The most appetizing NFL game wasn’t the first one on Thanksgiving Day 2021, but though the level of play in Bears-Lions left much to be desired, it did give us a game that wasn’t decided until the final kick. And Raiders-Cowboys went a step further, needing overtime before it too was decided on the final kick.
We got out our red pens and graded all the Thanksgiving Day performances, starting with the Bears and Lions, two of the worst teams in football — and they looked like it. We couldn’t give the winner even an average mark in that one, but the Raiders showed plenty of spark in upsetting the Cowboys in a game where they were 7.5-point underdogs, per Caesars Sportsbook.
All six teams heading into Thanksgiving were coming off a loss in Week 11, so there were plenty of “get right” performances at stake on this holiday.
Here are our report cards from the Thanksgiving games (with Bills-Saints yet to come).
Bears 16-14 over Lions
Raiders vs. Cowboys
Raiders-Cowboys grades by Jordan Dajani (Love the grades? Hate the grades? Let him know on Twitter.)
