Thanksgiving pigskin games a treat?

Well Thanksgiving is right around the corner and it made me think of Thanksgiving traditions. Turkey...pie...and...football! Watching football with the family is indeed a great Thanksgiving tradition. Every Thanksgiving, it is a tradition that we see both the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys at some point during the day. Looking back at the history of Thanksgiving football games, it got me thinking. These games really are not intriguing match-ups...at all.

Take this year for example: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys, and in the night cap the New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos. These games have some similarities. All three games has at least one awful team (Detroit, Oakland, and Denver (yes Denver)). All three games have a mediocre to good team (Green Bay, Dallas, and New York). All three games will most likely be a lop sided score.

Add all of that up and you get three really boring games. How come the NFL does not schedule three good match-ups rather than three lop sided match-ups? Don't get me wrong, the games might turn out to be intriguing. More than likely, however, we will see a lot of good offense and not enough good defense which will lead to boring football games.

In the Green Bay/Detroit match-up, you have a good offense with an average defense go against just an awful team in general. I don't care who you are and what you think, Detroit is always going to be an awful team. I certainly do not have the answer to solve that disaster in the motor city.

In the Oakland/Dallas match-up, you have a team who is coming off an impressive upset and a team who has been mediocre at best with their talent. Although Oakland put up a fight in Cincinnati, don't expect them to fair that well against a Dallas team who can still hang with the big boys. I'm not rocket scientist but I think it's safe to say that Dallas has the edge.

Finally in the night game on NFL Network, you have a somewhat interesting match-up of two teams who use to be undefeated but have tanked ever since their first loss. The Giants and Broncos were once 5-0 on the young season but since have lost the majority of their games. For Denver, their quarterback is not cutting it whether it is Kyle Orton or Chris Simms. For New York, they have a solid defense but an unsettled offense who seems to make a fair amount of mistakes. If there is going to be any intriguing match-up on Thursday it will end up being this one. Then again, Denver should be good but keeps getting blown out.

Have a great and safe Thanksgiving everyone and do your best to enjoy some not so great holiday football.