With several NFL teams locking horns this Thanksgiving Day, it may be best to note that there were several performances in the past by teams and players.
There is plenty to mention, and these players etched their names in the NFL history books as far as memorable Turkey Day outings the league has seen. But who is best known for holding games on Thanksgiving?
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Who started the NFL Thanksgiving Day games?
That honor belongs to the Detroit Lions way back in 1934, per CBS Sports. Former Lions owner G.A. Richards scheduled a game on Thanksgiving Day, a clash between his team and the Chicago Bears.
Richards had just purchased the team that year. The Lions lost to the Bears, 19-16, with roughly 26,000 spectators at the University of Detroit Stadium on November 29, 1934.
The Dallas Cowboys followed the Lions' lead and played in almost all seasons except for 1975 and 1977, per the Pro Football Network.
Here are some players who gave notable performances on Thanksgiving Day:
Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings (1998)
In 1998, Randy Moss made quite an impression in his rookie year with the Minnesota Vikings. One of those memorable performances was in their win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, 46-34.
The six-time Pro Bowler caught touchdown passes of 51, 56, and 56 yards, the only catches he had in that game. But his play was special since his 163 receiving yards were the ninth among Turkey Day performances in the NFL thus far.
Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys (1998)
Moss was not the only one who held a memorable Thanksgiving performance in 1998. Troy Aikman of the Dallas Cowboys also had a good game, establishing a career-high for passing yards.
Aikman threw for 455 yards in that game, the only 400-yard game in his career. He achieved it by attempting 57 times and completing 34 of them. While his effort was notable, it was not enough. The Vikings won over the Cowboys in that matchup, 46-36, per NFL.com.
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts (2004)
In this matchup, Peyton Manning threw for six touchdowns in less than three quarters, enough to lead the Colts over the Lions on November 26, 2004. It was one of the games in his career where he threw at least five touchdown passes.
Manning shares the NFL record for seven passes in a game with Nick Foles and Drew Brees. Aside from that, he also ranks third in career touchdown passes behind Brees (571) and Tom Brady (649).
Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys (2018)
Only in his fourth game as a Cowboy, Cooper made a good account of himself in his fourth game with the team after being acquired from the Oakland Raiders.
He scored a 90-yard touchdown against the Washington Defenders after Dak Prescott threw it to him across the middle at their 10-yard line, per ESPN.
It was added that at the time, Cooper reached a max speed of 20.82 miles per hour, one of the fastest by any Cowboys receiver.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots (2010)
It is no surprise that Tom Brady also had memorable games on Thanksgiving. One happened in 2010 after the seven-time Super Bowl champion completed 21 of 27 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns in the Pats win over the Lions, 45-24.
Making it sweeter is that the Patriots were trailing at some point before Brady started buckling down to work. It remains one of three games in which Brady achieved a perfect passer rating.
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