By: Sam Neumann
It seems as if nothing but parades air on Thanksgiving, but football provides a much needed break for fans around the country. Here are the top three games to watch this Turkey Day.
If you want to see a good, tough divisional matchup, then tune in at 12:30 on Thanksgiving Day to see the Chicago Bears take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan . This will be a key division game in deciding who wins the NFC North in Week 12 of the season. The Bears have seen struggles; they have a talented offense but can’t seem to score. On the other side of the ball, the defense cannot stop a nosebleed. The Bears need a division win more than anyone else in the NFL. If not, they’ll fall deep in the standings behind the Packers and Lions.
The Lions are one of the league’s best. Even without one of the best players in the NFL, Calvin Johnson, they still win. Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford has finally proved his doubters wrong. He has made himself a permanent fixture on the list of top NFL quarterbacks. There is no one standing in the Lions’ way for playoffs.The Lions win this one 45-17.
Two of the NFL’s elite will face off in the annual Turkey Bowl this year, too. The Philadelphia Eagles will travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. The Cowboys are the hottest team in the league right now; their offense is arguably one of the best in the NFL. Tony Romo is playing the best football of his career, DeMarco Murray is averaging over 100 yards a game (an NFL best) and all the Dallas wide receivers are posting career bests as well. The only thing that Dallas needs to improve is their defense, which is led by Comeback Player of the Year candidate Rolando McClain.
The Eagles depend on offense to win games. Ever since Chip Kelly brought his spread attack from Oregon, the Eagles have metamorphosed into a top five offense. The wide open alley ways caused by his 3, 4 and 5 receiver sets make the running attack as lethal as the passing led by Nick Foles. Their defense is a mirror image of the Cowboys defense, posting average stats across the board. The prediction for this game is that it will be an easy win for Jerry Jones’ Cowboys: 31-23.
A great way to end a perfect Thanksgiving is to watch the Seattle Seahawks face their big rival, the San Francisco 49ers, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. This meeting will be the first time these teams have faced since late in the 2013-2014 playoffs. It ended with Seahawks linebacker Malcolm Smith intercepting the 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to end the game. The final score was 23-17.
The Seahawks and 49ers have both struggled. Neither team looks as dominant as it was last season or poised to make the playoffs. The 49ers have lost key members of their linebacker core. They have been out-coached and out-schemed in almost every game this season. Part of that has to do with Jim Harbaugh, the head coach, losing his players’ trust. They are sinking as a team, and it may be too late to do anything about it.
The Seahawks, last season’s Super Bowl Champions, don’t look unbeatable this year. They’ve used about every excuse in the book for why they aren’t playing at their typically high levels. They need a big running game and strong defense.For a game with a playoff like atmosphere, tune in at 8:30 on Thanksgiving Night. The 49ers will win 27-21. They’re much more desperate than the Seahawks for a win.
Comments