Hello and <strong>happy Thanksgiving </strong>to those who celebrate! I am just going to come out and say it, I am so very thankful for midweek football on at a decent hour in the UK and having the pleasure of bringing it to you, wherever you might be on this beautiful blue marble. I just hope we feast as well on the turf as lots of you will around your tables.</p>","elementId":"d96adad8-b064-40cd-8964-8a8562de8251"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>Thanksgiving is all about tradition so our starter is served piping hot from Detroit, as it has been since 1934, and it could be a classic between the (7-4) <strong>Lions</strong> and the (7-3-1) <strong>Green Bay Packers</strong>. The records look pretty but they are both still a win behind the Chicago Bears at the NFC North’s summit while Detroit would just miss out on a wildcard as it stands owing to Green Bay’s draw. So victory is the only option, if it wasn’t already, as these great rivals gear up for their 193rd meeting. The Packers hold a significant edge all-time with a 107-78-7 record.</p>","elementId":"e28a4cdd-9916-4ae9-ab1e-7c9629aa2218"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>For mains, those (5-5-1) <strong>Dallas Cowboys</strong> host the (6-5) <strong>Kansas City Chiefs </strong>in what will be Patrick Mahomes’s Thanksgiving debut. America’s team v the Dynasty. Two heavyweights at times down on their luck this season but still in the hunt for the postseason especially after the thrilling comeback wins they both pulled off last week. The Chiefs knocked off the Colts in overtime as they roared back from 20-9 down in the 4th quarter while the Cowboys said “hold my turkey leg” as they gifted the Eagles a 21-0 lead only to then shut out the Super Bowl champions and win 24-21. Clearly when Dallas and KC are in rhythm they can score in bunches, so, let’s hope the offensive orchestras are in sync from kick-off.</p>","elementId":"823679b3-e071-43bd-be69-0c43a365b9d0"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"<p>The table is set, bon appétit!</p>","elementId":"1a66e709-1e96-40e5-9398-b79062da7c61"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.VideoYoutubeBlockElement","source":"YouTube","originalUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSx00hGPf9A","elementId":"658c59d4-be7e-4c87-b12b-9e8a8dabd17f","width":854,"embedUrl":"https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/qSx00hGPf9A?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed","role":"inline","url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSx00hGPf9A","height":480,"sourceDomain":"youtube-nocookie.com","title":"NFL Thanksgiving Preview: Packers-Lions, Chiefs-Cowboys, Bengals-Ravens | Predictions + Picks to Win","isThirdPartyTracking":false}],"attributes":{"pinned":false,"keyEvent":true,"summary":false},"blockCreatedOn":1764263740000,"blockCreatedOnDisplay":"12.15 EST","blockLastUpdated":1764265315000,"blockLastUpdatedDisplay":"12.41 EST","blockFirstPublished":1764263740000,"blockFirstPublishedDisplay":"12.15 EST","blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone":"12.15","title":"Preamble","contributors":[],"primaryDateLine":"Thu 27 Nov 2025 12.52 EST","secondaryDateLine":"First published on Thu 27 Nov 2025 12.15 EST"}],"filterKeyEvents":false,"id":"key-events-carousel-mobile","renderingTarget":"Web","serverTime":1764266241523}”>
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Of course today’s slate has an official title: the John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration. The legendary player, coach and broadcaster, who died in 2021, always brought the holiday spirit with his overflowing warmth and panache whether musing on the low flightpaths of aircraft or pigeons, doling out giant drumsticks to MVPs or breaking down the x’s and o’s of his famous frankenroast: the mighty Turducken.
Now I’m going to be bold and bet no one has dialled up the chicken/duck/turkey heavy personnel formation from their local butcher but if you have a spread to make the great man jealous then drop me a picture and who you think you will be getting a turkey leg later on.
We miss you, John. Boom!
Preamble
Hello and happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate! I am just going to come out and say it, I am so very thankful for midweek football on at a decent hour in the UK and having the pleasure of bringing it to you, wherever you might be on this beautiful blue marble. I just hope we feast as well on the turf as lots of you will around your tables.
Thanksgiving is all about tradition so our starter is served piping hot from Detroit, as it has been since 1934, and it could be a classic between the (7-4) Lions and the (7-3-1) Green Bay Packers. The records look pretty but they are both still a win behind the Chicago Bears at the NFC North’s summit while Detroit would just miss out on a wildcard as it stands owing to Green Bay’s draw. So victory is the only option, if it wasn’t already, as these great rivals gear up for their 193rd meeting. The Packers hold a significant edge all-time with a 107-78-7 record.
For mains, those (5-5-1) Dallas Cowboys host the (6-5) Kansas City Chiefs in what will be Patrick Mahomes’s Thanksgiving debut. America’s team v the Dynasty. Two heavyweights at times down on their luck this season but still in the hunt for the postseason especially after the thrilling comeback wins they both pulled off last week. The Chiefs knocked off the Colts in overtime as they roared back from 20-9 down in the 4th quarter while the Cowboys said “hold my turkey leg” as they gifted the Eagles a 21-0 lead only to then shut out the Super Bowl champions and win 24-21. Clearly when Dallas and KC are in rhythm they can score in bunches, so, let’s hope the offensive orchestras are in sync from kick-off.
The table is set, bon appétit!
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