NFL Thanksgiving Schedule 2021

The NFL has been hosting games on Thanksgiving for well over 80 years. The Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions went head-to-head in the first-ever NFL Thanksgiving game back in 1934. The Lions won 12-0.

In the 2021 season, the NFL will have three games on Thanksgiving. If you are wondering who will be playing this year and which channel will broadcast the games, here are the details.

NFL Thanksgiving games 2021

#1 - Chicago Bears Versus Detroit Lions

First up, the Chicago Bears will take on the Detroit Lions. The two teams have faced each other 18 times on Thanksgiving and the Bears hold a slender 10-8 lead in those games. This year's matchup will likely see Justin Fields take on Jared Goff in what promises to be a competitive game between the two rebuilding teams.

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#2 - Las Vegas Raiders vs Dallas Cowboys

The Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys will go head-to-head this year in the second game on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys have played 53 games on Thanksgiving, second-most behind the Detroit Lions' 81. The Raiders, on the other hand, have played in just seven games on Thanksgiving, winning three and losing four.

#3 - Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints

This game will be a battle between Josh Allen and either Jameis Winston or Ian Book. The Bills will likely be leading the AFC East and trying to put some extra distance between themselves and the New England Patriots or the Miami Dolphins.

Meanwhile, the Saints will be lagging behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at this point. Overall, the game will likely end in a comfortable blowout victory for the Bills.

AFC Championship - Buffalo Bills v Kansas City Chiefs

When are the Thanksgiving Day games and what channel are they on?

Week 12

November 25

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, 12:30 p.m. ET (FOX)

Las Vegas Raiders at Dallas Cowboys, 4:30 p.m. ET (CBS)

Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

About the author

Ian brings with him more than 6.5 years of sports writing experience to the Sportskeeda NFL team. He played offensive line in middle school and high school, and also made it to the top 0% matchmaking ranking in MUT play in Madden.

He possesses the quality of identifying unique story angles from quotes in press conferences, social media and interviews. He assimilates facts for his stories with a lawyer-like precision and verifies each and every piece of information.

Ian admires Peyton Manning for his ability to beat teams with his mind despite not being the best athlete, and is also a fan of Tom Brady. The Denver Broncos are his favorite team, and their Super Bowl 50 win in Manning’s last game is etched in his memory forever. Bill Belichick is his all-time favorite coach.

He has also grown to admire the Los Angeles Rams mainly because he and Cooper Kupp went to the same college, Eastern Washington University, with both finishing their college careers at the same time.

In his career so far, Ian has had the privilege of exclusively interviewing Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, Kwity Paye of the Indianpolis Colts and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash. When not writing, he likes to play video games and be outdoors.

Know More

Dallas Cowboys Fans! Check out the latest Cowboys Schedule and dive into the Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Jay Lokegaonkar

NFL Thanksgiving Schedule 2021: Games, Dates & Telecast Details