This year's NFL Thanksgiving Day schedule features three games on the holiday, and one more on Friday, Nov. 28.
As always, the Detroit Lions are in action on Thanksgiving Day, and this year they will host the Green Bay Packers in the 1 p.m. game. The Dallas Cowboys will host the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:30 p.m., and the Baltimore Ravens will host the Cincinnati Bengals in the nightcap at 8:20 p.m. On Friday, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Chicago Bears at 3 p.m.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe New England Patriots are off for the holiday and will instead be preparing for a Monday Night Football matchup against the New York Giants on Dec. 1. New England has played on Thanksgiving five times and compiled a 3-2 record over that span.
Here's a look back at Patriots performances on Thanksgiving Day:
1984 – Patriots lose to Dallas
New England stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and tied the game at 17-17. Craig James ran for 112 yards and Andre Tippett recorded 1.5 sacks against Cowboys quarterback Danny White. But Pats QB Tony Eason was sacked 10 times on that Thursday night, ultimately losing on a 23-yard field goal by the Cowboys' Rafael Septien. New England lost its Thanksgiving debut, 20-17.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady takes a bite of a turkey drumstick after the game against the New York Jets on Thanksgiving at Metlife Stadium in 2012.2000 – An inauspicious debut
It turns out that Tom Brady's first pass in the NFL was thrown during the Patriots' second appearance in a Thanksgiving game. The Pats played the Lions in Detroit that holiday. Drew Bledsoe started under center but threw two interceptions, one of which was returned 101 yards for a touchdown. The game was fairly competitive for three quarters, thanks to the defense and kicker Adam Vinatieri, who made three field goals, accounting for New England's only scores. With four minutes left and the game clearly out of hand, though, the sixth-round draft choice out of the University of Michigan entered the contest. The rookie threw three passes and completed one for 6 yards. The appearance was brief and ineffective, and the game ended with Detroit winning, 34-9. There were few hints for New England fans that Brady would be named Super Bowl MVP 14 months later in New Orleans.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement2002 – Defense wins holiday games
The Patriots would return to Detroit on Thanksgiving two years later with a different starting quarterback and result from the 2000 game. New England had won the Super Bowl for the first time in their history on Feb. 3 in New Orleans, but were just 6-5 when they arrived for the holiday contest. Brady ended up throwing for 201 yards with an interception, but the Pats had three pickoffs of their own, by Willie McGinest, Bobby Hamilton and Tedy Bruschi, with Bruschi returning his interception 27 yards for a touchdown. Without allowing a TD, the Patriots prevailed, 20-12, for their first Thanksgiving Day victory.
2010 – No contest this time
For the third time in a row, the Patriots traveled to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day game, and for the second straight time, they won. Their star quarterback threw for 341 yards with four passing touchdowns and ended up with a perfect 158.3 rating. Receivers Deion Branch and Wes Welker caught two TD passes each, and running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis rushed for two scores. Rookie cornerback Devin McCourty snatched two interceptions, and New England won easily, 45-24. It should be noted that the Pats wore their throwback jerseys that day.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez collides with the backside of lineman Brandon Moore and fumbles the ball in a 2012 game against New England. It was recovered and returned for a touchdown by the Patriots' Steve Gregory.2012 — The butt-fumble game
The Patriots traveled to MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to play the New York Jets on Thanksgiving night and played nearly flawless football in a contest that will forever be remembered as the butt-fumble game. Safety Steve Gregory secured his name in Patriots and NFL lore when he recovered a fumble that was caused when Jets cornerback Mark Sanchez ran into the backside of his lineman, Brandon Moore. Gregory also scored on the play with a 32-yard return. Tom Brady threw for three touchdowns and ran for another on this day, and Julian Edelman scored twice, once on a pass from Brady and another on the recovery of a fumble on special teams. It was another relatively easy victory, 49-19, on Thanksgiving.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: A look back at the Patriots' 5 performances in Thanksgiving Day games
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