The NFL holding games on Thanksgiving Day is one of the best traditions in American sports.
While the end-of-November holiday isn’t a big deal in the UK for obvious reasons, Americans love football and food, which makes the NFL’s Turkey Day a huge hit.
Here’s talkSPORT’s look back at some of the best Thanksgiving moments in league history.
Jerome Bettis calls the opposite — or does he?
Bettis is one of the best players in Steelers history, and the Buss were still in their prime in 1998.
That was clearly not the case at the referee’s hearing.
Detroit and Pittsburgh, who play each year on Thanksgiving, were tied 16-16 through four quarters of the holiday game, requiring overtime.
A standard coin toss turned into chaos on the field.
Betis calls it “the tail.”
The coin eventually showed that side.
But the referees heard “heads,” Detroit won the toss that would have favored Pittsburgh, and the Lions won the game 19-16 in overtime.
Randy Moss joins Cowboys as rookie
On Turkey Day, Moss Moss went to Dallas.
In 1998, Moss entered the NFL as a tall but fast rookie wide receiver and quickly attracted the attention of the league.
In his first year, he had 69 catches for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning MVP votes and being named Offensive Rookie of the Year.
But there’s no better way to announce yourself to America than on television, and Moss did just that during his Thanksgiving performance.
The former Marshall star caught just three passes against the Dallas Cowboys, who at the time were still widely considered America’s team.
Moss had all three catches for a total of 163 yards and three touchdowns, a stat line that remains incredible to this day.
Leon Wright does the unbelievable again
The Cowboys have long been the centerpiece of Thanksgiving Day NFL games.
There are few moments more memorable than the 1993 game starring Wright, who threw a Super Bowl touchdown the previous season.
In a snowy game, Miami, wearing heavy coats and cold hands, prepared for a late shot.
The kick was blocked.
The ball is rolling around in the snow.
And keep spinning, rolling, and waiting.
Had Dallas not touched the ball, the Cowboys would have won by one point.
Instead, Wright ended up sliding in a goal to bring the ball back to Miami.
The Dolphins’ second shot was outstanding, and Miami won a historic 16-14 victory in the final seconds.
Juice stumbles vs. Lions
There was a time when OJ Simpson was known nationally as a nationally renowned NFL running back and one of the best athletes in the world.
This moment was still a reality in 1976, when The Juice was coming off an 1,800-yard season, and when the engine revs were at their maximum, it was nearly impossible to stop.
Against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day in ’76, Simpson rushed for 273 yards and two touchdowns, setting a Thanksgiving and then-NFL record.
Buffalo lost 27-14, and Simpson’s career quickly went downhill.
But there was a time when Thanksgiving football was synonymous with the Juice’s backfield dominance.
Mark Sanchez famous for ‘dropping the ball on his butt’
No Thanksgiving NFL review would be complete without one of the most famous and hilarious games in league history.
Despite being the fifth overall pick, Sanchis never made the Pro Bowl.
He served as the New York Jets’ primary quarterback for just four years, finishing his career with a 37-36 record as a starter.
But Sanchez did maintain a 4-2 record in the postseason, with the former USC star creating a play that will forever be known as the “butt drop.”
Sanchez ran right into the hard back of an unsuspecting Jets offensive lineman.
The New England Patriots score an easy touchdown with a surreal fumble.
Playing for Bill Belichick’s team that day was Tom Brady, who couldn’t help but smile when he later saw the scene on replay in his hotel room.
“The first time I saw it, I was alone in a room laughing out loud for 20 seconds,” said Miami Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead, who was watching the game against Buffalo in 2022 Bill told the Let’s Go podcast after taking a kick from behind Trent Sherfield during the game.
“I think it’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in sports in my life. The fact that our team was the beneficiary of it and I was on the sidelines still makes it one of the things I remember in sports One of the Funniest Things “I don’t think (the Dolphins vs. Bills) can top it, but it’s fun. “
The image of Sanchez’s helmet hitting his teammate’s butt has never been forgotten and will never be forgotten.
Live forever in ass groping.
All three Thanksgiving Day games are live exclusively on talkSPORT2, with games starting at 5pm
12:30pm (5pm GMT) Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions
4:30 PM (4:30 GMT) Washington Commander @ Dallas Cowboys
8:20pm (1:30am GMT Friday) San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks