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Tag: Thanksgiving

  • NFL Thanksgiving Games: History, traditions and best moments

    • Todd Archer

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      Todd Archer

      ESPN Staff Writer

        Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has covered the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter at @toddarcher.

    • Eric Woodyard

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      Eric Woodyard

      ESPN

        Eric Woodyard covers the Detroit Lions for ESPN. He joined ESPN in September 2019 as an NBA reporter dedicated to the Midwest region before switching to his current role in April 2021. The Flint, Mich. native is a graduate of Western Michigan University and has authored/co-authored three books: “Wasted, Ethan’s Talent Search” and “All In: The Kelvin Torbert Story”. He is a proud parent of one son, Ethan. You can follow him on Twitter: @E_Woodyard

    Nov 27, 2024, 10:55 AM ET

    Thanksgiving Day to sports fans is as much about football as it is about the traditional turkey dinner. From high school football in the morning to watching the afternoon game on TV as dinner starts, this tradition is as old as time. Well, almost as old as time.

    The Detroit Lions have played at home on Thanksgiving every year since 1934 — except when games were paused from 1939 to 1944 during World War II. The annual holiday tradition expanded to add a home game for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s. In 2006, the NFL added a third game with no specific host team to the prime-time window.

    The 2024 Thanksgiving Day schedule:

    Each of these games will have a halftime performance. This year, country artist Shaboozey will perform in Detroit, country artist Lainey Wilson will sing in Dallas and violinist Lindsey Stirling will take the stage in Green Bay.

    So why do the Lions and Cowboys always play at home on Thanksgiving? What does the day look like for the coaches, players, families and fans who put their holiday celebrations on pause to take part? And how many thousands of pounds of food is served at the stadium? We asked NFL Nation reporters Todd Archer and Eric Woodyard to explain the history.

    We have also laid out the Thanksgiving stats and numbers you should know, and even took a journey back in time to explore the biggest and best moments on the turkey day stage. (Note: This story was originally posted in November 2021 and has been updated for 2024.)

    Jump to a section:
    Thanksgiving records | By the numbers
    Best moments in Thanksgiving history

    How the Thanksgiving tradition began

    The Lions were first up to host games every year: In 1934, Lions owner G.A. Richards scheduled a holiday matchup between the Lions and the Bears. Earlier that year Richards had purchased the Portsmouth (Ohio) Spartans football team and moved it to the Motor City, renaming it the Detroit Lions. The defending back-to-back world champion Bears beat the Lions 19-16 in front of 26,000 at the University of Detroit Stadium on Nov. 29, 1934.

    Now, nine decades later, Thanksgiving football has become a staple in Detroit, with the Lions going 37-45-2 in the annual holiday classic. — Woodyard

    Thirty-two years later, the Cowboys joined as a home team: The Cowboys first played on Thanksgiving in 1966, beating the Cleveland Browns 26-14 at the Cotton Bowl. General manager Tex Schramm wanted more national publicity for the Cowboys — this was before they were known as America’s Team — and thought the holiday game made perfect sense. The NFL was a bit worried, however, and guaranteed the Cowboys a certain amount of gate revenue. A crowd of 80,259 showed up and a tradition was born. The Cowboys have played on every Thanksgiving Day since — except in 1975 and 1977.

    Why didn’t the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving those two years? Prior to the 1975 season, then-commissioner Pete Rozelle wanted to see if the St. Louis Cardinals could build their popularity under coach Don Coryell, whose teams were nicknamed the Cardiac Kids because of their exciting finishes. So he scheduled them to host Thanksgiving games in 1975 and 1977. The Cardinals lost both games decidedly, and Rozelle went back to Schramm to ask whether the Cowboys would take the Thanksgiving game back.

    “It was a dud in St. Louis,” Schramm said in 1988 to the Chicago Tribune. “Pete asked if we’d take it back. I said only if we get it permanently. It’s something you have to build as a tradition. He said, ‘It’s yours forever.’” — Archer

    Thanksgiving records

    Given how long the series has lasted, it’s not a surprise that the Lions have the most wins and losses on Thanksgiving Day. But two other teams that frequent the holiday tradition are the Bears and Packers.

    What’s it like to play on Thanksgiving?

    Cowboys guard Zack Martin has grown accustomed to playing games on “Monday Night Football” and “Sunday Night Football,” but there’s something different about playing on Thanksgiving.

    Martin grew up in Indianapolis and starred at Notre Dame before the Cowboys made him a first-round pick in 2014, and he would always watch the Lions play the early game and the Cowboys play later on the holiday.

