Top 5 NFL Thanksgiving Games Of All Time

By Marvin Moore

Top 5 NFL Thanksgiving Games Of All Time

NFL Thanksgiving Game — The NFL has treated football fans to shootouts, nail-biters, blowouts and embarrassing blunders over the years on Thanksgiving Day. Here are five games that rank among the best in the history of Turkey Day matchups.

5. Cowboys 42, Packers 31 (1994)

Jason Garrett Dallas Cowboys

5. Cowboys 42, Packers 31 (1994)

Jason Garrett Dallas Cowboys — Dallas started backup quarterback Jason Garrett in place of the injured Troy Aikman, and things looked bleak early as Green Bay raced out to a 17-3 lead. However, the Princeton product threw for 311 yards and a pair of touchdowns to rally the Cowboys past the Packers despite four scores from Sterling Sharpe.

4. Lions 44, Vikings 38 (1995)

Barry Sanders Detroit Lions

4. Lions 44, Vikings 38 (1995)

Barry Sanders Detroit Lions — Detroit entered the contest with a 5-6 mark and faint playoff hopes before Barry Sanders rushed for 138 yards, including a dandy 50-yard score, and Scott Mitchell tallied 410 yards through the air with four touchdowns. The Lions won the shootout and their next four games to book a ticket to the playoffs.

3. Oilers 30, Cowboys 24 (1979)

Earl Campbell

3. Oilers 30, Cowboys 24 (1979)

Earl Campbell — Earl Campbell broke loose on scoring runs of 61 and 27 yards to lead Houston (10-5) past Dallas (11-4) in a seesaw battle of heavyweights. Campbell carried the ball 33 times for 195 yards, and Dan Pastorini connected with Ken Burroughs on a late 32-yard scoring strike to pull out the comeback win for the Oilers.

2. Bears 23, Lions 17 (1980)

Vince Evans

2. Bears 23, Lions 17 (1980)

Vince Evans — Chicago rallied from a 17-3 deficit in the fourth quarter and sent the game into overtime when Vince Evans scored on the final play of regulation. The game ended moments later as David Williams took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

1. Cowboys 24, Redskins 23 (1974)

Dallas Cowboys Washington Red

1. Cowboys 24, Redskins 23 (1974)

Dallas Cowboys Washington Redskins — Dallas trailed their arch rivals 16-3 in the third quarter and seemed headed to defeat when quarterback Roger Staubach was injured. However, backup Clint Longley hit Billy Joe Dupree with a 35-yard scoring pass to get the Cowboys back into the game, and pulled out the improbable win with a 50-yard bomb to Drew Pearson with just 28 ticks left on the clock.

Marvin Moore is a Texas Rangers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter or add him to your network on Google+.

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