The NFL schedule was released on April 19th, 2011. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys have made Thanksgiving Day appearances an annual tradition. The NFL Network has recently participated in the tradition and given two more teams the opportunity to play in Thanksgiving Day games during the evening.
Barring any modifications from the NFL lockout, here are early previews of the Thanksgiving Day games for the 2011 season.
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions sole Thanksgiving Day victory since 2001 was against the Green Bay Packers in 2003, 22-14. The Lions have suffered double-digit defeats in every season since then.
Lion fans could be confident about this game. This will be the third time that the Packers have played the Lions on Thanksgiving since 2007. The Lions pulled off a 7-3 upset last season after giving Aaron Rodgers his second concussion of the season. The Lions rode that momentum into a four-game winning streak to finish 6-10. Their first road victory in three seasons prevented the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from qualifying for the postseason.
This will be the first meeting between these teams since Rodgers was knocked out. The Lions are hoping to carry their momentum into the 2011 season and become legitimate contenders for the NFC North crown. Hopefully, both teams will be healthier than in their last regular-season meeting when the Lions were playing with their third-string quarterback and nearly a dozen Packers were on IR.
The Packers also host the Lions on New Years Day in the regular-season finale.
Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys
The Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys have a Thanksgiving Day rivalry that's evolved since the 1990s. The past three matchups have included a 40-21 Dolphins victory in 2003 anda 20-0 Cowboys victory when Jimmy Johnson was the Dolphins head coach in 1999.
One can't forget about the 1993 "Snow Day" game that resulted in a 16-14 victory for Miami. The Cowboys had led 14-13 late in the fourth quarter before blocking a game-winning field goal attempt toward the closing seconds. Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett bobbled a recovery attempt, resulting in a Dolphins recovery. The Dolphins converted on the second field-goal attempt and sealed the victory.
This bout will feature another Dolphins-Cowboys connection: Tony Sparano was the Cowboys offensive line coach from 2003-2007 before becoming the Dolphins head coach in 2008.
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens
The NFL Network Thanksgiving Day special will feature a Harbaugh family gathering as the Baltimore Ravens host the San Francisco 49ers. First-year 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh will coach against his brother John Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh will be trying to revive a storied franchise that hasn't had a playoff berth since January 2003. The Ravens have advanced past wildcard weekend in each of John Harbaugh's first three seasons.
The Ravens would appear to have the significant edge in this contest. However, I would expect a competitive game regardless of how these teams wind up in 2011.
Joshua Huffman grew up in Michigan's Upper Peninsula as a Green Bay Packers and Chicago Cubs enthusiast. His favorite Packer moments include Super Bowl XXXI, XLV, and Al Harris's interception return following Matt Hasselbeck's "We're gonna score" comments. As a Packers and Cubs fan, he suffered through Steve Bartman and "4th & 26" in a span of three months.
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