Since its inception in 1920, the National Football League has played games on Thanksgiving Day, patterned upon the historic playing of college football games on or around the November holiday. The NFL
The Detroit Lions (in blue) during the 2007 Thanksgiving game against their division rival Green Bay Packers; the Detroit Lions have played on Thanksgiving since 1934.
The 2007 Thanksgiving halftime show in Detroit, featuring the Goo Goo Dolls
Arrowhead Stadium during the Chiefs-Broncos Thanksgiving night game in 2006
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League as a member of the National Football Conferen
NFL on Thanksgiving Day
…holiday. The NFL's Thanksgiving Day games have traditionally included one game hosted by the Detroit Lions since 1934, and one game hosted by the Dallas Cowboys since 1966 (with two exceptions in 1975 and 1977). Since 2006, a third game has also been played in prime time on Thanksgiving night. Unlike the two…
Tom Landry, pictured here in 1997, coached the team from 1960 to 1988 and led the Cowboys to five Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl victories in 1971 and 1977
Don Meredith was the first franchise quarterback of the Cowboys. NFL Films cited Meredith as the first "star" of the franchise, leading them to back-to-back NFL Championship Game appearances during the 1966 and 1967 seasons, both times falling one game shy of the Super Bowl
The Cowboys playing against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII in 1977
The five-time world champions mural