In Detroit, Thanksgiving doesn’t begin at the dinner table. It starts hours earlier, when families gather around the TV for a tradition nearly as old as the holiday itself: Lions football.
Both teams enter Thursday’s matchup coming off victories, and both find themselves in must-win territory. The winner keeps a firm grip on the playoff race, while the loser risks sliding out of contention. It’s one of the most-watched football broadcasts of the year, a fixture that has become as synonymous with the holiday as turkey and pumpkin pie: the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
The tradition dates back to 1934, when Lions owner George A. Richards scheduled a Thanksgiving game in hopes of boosting attendance and securing national radio coverage. The idea worked. Detroit has played at home on Thanksgiving every year since, with only World War II interrupting the NFL schedule. For nearly the entire tradition, kickoff has come at 12:30 p.m., but that changes this year, with Detroit set to open at 1 p.m. against the Green Bay Packers.
No team has appeared in more Thanksgiving games than the Lions. Through the decades, Detroit has accumulated a 38-44-2 all-time holiday record and endured both thrilling eras and painful losing streaks. The team finally snapped its most recent Thanksgiving skid in 2024, restoring some electricity to a game many Lions fans treat as an annual emotional roller coaster.
A rivalry that has its origins in the holiday season.
Detroit and Green Bay first met on Thanksgiving in 1951, starting a streak of 13 consecutive holiday matchups. During that run, the Lions controlled the rivalry, posting a 9-3-1 record before the streak ended in 1963. The teams did not meet again on Thanksgiving until 1984, when Detroit once again came out on top.
For decades, the Lions held the upper hand. But beginning in the 2000s, the Packers turned the tide. Since 2001, Detroit is just 2-5 against Green Bay on Thanksgiving. The Packers also won the most recent holiday meeting in 2023, a 29-22 victory that extended Detroit’s Thanksgiving losing streak to seven games. The Lions have struggled overall on the holiday since 2000, going 7-18, though momentum has shifted under head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell earned his first Thanksgiving win last season, a 23-20 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Despite their recent struggles, the Lions still lead the Thanksgiving series against the Packers 12-8-1, though Green Bay continues to inch closer.
Notable Moments in Lions Thanksgiving History
Both teams enter Thursday’s matchup coming off victories, and both find themselves in must-win territory. The winner keeps a firm grip on the playoff race, while the loser risks sliding out of contention. It’s one of the most-watched football broadcasts of the year, a fixture that has become as synonymous with the holiday as turkey and pumpkin pie: the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
The tradition dates back to 1934, when Lions owner George A. Richards scheduled a Thanksgiving game in hopes of boosting attendance and securing national radio coverage. The idea worked. Detroit has played at home on Thanksgiving every year since, with only World War II interrupting the NFL schedule. For nearly the entire tradition, kickoff has come at 12:30 p.m., but that changes this year, with Detroit set to open at 1 p.m. against the Green Bay Packers.
No team has appeared in more Thanksgiving games than the Lions. Through the decades, Detroit has accumulated a 38-44-2 all-time holiday record and endured both thrilling eras and painful losing streaks. The team finally snapped its most recent Thanksgiving skid in 2024, restoring some electricity to a game many Lions fans treat as an annual emotional roller coaster.
A rivalry that has its origins in the holiday season.
Detroit and Green Bay first met on Thanksgiving in 1951, starting a streak of 13 consecutive holiday matchups. During that run, the Lions controlled the rivalry, posting a 9-3-1 record before the streak ended in 1963. The teams did not meet again on Thanksgiving until 1984, when Detroit once again came out on top.
For decades, the Lions held the upper hand. But beginning in the 2000s, the Packers turned the tide. Since 2001, Detroit is just 2-5 against Green Bay on Thanksgiving. The Packers also won the most recent holiday meeting in 2023, a 29-22 victory that extended Detroit’s Thanksgiving losing streak to seven games. The Lions have struggled overall on the holiday since 2000, going 7-18, though momentum has shifted under head coach Dan Campbell. Campbell earned his first Thanksgiving win last season, a 23-20 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Despite their recent struggles, the Lions still lead the Thanksgiving series against the Packers 12-8-1, though Green Bay continues to inch closer.
