In the NFL, there are few constants, but one enduring tradition is the Detroit Lions playing every year on Thanksgiving Day.

With the exception of World War II years, the Lions have been part of the holiday festivities since 1934.

As one of the oldest and most beloved traditions in professional football, it begs the question: how have the Lions performed on Thanksgiving Day over the years? This article takes a deeper look at the Lions’ history with the holiday games.

While the Dallas Cowboys also play on Thanksgiving and there are now three games during the day, the Lions were the first team to establish the Thanksgiving tradition.

Dating back to the early days of the NFL, the Lions have had the honor of playing on this day for decades.

With 84 Thanksgiving games under their belt, the Lions hold the record for the most holiday appearances, 28 more than the next closest team.

However, the Lions’ Thanksgiving record has not always been the stuff of legends.

There have been times throughout the years when fans and critics have suggested it might be time for a different team to take over the tradition.

In fact, the Lions’ overall Thanksgiving record stands at 37 wins, 45 losses, and 2 ties.

Despite the losing record on Thanksgiving, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding this year’s Thanksgiving game.

With a 10-1 record, the Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL this season. Their high-powered offense has put up impressive numbers, including multiple games where they’ve scored over 40 points.

If they can continue their strong play, a Super Bowl run could be on the horizon.

Although the Lions have a losing overall record on Thanksgiving, they have found significant success against one opponent: the Green Bay Packers.

The Lions and Packers have squared off 22 times on Thanksgiving, making it the most frequent matchup in Detroit’s holiday history. The Lions have a solid 21-9-1 record against Green Bay on Turkey Day.

In fact, this was the matchup last year, though the Lions came up short despite a strong season overall, falling to the Packers.

Another key rivalry for Detroit on Thanksgiving has been against the Chicago Bears, who are also the Lions’ second-most frequent opponent on the holiday.

Detroit will face off with Chicago once again this year.

The Lions have been less successful against the Bears, owning an 8-12 record in Thanksgiving games. However, the rivalry has been competitive.

The teams first met every Thanksgiving between 1934 and 1938 and have faced off on the holiday again in more recent years, including in 2018, 2019, and 2021.

The Lions’ Thanksgiving tradition has also seen individual players shine over the years.

Johnnie Morton holds the record for the most Thanksgiving MVP awards for Detroit, having won the Fox Turkey Leg Award three times in the late ’90s.

Other notable players who’ve earned the award include Barry Sanders, Herman Moore, Greg Hill, Reggie Bush, and Robert Porcher.

In total, the Lions have had a strong list of players who have earned MVP honors, with Matthew Stafford being the only player in franchise history to win both the Fox Turkey Leg Award and the CBS Turkey Leg/CBS All-Iron Award.

Some of the most memorable moments in Lions’ Thanksgiving history have come from dramatic victories and tough losses. One of the most iconic Thanksgiving Day games for Detroit took place in 1962.

The Packers were an unstoppable force that year, but the Lions’ defense delivered a historic performance, sacking quarterback Bart Starr 11 times and handing Green Bay its only loss of the season.

The 26-14 victory became known as the “Thanksgiving Day Massacre” and remains one of the high points in Lions’ history.

Unfortunately, the Lions have also had some devastating losses on Thanksgiving. In 1969, they were shut out 27-0 by the Minnesota Vikings in a snowstorm, one of their worst performances on the holiday.

In 1976, the Lions used a strategic defensive game plan to defeat the Buffalo Bills 27-14, despite a remarkable 273-yard rushing performance by O.J. Simpson.

The Lions made sure to force the Bills to rely on their passing game, which ultimately led to Buffalo’s downfall as their quarterback, Gary Marangi, struggled to complete passes.

1980 brought a memorable moment in Lions’ Thanksgiving history when the team played the Chicago Bears in the first-ever overtime game on the holiday.

The game ended in dramatic fashion as the Bears returned the opening kickoff of overtime for a touchdown, winning the game just 13 seconds into the extra period.

At the time, it was the fastest ending to an overtime game in NFL history.

In 1986, the Lions participated in the second-highest scoring Thanksgiving game up to that point, a 44-40 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

The game, filled with offensive fireworks, remains one of the most exciting yet heartbreaking games in franchise history.

Another Thanksgiving game that sparked changes in NFL rules occurred in 1998. The Lions played the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 16-16 tie, sending the game into overtime.

The coin toss for overtime became controversial when Steelers running back Jerome Bettis called heads but switched to tails in mid-air. The referee mistakenly accepted Bettis’ original call of heads, which was the wrong choice.

The Lions eventually won the game on a field goal, but the confusion over the coin toss and the handling of the overtime period led to the implementation of new rules.

Now, the referee must confirm a player’s choice before the coin toss, and overtime rules have changed, so a field goal on the first possession no longer ends the game.

The 2008 season was one of the darkest in Lions’ history, and their Thanksgiving Day performance mirrored that misery. Detroit lost to the Tennessee Titans 47-10, a blowout that symbolized their struggles that year.

The Lions became the first team in NFL history to lose every game in a 16-game season, a feat that remains a low point in their franchise history.

In 2012, another controversial Thanksgiving game led to a rule change.

Lions’ coach Jim Schwartz challenged a play that was automatically reviewable, resulting in a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

This prompted the creation of the “Jim Schwartz rule,” ensuring that plays that are automatically reviewed are not impacted by a coach’s challenge.

Some of Detroit’s best Thanksgiving games have been unforgettable victories.

In 2013, they crushed the Green Bay Packers 40-10, one of the most dominant performances in Lions’ history.

The Lions’ defense held the Packers to just 126 total yards, and Detroit dominated in nearly every facet of the game.

In contrast, the 2022 Thanksgiving game against the Buffalo Bills was another tough loss.

Despite a strong effort, the Lions ultimately fell 28-25 in a game dubbed the “21 seconds game” due to the Bills’ quick game-winning drive, which covered 50 yards in just 21 seconds to set up the final field goal.

Even though the Lions played valiantly, the loss was heartbreaking for the team and their fans.

Looking ahead, the Lions will play the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving Day in 2024, as they continue their tradition of hosting a game on the holiday.

Chicago, still rebuilding, will be led by Caleb Williams, who is expected to take the reins as the Bears’ quarterback.

It remains to be seen how the rivalry between these two teams will unfold this season, but for Detroit, the hope is that their dominant 2024 season continues with a win on the holiday that has defined their franchise for decades.