Thanksgiving Showdowns Shake Up the NFL Playoff Picture
So, let’s talk about this wild Thanksgiving in the NFL — a day that ended up delivering three games packed with drama, surprises, and a whole lot of statement wins. It felt like every matchup had something riding on it, and by the end of the night, the entire playoff picture looked just a little bit different.
The day kicked off with the Green Bay Packers pulling off a gutsy 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions. It almost feels like Thanksgiving was made for Jordan Love. The guy threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns, extending his perfect Thanksgiving record to 3-0. And here’s the crazy part: in those three games, he’s thrown nine touchdowns with zero interceptions. This win also gave Green Bay a season sweep of Detroit and put them right on the doorstep of first place in the NFC North. If the Bears slip up on Black Friday, the Packers could find themselves sitting alone at the top. Their aggressiveness made the difference — converting all three fourth-down attempts, and every single one ran through Love, who simply delivered. Meanwhile, Detroit kept it close but faltered when it mattered most, missing big plays on both sides of the ball. At 7-5, their once-bright playoff outlook suddenly looks a little dimmer.
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Then came the shocker: the Dallas Cowboys stunning the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28. This game felt like a turning point for both teams. The Chiefs, now 6-6, are staring at the real possibility of missing the playoffs for the first time in Patrick Mahomes’ career. Their trademark clutch ability just isn’t showing up this season, especially in one-score games. The Cowboys, on the other hand, looked energized and confident. Dak Prescott recovered instantly from an early interception and spent the rest of the game carving up Kansas City’s defense for over 300 yards. Dallas’ trade for George Pickens keeps looking smarter each week, especially with Pickens and CeeDee Lamb combining for 200 yards. And their defense, once a liability, showed up with enough pressure to keep Mahomes uncomfortable. At 6-5-1, they’re still fighting from behind, but beating both Super Bowl teams from last season within five days sends a pretty loud message.
Finally, the nightcap gave us one more headline: Joe Burrow returned, and the Bengals immediately looked like a different team. Cincinnati powered its way to a commanding 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Burrow threw for 261 yards and two touchdowns after being sidelined for nine games, spreading the ball to nine different receivers and rekindling that dangerous chemistry with Ja’Marr Chase. Even more impressive was how the defense fed off his energy — five forced turnovers, three sacks, and total domination. The Ravens, meanwhile, continue to struggle. Lamar Jackson hasn’t looked like himself for weeks, and with their offense sputtering, Baltimore now finds itself in a far tighter AFC North race than expected.
All in all, Thanksgiving didn’t just give us football — it gave us a reshuffling of momentum, a few warning signs, and a reminder that in the NFL, things can swing fast.
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