    “It may be different to the outside world, but for us I think it’s different because it’s just that tradition that you know the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving,” Martin said. “I didn’t grow up a Cowboys fan, but I always knew they played on Thanksgiving, so coming down here, being part of that is pretty cool.”

    After the game, the Martins will eat at AT&T Stadium before returning home to relax. Their traditional Thanksgiving meal comes on Friday.

    “For me, [the best part of the game] is just being able to have my family and everyone down for Thanksgiving,” Martin said. “Normally teams would miss that because they’re practicing during the week, but we get to play and then have some time with family and friends.” — Archer

    Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is gearing up to play in his fourth NFL Thanksgiving game with the team, though to him the experience is not so unusual because he would always have at least a practice on the holiday in high school.

    Still, playing Thanksgiving in the NFL is a big tradition — and one he has embraced.

    “We always play on Thanksgiving, but I think it’s kind of nice because if you have a game on Sunday, you’ve got to practice on Thursdays, which kind of runs until 5 o’clock, but if you have a game, we have a game at 12:30, we play and then after that we’re free and we can hang out with family the rest of the day. You don’t have to worry about getting up the next day, so I like the tradition,” St. Brown told ESPN.

    “It’s fun and everyone’s tuned in on Thanksgiving. Everyone is watching football. I remember as a kid, watching Thanksgiving football because you’re out eating with friends and then you just throw football on.” — Woodyard

    How do players celebrate Thanksgiving?

    Celebrations generally don’t happen until the next day, when Lions players can celebrate with their families. Lomas Brown, former Lions Pro Bowl OT (1985-95), says he “couldn’t wait until after the game was over, man.”

    “Because look, it wasn’t just that Thursday night, at least for me, I went on an eating binge Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I would put on weight over the holiday because a brother would throw down because you didn’t have no more responsibility after that game until next week. So, it was almost like another little open week, and that’s the way we kind of looked at it, too.” — Woodyard

    For the Cowboys, most players with families will also celebrate on Friday. With a late-afternoon kickoff, most of the time players will not get back to their homes until later in the evening, far too late for such a heavy meal. — Archer

    Teams give back to community

    The Cowboys open the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign kickoff at halftime of every Thanksgiving game. Since 1997, nearly $3 billion has been raised and aiding the Salvation Army is a long-standing priority for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jerry, along with his daughter Charlotte, have led multiple initiatives year-round with the Salvation Army, from raising money with the 50/50 raffle at games to holiday initiatives that benefit local communities.

    In most years, Cowboys players will visit a Salvation Army shelter in Dallas or Fort Worth and feed early Thanksgiving Day meals to those in need, although that practice was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic before being restarted in 2022.

    In the past, players often were joined by their wives and children. Former tight end Jason Witten had his two sons and two daughters participated in handing out meals during his career with the Cowboys.

    “I just try to tell [my kids], ‘Look, you’re going to have an opportunity to give back to people that are less fortunate,’” Witten said a few years ago. “They do it with a happy heart. I think they like seeing those fans and being able to hand out that food.” — Archer

    The Lions also give back to the community during Thanksgiving week, distributing 2,500 meal kits with whole turkeys at six different locations throughout Metro Detroit.

    Each kit contains approximately 26 pounds of food (turkey, vegetables, stuffing, potatoes, macaroni and cheese, gravy, etc.) and will be distributed to about 56,000 people. Players and other volunteers helped assemble the kits. — Woodyard

    What are some season-ticket holder traditions?

    There is a tailgating group of more than 100 die-hard Lions fans who gather bright and early at 9 a.m., typically in the parking lot of Detroit’s Eastern Market. Usually, they cook about four turkeys and each signs up to bring a side dish. The dishes are named based on the team the Lions are facing — for example, Bears Stew and Mac-And-Not-Packer-Cheese.

    Megan Stefanski, a lifelong Lions fan and longtime season-ticket holder, helps organize the festivities. She makes a five-hour drive from Goetzville, Michigan — located in the Upper Peninsula — to Detroit.

    Mark “Pilgrim” Mullins has been a season-ticket holder since 1991 and dresses up yearly as a pilgrim for each Thanksgiving Day game with his daughter, Mandie, accompanying him also in costume.

    “We’re known in Detroit as the pilgrims,” he said in 2021. “Matter of fact, I’ve got souvenirs from all my friends this year because it’s my 30th anniversary of actually dressing as the pilgrim.” Each year, he has added to his costume, since the Pontiac Silverdome days and now at Ford Field. He also attends the tailgates with Stefanski.

