Dan Campbell understands the significance of Thanksgiving football as well as anyone. He experienced the holiday game as a player and now as the head coach of the Detroit Lions — and even suited up for a couple of Thanksgiving matchups during his time with the Dallas Cowboys. Few people appreciate the tradition as much as he does.

This week marks Campbell’s fifth time coaching the Lions on Thanksgiving. He currently holds a 1–3 record in these games, though last year Detroit finally ended a seven-year drought by beating the Chicago Bears for its first Thanksgiving win since 2016.

For generations, families have gathered around to watch the Lions and Cowboys play on this holiday, and Campbell knows how deeply that tradition runs in Detroit.

“It’s a pretty unique deal,” Campbell said on Monday. “You grow up watching these games — Detroit and Dallas — every single Thanksgiving. Detroit-Green Bay on this day is something everybody recognizes. Our players understand that, too.”

He added that what sets Thanksgiving football apart is the shared experience. “Most of the time, families are all together. They’re watching these two or three games as a group. That’s what gives it that special feeling.”

This year’s matchup offers a little extra energy: it’s the record 23rd time the Lions and Packers will square off on Thanksgiving, the most frequent pairing in NFL history. Detroit leads the series 12-9-1, with their last holiday meeting occurring in 2023.

The Lions are no strangers to the Thanksgiving spotlight. They’ve played 85 times on the holiday, going 38-45-2 since their first appearance in 1934. They’re also well accustomed to the tight turnaround that comes with playing two games in a four-day span.

Campbell acknowledged that preparing for this week is mostly about helping his players recover and mentally reset.

“It’s tough,” he said. “You’re sore, you’re worn down, but you’ve got to get your recovery in. By Wednesday, you’ve got to crank it back up and be mentally sharp enough to play a full game at full speed. That’s the mindset.”

And the schedule doesn’t let up — for the second consecutive year, the Lions follow their Thanksgiving matchup with another Thursday game, hosting the Cowboys the following week. Campbell smirked when asked about the back-to-back Thursday games, replying with a dry, “Yeah, that’s great.”

This game also gives Detroit a shot at redemption after getting handled by the Packers in Week 1. With the Lions still sitting third in the NFC North and currently outside the playoff picture, avoiding a season sweep by Green Bay carries serious weight.

“We hate losing, to anybody,” Campbell said. “But opening the season at their place and getting beat like that by a division opponent — nobody wants to start that way. The best part about division games is you get another shot.”

He emphasized the importance of this rematch: “We’ve got a chance at home, on a short week, against a good team. This division’s strong — it has been for a while. So this is another big one.”