thanksgiving
Over the past week, America celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with its usual trimmings: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing... and a dreary NFL game in Detroit.
The Detroit Lions kicked off Week 12 of NFL action with another loss, as their 16-14 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears dropped them to 0-10-1 on the season. From a broader perspective, the Lions have lost five in a row on Thanksgiving, a holiday that has hosted Detroit football annually since 1934. The divisional loss to Chicago drops them to 37-43-2 all-time on the fourth Thursday in November.
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Detroit's recent Thanksgiving travesties have caused many fans to reopen debates over the merits of carrying on the Lions' tradition of hosting a holiday game. These discussions likely hit a boiling point after Detroit's imperfect 16-game season in 2008 but a four-game winning streak during the Matthew Stafford era (2013-16) seemed to buy the Lions some time. With the team once again in danger of capturing NFL infamy, many have had their fill of the Lions occupying one of the most sought-after spots on the NFL calendar.
Which NFL team could be best suited to replace the Lions?
Buffalo Bills
It could be a case of slight recency bias: Buffalo have emerged victorious in two of the last three NFL Thanksgivings, topping New Orleans in last Thursday's nightcap. But there's no doubt that the Bills, a popular pick to represent the AFC in the upoming Super Bowl, have a solid enough following through their Bills Mafia fanbase to ensure that their Thanksgiving antics never grow old, even if they were to fall out of contention like the Lions have.
Buffalo supporters have been lauded for their generosity (recall how they came through for Andy Dalton's charity after he "helped" Buffalo end their long playoff drought in 2017), so what better holiday for them to represent than Thanksgiving?
Green Bay Packers
Though they're not a regular part of the NFL's Thanksgiving rotation, the Packers are no strangers to such adjustments: they've partaken in 36 holiday contests, second-most among non-regulars (behind Chicago). The Packers' sense of general consistency (reaching the playoffs in all but six seasons since the turn of the century), a devoted fanbase that would be happy to brave football weather temperatures in late November, and an ability to generate NFL headlines almost make them a no-brainer to replace their divisional brethren in the early Turkey Day slot.
Kansas City Chiefs
If not for the Chiefs, the now traditional primetime game probably wouldn't exist: team founder Lamar Hunt was a strong advocate of bringing Thanksgiving football to Arrowhead Stadium. His efforts were partially realized in 2006, when the Chiefs were chosen as the hosts of the first nightcap, topping the Denver Broncos 19-10. Alas, Hunt passed away mere weeks after that game and the Chiefs have not played on Thanksgiving since. Their general consistency, newfound championship demeanor, and connection to Turkey Day football make it the perfect time to hand over full-time hosting duties.
New England Patriots
If this NFL season has taught us anything, it's that the power of the Patriots never dies... it just evolves. As long as Bill Belichick is in charge, it feels like New England are guaranteed, or at least well on pace, for meaningful games come late November. The area also has a special connection to the holiday, links that go far beyond the NFL: annual collegiate get-togethers between Yale and Princeton are sometimes seen as the original Thanksgiving football matchups, while high school rivalry games are traditionally scheduled for Turkey Day mornings throughout the area. The Patriots have, somewhat surprisingly, not played a Thanksgiving Day game since 2012, when they appeared in the infamous "Butt Fumble" game against the New York Jets.