Over the years, Thanksgiving Day has brought NFL fans a multitude of great individual performances. Here are five players who had career days on Thanksgiving:
Troy Aikman: In 1998, Aikman set the Thanksgiving record for passing with 455 yards. Unfortunately for the Dallas Cowboys, that wasn't enough to win the game. They lost that year to the Minnesota Vikings 46-36.
Barry Sanders: In 1997, Sanders was in the prime of his NFL career, playing the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day. On just 19 rushing attempts, he tallied 167 yards and three touchdowns. His Detroit Lions won the game easily, 55-20. Sanders would go on to retire from the NFL, still in his prime, after the end of the 1999 season.
Clint Longley: In 1974, the Thanksgiving game featured the heated rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. By the second half, the game seemed well in hand for Washington. They were leading 23-3, and Cowboys quarterback legend Roger Staubach was injured and out of the game. However, unheralded rookie Clint Longley executed an amazing comeback. Throwing for 203 yards and two touchdowns in a little over a quarter, the Cowboys were able to pull out a last minute victory, 24-23.
Randy Moss: In the same game in 1998 that Aikman set the record for most passing yards, then-rookie Randy Moss had his own remarkable game. He only caught three passes against the Dallas Cowboys, but all three went for touchdowns. Moss had 163 yards on those three catches of 51, 56, and 56 yards as the Minnesota Vikings won 46-36.
Peyton Manning: In 2004, the Indianapolis Colts faced off against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving. In a long career filled with excellent statistics, this should go down as one of Manning's best games. He threw for a Thanksgiving record six touchdowns in the Colts' victory. What's even more amazing is that he did it in less than three quarters. This was the year when Manning threw for a then-record 49 touchdown passes, and the prolific Thanksgiving Day performance was a big contributor to that record.
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