Jacob Camenker, USA TODAYThu, November 27, 2025 at 11:01 AM UTC·3 min readFor the first time since 2013, the Baltimore Ravens are set to host a game at M&T Bank Stadium on Thanksgiving night.
The NFL chose to have the Cincinnati Bengals play against the Ravens on the holiday. The league hoped it would be a battle of playoff hopefuls, but now, it may be a litmus test of whether the Bengals have enough time remaining to claw their way back into the playoff race.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOf course, the game won't be the only form of entertainment on display in Baltimore on Thursday night. The Ravens have also booked a halftime performer for the marquee Thanksgiving night matchup.
Detroit Lions players celebrate their 23-20 win against the Chicago Bears with a turkey drumstick at Ford Field on Nov. 28, 2024. The celebration was made possible by some highly questionable clock management by Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. A day later, Eberflus was fired by the Bears, the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott poses with the Galloping Gobbler trophy after the win over Washington at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Nov 24, 2016. The Cowboys won the game, 31-26. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott put on an offensive showcase.
During a Thanksgiving Day game in 2013, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin got into the action. The Baltimore Ravens' Jacoby Jones broke free on a kickoff return, but Tomlin stepped onto the field, causing Jones to avoid the Steelers coach along the sideline. Instead of a touchdown, Jones was tackled after a 73-yard return. The Ravens went on to win the game, 22-20.
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez collides with the backside of lineman Brandon Moore and fumbles the ball. It was recovered and returned for a touchdown by the New England Patriots' Steve Gregory. The play was part of a disastrous sequence for the Jets, who lost three fumbles as the Patriots scored three touchdowns in 52 seconds. New England went on to win 49-19, and Sanchez's infamous moment from the 2012 game is known as "The Butt Fumble."
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo celebrates a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter NFL action in Irving, Texas Nov. 23, 2006. In a breakout game, Romo threw for 306 yards and five TDs.
On his way to 49 touchdown passes for the season, Peyton Manning put six on the board in the Indianapolis Colts' masterful 41-9 win over the Detroit Lions. Manning went 23-of-28 for 236 yards and six touchdowns before being pulled near the end of third quarter in 2004.
Randy Moss added another tally to his incredible rookie year in in the Minnesota Vikings' 46-36 win over the Dallas Cowboys, catching three touchdown passes for 163 yards in 1998.
With the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers headed to overtime, referee Phil Luckett's microphone caught Pittsburgh captain Jerome Bettis calling "tails" on the coin toss. Despite the toss coming up tails, Luckett claimed Detroit won the toss. The Lions opted to receive the kickoff and scored a field goal on the first possession to win the game in 1998.
Hall of Famer Barry Sanders ran for 167 yards and three touchdowns as the Detroit Lions obliterated the Chicago Bears, 55-20, in 1997. Sanders moved into second place on the NFL’s all-time rushing yardage list during the game.
The Dallas Cowboys' Leon Lett dives for a blocked fourth-quarter field goal attempt as Bert Weidner of the Miami Dolphins scrambles for the ball on Nov. 25, 1993, in Irving, Texas. The live ball was recovered by Jeff Dellenbach of the Dolphins. Miami kicker Pete Stoyanovich then made the winning 19-yard field goal as time expired giving the Dolphins a 16-14 victory.
Thanksgiving 1977 marks the last time that the Dallas Cowboys did not host a Thanksgiving Day game. Instead, the St. Louis Cardinals played the Miami Dolphins at Busch Stadium. Quarterback Bob Griese led the Dolphins to a dominating 55-10 win. A year later, the Cowboys were back in the Thanksgiving spotlight, a tradition the franchise hasn't relinquished since.
Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson rushed for an NFL record 273 yards against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, Nov 25, 1976 in Pontiac, Michigan.
1 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Detroit Lions players celebrate their 23-20 win against the Chicago Bears with a turkey drumstick at Ford Field on Nov. 28, 2024. The celebration was made possible by some highly questionable clock management by Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. A day later, Eberflus was fired by the Bears, the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history.
1 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Detroit Lions players celebrate their 23-20 win against the Chicago Bears with a turkey drumstick at Ford Field on Nov. 28, 2024. The celebration was made possible by some highly questionable clock management by Bears head coach Matt Eberflus. A day later, Eberflus was fired by the Bears, the first in-season firing of a head coach in franchise history.
2 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott poses with the Galloping Gobbler trophy after the win over Washington at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Nov 24, 2016. The Cowboys won the game, 31-26. Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott put on an offensive showcase.
3 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
During a Thanksgiving Day game in 2013, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin got into the action. The Baltimore Ravens' Jacoby Jones broke free on a kickoff return, but Tomlin stepped onto the field, causing Jones to avoid the Steelers coach along the sideline. Instead of a touchdown, Jones was tackled after a 73-yard return. The Ravens went on to win the game, 22-20.
4 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez collides with the backside of lineman Brandon Moore and fumbles the ball. It was recovered and returned for a touchdown by the New England Patriots' Steve Gregory. The play was part of a disastrous sequence for the Jets, who lost three fumbles as the Patriots scored three touchdowns in 52 seconds. New England went on to win 49-19, and Sanchez's infamous moment from the 2012 game is known as "The Butt Fumble."
