American Thanksgiving can be a tough day for Canadians.
While our friends to the south are kicking off a four-day weekend and gearing up to sit down to a turkey dinner with all the fixings, us Canucks are stuck at work longing for canned cranberry sauce and warm pumpkin pie.
There is one thing all Canadians can celebrate along with our U.S. counterparts: an NFL triple-header.
While a couple of today’s matchups may not be too appealing at first glance, each game has major playoff implications that could have long-lasting effects on how both the NFC and AFC post-season pictures unfold.
Let’s start off in the Motor City:
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions – 12:30 p.m. EST, Citytv
Despite the absence of Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have been able to stay afloat in the NFC North thanks to some poor performances from the Lions and Chicago Bears over the last month. A win against the Lions today and a Bears loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday would catapult Green Bay to the top of the division.
But the Lions, who have lost nine straight on Thanksgiving, were fed some juicy motivation when Packers guard Josh Sitton called Detroit’s defensive line “a bunch of dirtbags” in a radio interview earlier this week.
It’s safe to say things might get a bit chippy at Ford Field this Thanksgiving.
Lions haven’t forgotten Flynn
Playing on his third team this season, Matt Flynn gets the nod for the Packers today in Detroit after leading Green Bay back from a 16-point deficit to tie the Vikings last week.
Flynn’s last start against the Lions made Green Bay Packer history. In relief of Aaron Rodgers at the end of the 2011 season, Flynn passed for 480 yards and six touchdowns – both franchise records since tied by Rodgers – in a Week 17 performance that earned the former LSU Tiger a monster contract with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2012 off-season.
It may have been almost two years ago, but the Lions haven’t forgotten that game.
You can’t stop Megatron, you can only try to contain him
With his 115 receiving yards last week in the Lions’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Calvin Johnson recorded the most ever over a five-game span with 861, passing Charley Hennigan’s previous mark of 822.
It should come as no surprise that Johnson, who broke the record for receiving yards in a season last year, has been dominant against the Packers as of late. He has 26 catches for 505 yards (168.3 per game) and two scores in his last three against Green Bay and 11 receiving touchdowns in 11 careers games against the Pack.
Oakland Raiders at Dallas Cowboys – 4:30 p.m. EST, Citytv
With a last-second win over the New York Giants in Week 12, the Cowboys are now in control of their own destiny: win out and they’re NFC East champs; falter down the stretch and Nick Foles and the Eagles may leapfrog them.
Oakland may not seem like the toughest of tests for Dallas, but thanks to the Cowboys’ last-ranked defence, Raiders rookie quarterback Matt McGloin could have himself a Thanksgiving Day to remember.
Cowboys thankful for Romo this Thanksgiving
Despite a defence that has given up almost 2,000 yards in the last four games, the Cowboys can be thankful for one thing: Tony Romo.
The 33-year-old quarterback has been lights out on Thanksgiving. Romo has won five of his six career starts on the American holiday, throwing for more than 2,100 yards, 21 touchdowns versus seven interceptions and a rating of 109.1.
McGloin’s tear
Raiders rookie quarterback Matt McGloin been impressive since his NFL debut a week and a half ago. In his two starts since taking over for Terrelle Pryor, the Penn State alum has tossed for 457 yards with four touchdowns, one interception and a 94.3 rating.
In his only start on the road, against the Texans in Houston, McGloin threw three touchdowns, becoming the first undrafted rookie pivot to throw three-plus touchdown passes without a pick since 1967.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens – 8:30 p.m. EST, Sportsnet
After getting off to a 0-4 start to the season — their worst since 1968 — the Steelers have rebounded with five wins in their last seven games and look like a completely different team on both sides of the ball. A win tonight in Baltimore against the Ravens drastically improves their playoff chances as tonight’s victor will become the sixth seed in the AFC.
Baltimore hasn’t been able to find its stride on offence this season and the struggles can be attributed largely to poor play along the offensive line. The Ravens have rushed the ball for more than 100 yards just twice and Joe Flacco has been sacked 37 times, fourth most in the NFL.
Expect a close one at M&T Bank Stadium: eight of the last nine regular season matchups between these teams been decided by a field goal.
Steelers riding Big Ben
Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been the catalyst to Pittsburgh resurgence after a horrible start to the season. Shrugging off multiple trade rumours, Big Ben has six touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last two starts and Pittsburgh has climbed back into the playoff picture.
Roethlisberger, now just two touchdown passes behind Terry Bradshaw for most by a Steeler all-time, has racked up 3,118 passing yards this season, most in the first 11 games of season by any Pittsburgh quarterback.
Mr. Flacco’s Neighbourhood
The defending Super Bowl champions are clinging to their playoff lives as the Ravens hit the stretch run and a game in Baltimore is just what this team needs.
Under Joe Flacco, the Ravens are one of the toughest teams in the NFL to beat in their own house. Baltimore has won 18 of its past 21 games at M&T Bank Stadium and Flacco has a 37-8 (.822) record at home as starter, including a 4-1 mark this season.