Notable Moments in Lions Thanksgiving History
• 1953 — The comeback that fell short: Detroit lost a late fourth-quarter lead against the Packers but rebounded that season to win the NFL championship. The Thanksgiving defeat is still remembered as one of the rare blemishes of a championship year.
• 1962 — The “Thanksgiving Day Massacre”: The Lions handed the undefeated Packers their only loss of the season, overwhelming Green Bay with 11 sacks in a 26-14 victory.
• 1974 — The first national broadcast with John Madden: Madden’s first Thanksgiving game as a broadcaster came during a Lions loss to the Redskins, long before the famous “turducken” tradition developed.
• 1997 — Barry Sanders steals the show: Sanders erupted for 167 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a 55-20 win over the Bears.
• 1998 — The coin toss controversy: In overtime against Pittsburgh, referee Phil Luckett ruled the coin toss “heads” despite Steelers captain Jerome Bettis appearing to call “tails” or “hea-tails.” Detroit received the ball and eventually won.
• 2004 — Peyton Manning’s torching of Detroit: Manning threw six touchdowns in a 41-9 Colts victory, one of the most dominant quarterback performances in Thanksgiving history.
• 2012 — The “Schwartz challenge”: Lions coach Jim Schwartz mistakenly challenged an 80-yard Justin Forsett touchdown run that should have been automatically reviewed and reversed due to him being down just 10 yards into his run. The challenge negated the review, the touchdown stood, and Detroit later lost in overtime to Houston.
• 2015 — Stafford gets surgeical: Detroit earned a 45-14 win over Philadelphia, highlighted by Matthew Stafford’s five touchdown passes and Calvin Johnson’s three scores.
• 2016 — Buzzer beater: Matt Prater kicks a game winning field goal to beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-13
So gather the family, settle in, and enjoy the NFL tradition that has belonged to Detroit for more than nine decades. On a day built around rituals, none is more uniquely Michigan than Lions football on Thanksgiving.
• 1953 — The comeback that fell short: Detroit lost a late fourth-quarter lead against the Packers but rebounded that season to win the NFL championship. The Thanksgiving defeat is still remembered as one of the rare blemishes of a championship year.
• 1962 — The “Thanksgiving Day Massacre”: The Lions handed the undefeated Packers their only loss of the season, overwhelming Green Bay with 11 sacks in a 26-14 victory.
• 1974 — The first national broadcast with John Madden: Madden’s first Thanksgiving game as a broadcaster came during a Lions loss to the Redskins, long before the famous “turducken” tradition developed.
• 1997 — Barry Sanders steals the show: Sanders erupted for 167 rushing yards and three touchdowns in a 55-20 win over the Bears.
• 1998 — The coin toss controversy: In overtime against Pittsburgh, referee Phil Luckett ruled the coin toss “heads” despite Steelers captain Jerome Bettis appearing to call “tails” or “hea-tails.” Detroit received the ball and eventually won.
• 2004 — Peyton Manning’s torching of Detroit: Manning threw six touchdowns in a 41-9 Colts victory, one of the most dominant quarterback performances in Thanksgiving history.
• 2012 — The “Schwartz challenge”: Lions coach Jim Schwartz mistakenly challenged an 80-yard Justin Forsett touchdown run that should have been automatically reviewed and reversed due to him being down just 10 yards into his run. The challenge negated the review, the touchdown stood, and Detroit later lost in overtime to Houston.
• 2015 — Stafford gets surgeical: Detroit earned a 45-14 win over Philadelphia, highlighted by Matthew Stafford’s five touchdown passes and Calvin Johnson’s three scores.
• 2016 — Buzzer beater: Matt Prater kicks a game winning field goal to beat the Minnesota Vikings 16-13
So gather the family, settle in, and enjoy the NFL tradition that has belonged to Detroit for more than nine decades. On a day built around rituals, none is more uniquely Michigan than Lions football on Thanksgiving.