pf9 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 While the NFL has ended some long Thanksgiving droughts in recent years, numerous long droughts are still intact. There are still three teams which have not played on Thanksgiving since the advent of the night game - the Browns, Rams and Jaguars, the latter never appearing on the holiday at all. In the past few years, too many teams who already appeared on Thanksgiving in the past few years did so again (not counting Dallas and Detroit). In the most extreme case - the night game two years in a row featured the exact same teams. Also, since NBC took over the night game, only once has it been interdivisional - Pittsburgh VS. Indianapolis in 2016. In contrast, when NFL Network aired the night game, only one division rivalry, Denver-Kansas City in 2006, was ever played in that time slot. If the NFL truly wanted a division rivalry in the nightcap this year, it should have been 49ers-Rams, which would have been the latter's first appearance on Thanksgiving Day since 1975. Thus, starting next year, in determining the opponents for Dallas and Detroit, the Thanksgiving slot would go to the home opponent who has gone the longest without appearing on the holiday. Had this been done this year, Cleveland would be playing at Dallas on Thanksgiving this year. In determining the night game, the team not playing Dallas or Detroit with the longest active drought would be involved, which next year would be the Rams, and the opponent of the Rams with the longest Thanksgiving drought would be their opponent. It just so happens the Rams host the Jaguars next year, thus, under this criteria, the Thanksgiving night game next year would be Jaguars at Rams. Detroit's opponent on Thanksgiving would be the Cardinals (no east coast NFC East team has a Thanksgiving drought longer than the Cardinals, who will have the longest Thanksgiving drought of all of Detroit's home opponents heading into next year no matter what the final standings are), while Denver would play at Dallas, they for the moment have the longest Thanksgiving drought of all of the Cowboys' home opponents next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancerman Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 1 hour ago, pf9 said: There are still three teams which have not played on Thanksgiving since the advent of the night game - the Browns, Rams and Jaguars, the latter never appearing on the holiday at all. The poor Rams. Having to suffer the indignity of being treated like second class teams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nabbs4u Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Heres a novel concept, how about not having Dallas and Detroit play every GD Thanksgiving day game? Absolutely have them face each other when Divisions NFCE/N align? (God forbid) one has to go on the road to face the other, that would be a travesty right? Start with that and the rest can easily follow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrantikRam Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 It is sort of surprising that, after having three schedules released after a winning season, that we haven't gotten the nod on Thanksgiving (because of how long it's been). And ironically, my dad being an older fan who cares more about Thanksgiving games, checks the schedule every year to see if the Rams made the cut. I personally couldn't care less. Having Dallas and Detroit - two franchises who have been remarkably underwhelming since 2000, play every year shows that it's kind of a joke. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Reed Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Yeah and typically it’s bad teams playing against Dallas/Lions in those early games (feel like it’s Redskins/Bears more often than not)...just makes the whole day very underwhelming typically. Usually only the night game is one to look forward to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danger Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Anything to spite Dallas, I'm in favor of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pf9 Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 (edited) I mean it is important to have a relative rotation of teams playing on Thanksgiving. How the teams playing in the NHL Winter Classic are determined is just as bad. Most Winter Classics have featured American NHL teams that NBC feels are the most marketable, there have been exceptions though like last year (Nashville at Dallas). And despite the increase in outdoor games in the last several years, my NHL team, the Blue Jackets, remain the only non-Sun Belt NHL team that have never played an outdoor game. Having them get an outdoor game ASAP (it may not happen next season due to the pandemic) would be a real morale boost for the team in the face of having been eliminated in the playoffs by three of the last four eventual Stanley Cup champions (which never happened prior to 2017), including two divisional opponents. Edited October 3, 2020 by pf9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkippyX Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Add another game to the new contract. Noon 3:10 PM 6:20 PM 9:30 PM Jags-Browns goes here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CWood21 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Honestly, I have no real issues with the Lions being on there. Dallas gets old, but Detroit deserves some spotlight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronjon1990 Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 The Patriots and the artists now known as the WFT or the Chiefs would have been my choice for a Thanksgiving game....just sayin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INbengalfan Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 Personally, I'm glad my team doesn't play on Thanksgiving. Focus on family. Radical thought I know. Now that everyone has to play a TNF game, it doesn't matter. The Thanksgiving teams seem to be lining up the following TNF week lately, which is fine, given the competitive inequities it creates. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pf9 Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 Under my proposed criteria, the Thanksgiving games this year would have been: Tampa Bay at Detroit Cleveland at Dallas Arizona VS. LA Rams (which still would have satisfied the NFL's desire to place a division game in the night slot, but it would have featured teams with longer droughts than the Ravens and Steelers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mazrimiv Posted October 3, 2020 Share Posted October 3, 2020 57 minutes ago, pf9 said: I mean it is important to have a relative rotation of teams playing on Thanksgiving. Important to who? There are already 4 rotating teams to go with two traditional host teams. DAL has a huge fan base, which makes it a very attractive option for the networks. I don't see where the NFL has much incentive to change anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pf9 Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 (edited) Except the NFL should emphasize teams who have gone longer without appearing on Thanksgiving. Out of this year's non-traditional hosts, the team that that gone longest without playing on Thanksgiving that is doing so this year is Houston - whose drought was only 7 seasons. The droughts for the Rams, Buccaneers, Cardinals, and Browns were all at least 11 seasons entering this year. I found it insulting when the Saints and Falcons played on Thanksgiving night two years in a row. I felt they could have waited for other teams to make appearances on Thanksgiving before they next appeared on the holiday. So right now, it's not a true rotation if situations like with the Saints and Falcons are happening. Edited October 3, 2020 by pf9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pf9 Posted October 3, 2020 Author Share Posted October 3, 2020 And the same two seasons also had Chicago and Detroit on Thanksgiving. That, as a Packers fan, irritated the hell out of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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