Top 5 NFL Thanksgiving games of all time feat. 2011 Cowboys-Dolphins clash
Thanksgiving Day is almost upon the NFL world, with several good matchups scheduled. The familiar teams will be playing, and there very well could be some extremely good games. With that in mind, there are some games from Thanksgiving past that have stood the test of time as classic games. Here are the best of the best.
The best Thanksgiving games of NFL history
5) 2012, Jets-Patriots
For the most part, Thanksgiving day games get remembered for a short while, then forgotten to the annals of history. Despite the New England Patriots winning in stunning fashion (49-19), this game has lived on over a decade. The reason why? Mark Sanchez's infamously comedic turnover, the Butt Fumble. Not many Thanksgiving games have something like that, it's just a shame the rest of the game couldn't be as memorable.
4) 2010, Saints-Cowboys
The 2010 matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys became an instant classic, with a massive comeback being spoiled by a late winner. The Saints jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the Cowboys surged back and took a 27-23 lead. That would be spoiled by a last-minute Drew Brees touchdown pass, making for an impressive and climactic finish to the game.
3) 2011, Dolphins-Cowboys
Most of the players involved in this game are long retired from the NFL, but it was an instant classic. These two teams went back and forth before the Dallas Cowboys emerged victorious with a win as narrow as can be over the Miami Dolphins. Tony Romo tossed two touchdowns and Dan Bailey nailed a field goal to win with three seconds on the clock. There were three lead changes in the fourth quarter alone as the Cowboys won 20-19.
2) 2013, Steelers-Ravens
In 2013, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers had a tremendous NFL rivalry game for Thanksgiving audiences to see. Justin Tucker nailed five field goals and the Ravens scored one touchdown. Late in the contest, the Steelers surged back with a touchdown but could not tie the score on the two-point conversion.
1) 2012, Texans-Lions
This one was an absolute barn-burner, with the Houston Texans earning a clutch overtime victory over the Detroit Lions. Matthew Stafford, in the loss, threw the ball 61 times to the tune of 441 yards. JJ Watt had three sacks in the contest as the Texans moved to 10-1 on the year after a game-winning field goal in overtime.