The Bills Record on Thanksgiving Revisited

The Happiest Holiday is just around the corner. Thanksgiving!  And sure the Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy, and sides make for a happy holiday.  But let's face it, the reason why Thanksgiving is the best holiday is that the National Football League has bestowed us with 12 hours of glorious football watching.

Get our free mobile app

The NFL Thanksgiving Day tradition started way back in 1934 when the Detroit Lions took on the defending world champions the Chicago Bears.  The Dallas Cowboys have the second most appearances on Thanksgiving Day, having played their annual holiday game every season (With the exception of 1975 and 1977) since 1966.

But aside from the two traditional Thanksgiving Day participants, you might be surprised who has played the most games on Thanksgiving in the NFL.

The Cowboys and Lions division rivals top the list, which makes sense.  But when you look outside those matchups, The Bills rank third in the NFL with 9 appearances on Thanksgiving.  And after they take on New Orleans this Thursday, they will move into a third-place tie with Kansas City with 10 games played on Turkey Day.

Detroit Lions - 81

Dallas Cowboys - 53

Chicago Bears - 36 games

Green Bay Packers - 36

Arizona/St. Louis/Chicago Cardinals - 21

New York Giants - 15

Washington Redskins - 12

Denver Broncos - 11

Kansas City Cheifs - 10

Buffalo Bills - 9

Fun fact, there is only one NFL team that has never played on Thanksgiving Day.  That's the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Bills almost played the Turkey Day game annually during their AFL years, playing in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1968. They had back-to-back appearances in 1975 & 1976 and then didn't play again on Thanksgiving until 1994 against Detroit. There was then a 25-year gap before taking on Dallas in 2019.  So far the Bills are 5-3-1 on Turkey Day.

Next up, the 5-5 New Orleans Saints this Thursday night at 8; 20 pm.