5 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo celebrates a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third quarter NFL action in Irving, Texas Nov. 23, 2006. In a breakout game, Romo threw for 306 yards and five TDs.
6 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
On his way to 49 touchdown passes for the season, Peyton Manning put six on the board in the Indianapolis Colts' masterful 41-9 win over the Detroit Lions. Manning went 23-of-28 for 236 yards and six touchdowns before being pulled near the end of third quarter in 2004.
7 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Randy Moss added another tally to his incredible rookie year in in the Minnesota Vikings' 46-36 win over the Dallas Cowboys, catching three touchdown passes for 163 yards in 1998.
8 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
With the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers headed to overtime, referee Phil Luckett's microphone caught Pittsburgh captain Jerome Bettis calling "tails" on the coin toss. Despite the toss coming up tails, Luckett claimed Detroit won the toss. The Lions opted to receive the kickoff and scored a field goal on the first possession to win the game in 1998.
9 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Hall of Famer Barry Sanders ran for 167 yards and three touchdowns as the Detroit Lions obliterated the Chicago Bears, 55-20, in 1997. Sanders moved into second place on the NFL’s all-time rushing yardage list during the game.
10 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
The Dallas Cowboys' Leon Lett dives for a blocked fourth-quarter field goal attempt as Bert Weidner of the Miami Dolphins scrambles for the ball on Nov. 25, 1993, in Irving, Texas. The live ball was recovered by Jeff Dellenbach of the Dolphins. Miami kicker Pete Stoyanovich then made the winning 19-yard field goal as time expired giving the Dolphins a 16-14 victory.
11 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Thanksgiving 1977 marks the last time that the Dallas Cowboys did not host a Thanksgiving Day game. Instead, the St. Louis Cardinals played the Miami Dolphins at Busch Stadium. Quarterback Bob Griese led the Dolphins to a dominating 55-10 win. A year later, the Cowboys were back in the Thanksgiving spotlight, a tradition the franchise hasn't relinquished since.12 / 12From 'Butt Fumbles' to Barry Sanders: NFL’s Most unforgettable Thanksgiving moments
Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson rushed for an NFL record 273 yards against the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, Nov 25, 1976 in Pontiac, Michigan.
Halftime entertainment has become an increasingly important part of the NFL's holiday showcase games. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, the league's perennial Thanksgiving hosts, have hosted several notable acts in recent years. That included the Cowboys having Dolly Parton perform in 2023.
This year, Detroit and Dallas will have Jack White and Post Malone respectively performing for fans in 2025.
Who did Baltimore book for its halftime show? Here's what to know about the halftime performer for the Thanksgiving matchup between the Ravens and Bengals.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWho is the Ravens' Thanksgiving halftime show performer?
Lil Jon has will be the halftime entertainment during the Ravens' Thanksgiving night game against the Bengals.
The Ravens announced the famed rapper and producer would headline their halftime show on Nov. 13. They credited the Atlanta native with being "one of the greatest performers of his generation" in the press release revealing his selection as the team's Thanksgiving halftime performer.
Who is Lil Jon?
Lil Jon is a 54-year-old rapper who got his start as a DJ in Atlanta in the 1990s. He eventually founded the rap group "Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz" and is credited with being one of the most influential figures of the hip-hop subgenre known as "crunk."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLil Jon has nine singles reach the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. That includes "Yeah!", which was made in collaboration with Usher and Ludacris and resulted in the rapper's lone Grammy Award win to date.
Also among those hits were "Turn Down for What," which was made in collaboration with DJ Snake. The 2013 single earned eight platinum certifications in the United States whiles its music video was nominated for a Grammy Award and has been viewed more than 1.2 billion times on YouTube.
Among Lil Jon's iother notable single are "Lovers and Friends" – on which he collaborated with the East Side Boyz, Usher and Ludacris – "Get Low" (also with the East Side Boyz and featuring Ying Yang Twins) and "Snap Yo Fingers," which features E-40 and Sean P.
Lil Jon has also been a prolific producer during his music career. He notably produced the Grammy-winning "Yeah!" and also has credits on the following songs, among others:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"Let's Go" by Tricky Daddy (2002)
"Damn!" by YoungBloodZ (2003)
"Salt Shaker" by Ying Yang Twins (2003)
"Freek-a-Leek" by Petey Pablo (2004)
"Goodies" by Ciara (2004)
"Girlfight" by Brooke Valentine (2005)
"Cyclone" by Baby Bash (2007)
Lil Jon's halftime performance at the Ravens vs. Bengals game won't be his first at an NFL game. He also made a guest appearance during the Super Bowl 58 halftime show. Usher was the headliner of that performance, and he, Lil Jon and Ludacris performed "Yeah!" for the crowd on hand in Las Vegas.
Is Lil Jon a Ravens fan?
For those wondering, Lil Jon is not a Ravens fan. He grew up in Atlanta and has frequently shown his support for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta Braves during his life – though he acknowledged in the caption of a 2020 social media post "it's hard being a Falcons fan."
Lil Jon was in attendance when Atlanta played the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 51. The Falcons famously lost that game 34-28 in overtime after holding a 28-3 lead late in the third quarter.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is performing Ravens-Bengals Thanksgiving halftime show?
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