    “That was the whole goal was just to dress like a pilgrim, be festive and get on TV,” Mullins said. “So, the next year comes around and all of the people in my section were like, ‘Hey, big guy, you’re gonna be the pilgrim again?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I guess I should.’” — Woodyard

    And how about perhaps the most famous Cowboys season-ticket (or suite) holder, Roger Staubach?

    The Hall of Fame quarterback, better known as Captain America, usually holds an annual Turkey Bowl game at AT&T Stadium on the day before Thanksgiving.

    How much sway does Staubach have? As he entered The Star in November 2021, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy had to catch his breath in a way as he saw the quarterback.

    “That’s Roger Staubach,” McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, said, turning his attention back to the media. “Man, I’m shook. Just thinking about the old Super Bowls, Steelers and the Cowboys …” — Archer

    Team dinners

    The night before Thanksgiving is not necessarily a team turkey dinner for the Cowboys, but turkey and all the fixings are available for the players if they want. But a lot of the players stick with their traditional night-before-game meal of either a steak, chicken, fish or pasta. Given how most people feel after wolfing down their turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing, it’s probably wise the players don’t gorge themselves like that. — Archer

    The Lions don’t have one big team Thanksgiving dinner, as some might think. Some guys would understandably rather eat at home with family. Traditional Thanksgiving fare is typically served to players at the day before the game. — Woodyard

    What does Cowboys owner Jerry Jones eat for Thanksgiving?

    The Joneses are like most of their players. They have a full Thanksgiving meal on the Friday after the Cowboys game at Jerry’s home in Highland Park. It’s a traditional Thanksgiving meal with dishes whose recipes have been passed down through the years from the mothers of Jerry and Gene Jones.

    At the top of the list are the family recipes for duck, dressing and sweet potatoes. — Archer

    Thanksgiving dinners at the stadium

    For all the Cowboys’ suite holders, as well as those with access to the club areas and the press box at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal is served. — Archer

    Here is the breakdown of the food that was served in 2023, according to Legends Hospitality:

    • 16,320 pounds of Cowboys Mac N Cheese

    • 5,410 pounds of ham

    • 212 gallons of heavy whipping cream

    • 252 gallons of cranberry sauce

    • 2,680 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes

    • 13,515 pounds of turkey

    • 5,130 pounds of cornbread for dressing

    • 310 gallons of gravy

    • 425 pounds of pecans for pies

    • 830 pounds of fresh green beans for bowls and hand pies

    • 970 pounds of pumpkin for pies

    • 2,340 pounds of sweet potatoes

    • 260 pounds of greens for salads and sides

    At Ford Field in Detroit, the stadium’s culinary hospitality team will get the day started at 3 a.m. ET to ensure everything is ready to go ahead of the 12:30 p.m. kickoff. For fans in the stadium, previous years featured turkey legs, loaded sweet potatoes and bourbon-spiked cider available to purchase. And more extensive Thanksgiving meals are served to suite members. — Woodyard

    Here’s a breakdown of food by the pound, according to Levy Restaurants in 2023:

    • 4,100 pounds of turkey

    • 1,800 turkey legs

    • 3,200 pounds of mashed potatoes

    • 110 gallons of gravy

    • 2,200 pounds of stuffing

    • 55 gallons of cranberry sauce

    • 720 pounds of green beans

    • 500 pounds of corn on the cob

    • 3,700 slices of pie

    • 4,000 bloody marys

    Thanksgiving by the numbers

    1: Number of teams to never play on Thanksgiving Day: Jacksonville Jaguars

    4: Winless teams on Thanksgiving: Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Jaguars

    6: Most passing touchdowns in a single Thanksgiving game, held by Bob Griese (1977) and Peyton Manning (2004).

    6: Thanksgiving Day shutouts since the merger in 1970. There has not been a shutout since the Cowboys shut out the Miami Dolphins in 1999.

    8.5: Most career sacks on Thanksgiving, held by former Lions DE Ezekiel Ansah.

    11: Most career Thanksgiving receiving touchdowns, held by former Lions WR Calvin Johnson.

    18: Most career touchdown passes on Thanksgiving, held by former Cowboys QB Tony Romo and former Lions QB Matthew Stafford.

    895: Most career receiving yards on Thanksgiving, held by former Cowboys TE Jason Witten.

    1,178: Most career rushing yards on Thanksgiving, held by former Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith. Smith also has the most career rushing touchdowns on Thanksgiving with 13.

