Thursday Night Football has become an NFL staple since its inception during the 2006 season. Amazon Prime acquired the exclusive rights to broadcast these games in 2021 and will continue through 2026.
These standalone games are becoming increasingly common in the NFL. While the league gets to play on a day other than Sunday and Monday consistently, players often face challenges with less practice and rest on a short week.
Week 12 Thanksgiving Slate
Here's the special Thanksgiving schedule for Week 12:
- Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
- Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
- Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (Nightcap)
Each Thursday night game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Thursday Night Football Matchup Rankings
Note: Thanksgiving special games are not included.
15. Falcons at Packers (Week 3)
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Jordan Love. Or will it be Michael Penix Jr.? There's a question mark over the Falcons' quarterback position, but whoever is playing will have weapons including Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts.
For the Packers, they're looking to finish better than the NFC's No. 7 seed this season—something they've done three straight years. Lambeau Field at night is a must-see environment.
14. Panthers at Packers (Week 8)
This game is played on October 29, so Lambeau Field will be full of Halloween costumes. These two teams faced off in the middle of last season, and Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald hit a 49-yard field goal on the final play to give Carolina a 16-13 victory.
Both teams made the playoffs last year, but neither appears to be a legitimate contender yet.
13. Steelers at Browns (Week 4)
You never know what you're going to get when the Browns play the Steelers. Usually it's a low-scoring affair. This is a new iteration of an old rivalry, as both teams have new head coaches—Mike McCarthy in Pittsburgh and Todd Monken in Cleveland.
12. Vikings at Patriots (Week 14)
These two franchises have faced off just 14 times. In this matchup, expect to see Kyler Murray running around against Mike Vrabel's defense.
The Patriots are looking to prove that 2025 wasn't a fluke. After having the easiest strength of schedule since 1999 on the way to the Super Bowl, New England is expected to play the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL this year.
11. Commanders at Giants (Week 10)
If Jayden Daniels misses more games than he plays again this season, this game won't be as exciting. But Daniels vs. Jaxson Dart is worth looking forward to—they haven't played each other yet.
The NFC East is very much up for grabs this season.