Much like turkey, stuffing, and all the fixings for a good family meal, NFL games on Thanksgiving are a significant holiday tradition. Many viewers settle in to watch NFL games featuring at least the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys each year.
However, those games often take football stars away from their loved ones on the memorable holiday to participate in regular-season matchups.
For Jared Goff and the Lions, it’ll be a clash with a division rival they are fighting to gain at least a playoff spot, potentially, and the NFC North down the stretch. They’ll go up against a Green Bay Packers team, also hungry for a Thanksgiving NFL win and some turkey.
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Ahead of the intense Packers-Lions clash in Detroit, Goff spoke with reporters about the significance of being part of a game on the major holiday. Based on his remarks, he has learned to embrace the tradition now that he’s the team’s star QB.
“I’ve enjoyed this tradition, man. And it’s been fun to be a part of now for five years, and being able to get our first win in it last year was awesome, and taking that bite of the turkey. You want to get that feeling again,” Goff told reporters.
Last year, the Lions played another division rival, the Chicago Bears, in an entertaining matchup. Goff and company picked up a hard-fought 23-20 victory, their first on Thanksgiving since 2016, and improved to 11-1 during a season when many believed they could get into the Super Bowl.
That belief carried over to this season- until the team struggled. The Lions currently have a 7-4 record in what might be one of the NFL’s most challenging divisions. The surging Chicago Bears lead the division at 8-3, followed by the 7-3-1 Packers.
With the game at Detroit’s Ford Field, the Lions realize a win is crucial to their hopes of remaining close to the top of the NFC North. Green Bay, which also stumbled, has won two straight games behind quarterback Jordan Love, while Goff and the Lions are coming off last week’s overtime win against the Giants.
The Lions and Packers met in Week 1, with Green Bay delivering a crushing 27-13 loss to the Lions to start their season. Goff also spoke about whether he and his teammates could use anything from that earlier loss.
“We’re a different team. They’re a different team. You certainly look at it and see what they did to beat us and things they may want to try again or maybe things they’re getting away from,” Goff said, adding, “We’re different. They’re different.”
Heading into this matchup, the projected NFL Playoff bracket doesn’t include Detroit, which is in the hunt for a spot. However, a win over the Packers, a team considered a No. 6 seed, would go a long way. The two teams meet in the first of three NFL games on Thanksgiving, with Fox providing the coverage Thursday at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
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