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Merry Thanksgiving: Ranking the NFL's six games on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day

By Andrew Wright | Last updated May 14, 2025 11:09 PM ET

At long last, the NFL schedule has officially been released, and each team knows who and when they will play each of its 17 regular-season games.

In recent years, the NFL has expanded the Thanksgiving slate, adding a third game, and just as recently as 2020, Christmas Day games have become a staple.

The two holidays will feature six more games this season, so here they are, ranked from No. 6 to No. 1.

6. Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys Week 13 Thanksgiving Day

The Cowboys weren't very relevant last season, and it feels that if you aren't a Chiefs fan, you're tired of seeing Kansas City on national television every week.

The Cowboys are 5-5 in their last 10 games on Thanksgiving, while the Chiefs haven't appeared in a Thanksgiving game since 2006, a 19-10 win against the Denver Broncos.

If the past few seasons are any indication of how this game will go, plenty of folks will be able to get their annual Thanksgiving nap in before the last game of the evening.

5. Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs Week 17 Christmas Day

The late-season game between the Chiefs and Broncos was a bit uneventful, and this Christmas Day matchup could be much of the same.

The teams met in Week 18 last season, and with the Chiefs having clinched the division, none of their starters played, and the Broncos won 38-0.

With the game on Christmas Day falling coming in Week 17, that could be the same case this season, and it once again could be one of the more boring games of the year.

4. Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders Week 17 Christmas Day

Both games last season between these two division rivals came down to the wire, and that could very well be the case again this year.

The Cowboys shocked the Commanders in Washington early in the season. Washington returned the favor in Week 18 with a last-second touchdown to kill any hopes Dallas had of a season sweep.

With this being one of the best rivalries in all of the NFL, the games are usually utterly competitive, and on Christmas Day, it could be a game that determines a possible division winner or final wild-card spot.

SCARY TERRY TD WITH 3 SECONDS TO GO! pic.twitter.com/10Z6DZWBUQ
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025

3. Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions Week 13 Thanksgiving Day

Just like the Cowboys do, the Lions play a home game on Thanksgiving, and this season it gives us one of the better rivalries in the game

Detroit swept Green Bay last season in games decided by three and 10 points, but both were competitive.

The Lions have won three of the last four games in the series, meaning Green Bay will be looking to get back on track and take back over a division it hasn't won since 2021.

2. Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings Week 17 Christmas Day

A late-season divisional showdown between these two teams may be something that happens quite frequently in the future.

They met Week 18, in the last game of the 2024 regular season, with the winner being crowned NFC North champions. Detroit won the game convincingly, 31-9, and it may have been the game that ultimately led to the decision by Minnesota not to re-sign quarterback Sam Darnold.

With the game coming in Week 17, it is easy to assume that the same type of playoff implications will be up in the air, and much like the Detroit crowd was alive and rowdy in Week 18 last season, U.S. Bank Stadium will be a madhouse on Christmas Day.

1. Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens Week 13 Thanksgiving Day

Joe Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson to wrap up Thanksgiving is what NFL fans dream of.

These teams never fail to play a thrilling game against each other, and that is exactly what will be expected after a day full of turkey and stuffing. The two games last season were decided by a total of four points, with the Ravens coming away with 35-34 and 41-38 victories.

It will be the first of two games in a three-week span between Cincinnati and Baltimore, and it should be the perfect ending to a Thanksgiving Day full of football.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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