There are many NFL fans out there who would love to see the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys removed from the Thanksgiving spotlight in favor of more competitive games. But let's think about that for a minute. It's not the NFL's fault that the Lions have never even sniffed the playoffs since Barry Sanders retired. It's not the NFL's fault that Matt Millen crippled that team and left it for dead by selecting Joey Harrington as their franchise quarterback in 2002. And it's certainly not the NFL's fault that the Lions are still a long way from not serving as turkeys on the field every year. But they are making progress. QB Matthew Stafford has shown signs of brilliance at times this year, particularly last week when he threw for 422 yards and 5 touchdowns against the Browns in an epic come-from-behind win. And if NFL fans are patient enough, then the Lions will eventually deliver a great season while riding the curtails of their new franchise quarterback. Until then, the NFL should schedule easier competition for the Lions as they continue to rebuild. That way, fans will not have to turn off their TV's by halftime to go off and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, that might happen again this year. At the end of last week's game against the Browns, Stafford separated his shoulder and is doubtful Thursday against the Packers. What does that mean? Daunte Culpepper will most likely start for the Lions, which means the game might be significantly less competitive than originally planned. However, the Packers are depleted right now on both sides of the ball and Aaron Rodgers has been like a sitting duck all season behind that weak offensive line. So if the Lions can play intense defensive football and force Rodgers to act uncomfortably in the pocket, it will give their offense a chance to move the ball and hopefully make this game an interesting Thanksgiving matinee. But trust me, this game would be more fascinating if Stafford was able to make his start. Packers win 34-17.
CORRECTION: Turns out Stafford is going to start today against the Packers, which means the game could be interesting after all. As to how long he'll play or how effective he'll be, that remains to be seen. Packers still win though.
The NFL should do the exact opposite with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have not faced a team that had a .500 winning percentage or higher going into Thanksgiving since 2005. And they will not be facing one this season either. How can the NFL possibly let that happen to America's team? For the past four seasons, the NFL has ruined the marquee Thanksgiving game by scheduling opponents that the Cowboys should easily manhandle. Tomorrow's game is no different against the Raiders. In spite of their dramatic win over the Bengals last weekend, the Raiders are still the Raiders. They are still starting Bruce Gradkowski at quarterback and they are still a disoriented and dysfunctional organization from top to bottom. They can give you a competitive game once in a while but the one thing that always kills the Raiders is that they are a very inconsistent football team. They are never able to give strong efforts for consecutive weeks at a time and as a result, one cannot look at tomorrow's game with high expectations. The Raiders play when they want to play. They do not perform with a sense of purpose or urgency on a week-to-week basis. This is why you cannot expect the Raiders to go in there and upend the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. Even though the Cowboys offense has struggled recently, you have to figure that they will come together in front of a national audience against a weaker opponent. You have to figure that Tony Romo will find a way to break out of his offensive slumber and have a big game tomorrow afternoon. And you have to figure that America's team will not let themselves get embarrassed before they face the brunt of their remaining schedule. Cowboys win 31-13.
As I mentioned before in my last blog, the Denver Broncos are on the precipice of losing their entire season. They are literally hanging off the edge of a cliff spanning a mile high, with one more loss all but ready to send them jumping. The locker room is divided. Brandon Marshall and Knowshon Moreno are at each other's throats. Josh McDaniels needs to get his team under control. What better way to do it against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving night. Kyle Orton has slowly snapped back to reality over the last four weeks. But he is going against a Giants defense that cannot get pressure on the quarterback and always seems to give up the big play on 3rd and long or in very crucial situations. If the Broncos are going to win this game, they will need Orton to make some big plays down the stretch and get back to not turning the football over. They will need Marshall and Moreno to set aside their differences and work together to provide lethal running and passing attacks. And they will need the defense to play with the same kind of passion and tenacity that was evident in the first 6 games of the season. If they can put pressure on Eli Manning against an average Giants offensive line, and if Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey can shut down the Giants receiving core, then the Broncos have a good shot to win on Thanksgiving night. But they need to get back to their roots. They need to be patient and productive on the offensive side of the ball and they need to keep Eli at bay for most of the night. They've lost four in a row. They need a momentum swing in the worst way. Sounds like the Broncos are the Giants of this week. Will they be as fortunate and get a victory? It will be close, but I'm saying the Giants win it in the final minute. Giants 24, Broncos 20
That's it for now. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Enjoy tomorrow's games and I'll have the rest of Week 12 previewed on Friday. Til then, I leave you with this...
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