–There are no byes on Thanksgiving weekend with six national gameson tap – three on Thanksgiving and a black Friday game plus the usual Sunday and Monday night games. Unfortunately some of the matchups aren’t what the league had hoped they would be. For example, the Jets were supposed to have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback against Miami. Instead, journeymen Tim Boyle will start for Zach Wilson, who was benched last week. The Jets defense may keep them in th game, but it figures to be an eeasy win for the Dolphins. And they expected Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow to start against the Steelers but he is out for the year after being injured last week and that should give the Steelers the edge.
–The Lions and Cowboys will get the first two Thanksgiving Day slots as usual but the games aren’t tasty. The Lions figure to beat Green Bay and the Cowboys should rout the Commanders. The prime time game with San Francisco at Seattle could be interesting but the Forty-Niners should have the edge.The Lions-Packers-game is good for nostalgia. In 1962, the Lions crushed the Packers on Thanksgiving Day, costing them a perfect season. The Lions almost beat them twice, losing the first game 9-7, which was the focus of the classic book by W.C Heinz, “Run to Daylight.” The Lions went 11-3 and didn’t make the playoffs because there were no wild cards in those days so they didn’t get a third crack at the Packers. But Vince Lombardi decided he didn’t want to play in Detroit every year on Thanksgiving Day and pulled the Packers out of playing there every year starting in 1964. It is a coincidence the Packers will play in the game this year. This time, they are the underdogs.
–In a game that no one expected to be for first place in the AFC South, Houston will host the Jaguars. Houston won the first place and is 6-4 to the Jaguars 7-3. A Houston win would vault them into first place because they would have the tie break over the Jaguars. But the Jaguars have won six of their last seven and aren’t likely to overlook the Texans the way they probably did in the first meeting. It will be the second matchup of rookie C.J. Sroud and Trevor Laswrence. They could be dueling twice a year for the next decade.
–Will the Eagles and Chiefs be focused Sunday after their emotional Super Bowl rematch Monday night? The Eagles will host the Bills and the Chiefs will go to Las Vegas. The Eagles and Chiefs both figure to win but they could be drained. The Eagles are 9-1 but have won six games by seven points or less. And the Chiefs receivers have to show they can catch the ball. They lead the league in drops and two on the final drive in the fourth quarter against the Eagles cost them the game.
–The Sunday night game features Baltimore at the Chargers and is another matchup that looked much better when the season came out that it does now. The Chargers are one of the most disappointing teams in the league at 4-6 after last week’s loss to the Packers, 23-20. Brandon Staley figures to get fired at the end of the year because he can’t win with Justin Herbert at quarterback. But the Ravens can’t take it for granted because Herbert can keep the Chargers in games.