    3,000: Most career passing yards on Thanksgiving, held by Stafford in 10 career Thanksgiving games.

    Thanksgiving’s best moments

    1974:

    Backup QB Clint Longley took over for a concussed Roger Staubach with the Cowboys trailing Washington 16-3. Longley rallied Dallas by capping off the comeback with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Drew Pearson with 28 seconds left to edge Washington 24-23.

    1980:

    The Bears rallied from 17-3 down to defeat the Lions 23-17 in overtime behind Dave Williams’ 95-yard kickoff return. It was the first overtime game on turkey day (the OT period was instituted in 1974).

    1982:

    New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor returned a 97-yard pick-six in a 13-6 win over the Lions.

    1993:

    Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett inexplicably tried to recover a blocked game-winning field goal attempt. The ball was booted forward by Lett and recovered by the Dolphins at the 2-yard line. Miami connected on its next field goal attempt and won 16-14.

    1997:

    Barry Sanders and the Lions crushed the Bears 55-20, with Sanders rushing for 167 yards and three touchdowns.

    1998:

    Vikings rookie Randy Moss had only three catches, but all three went for 50-plus-yard touchdowns in a 46-36 win over the Cowboys. Three catches. Three TDs. 163 yards.

    2004:

    In Indianapolis’ 41-9 win over the Lions, Colts QB Peyton Manning threw six touchdown passes, tied for the most on Thanksgiving Day with Bob Griese (1977).

    2010:

    Tom Brady finished with a perfect passer rating. Brady completed 21 of 27 passes for 341 yards and four touchdowns in the Patriots’ 45-24 rout of the Lions. The Patriots actually trailed 24-17 midway through the third quarter before Brady threw three touchdown passes — of 79 and 22 yards to Deion Branch, and 16 yards to Wes Welker — in a span of 13 minutes, 30 seconds.

    2012:

    A play no one will forget. Jets QB Mark Sanchez fumbled the ball after running into a teammate in New York’s 49-19 loss to the Patriots. Also known as the “Butt Fumble.”

  • Mesajul „Happy Thanksgiving” al lui Donald Trump ia o turnură foarte dezbinătoare

    Ziua Recunoștinței pur și simplu nu ar fi Ziua Recunoștinței fără un mesaj sălbatic pe rețelele de socializare din partea lui Donald Trump care să-și atace adversarii.

    Joi devreme, președintele ales – așa cum a fost înclinat să facă în ultimii ani – a urat „O Ziua Recunoștinței fericite tuturor…” prin intermediul platformei sale Truth Social.

    Apoi a venit tradiționalul dezvăluire al lui Trump de Ziua Recunoștinței: ”… inclusiv nebunilor din stânga radicală care au muncit atât de mult pentru a ne distruge țara, dar care au eșuat lamentabil și vor eșua întotdeauna, pentru că ideile și politicile lor sunt atât de proaste încât oameni mari ai Națiunii noastre tocmai le-au dat o victorie zdrobitoare celor care vor să FACĂ AMERICA DIN NOU MARE!”

    Trump a câștigat Colegiul Electoral și a învins rivala democrată Kamala Harris la votul popular la alegerile prezidențiale din 2024, dar ultimul total al lui Trump este în prezent la 49,9%, deci nu este o majoritate.

    „Nu-ți face griji, țara noastră va fi în curând respectată, productivă, corectă și puternică, iar tu vei fi, mai mult ca niciodată, mândru că ești american!” Trump a încheiat mesajul.

    Legat…

  • QB Room, Thanksgiving edition: 1 thing we like about every NFC team’s quarterback outlook

    It’s Thanksgiving week in the NFL and a good time to take stock of the NFC’s quarterback outlook with a pinch of optimism. For every. Even the New York Giants.

    No need to beat the stuffing out of teams this week. So off we go with thankful thoughts …

    I’m thankful that the 2025 NFL Draft is absolutely loaded with quality running backs, which is going to be a position Dallas needs to address in serious fashion to help balance out the offense and help quarterback Dak Prescott. Take a spin around the league and look at how much running backs have been making a difference for quarterbacks this season: Derrick Henry in Baltimore, Sequon Barkley pn Philadelphia, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit, Bucky Irving in Tampa, etc. The Cowboys haven’t scared anyone or pushed anyone around in the run game since the 2022 season. Dallas needs to get back to that baseline, and there is an array or running backs in this draft that can get that job done.

    Welcome to QB Room, Charles Robinson's new weekly quarterback-centricNFL column at Yahoo Sports. (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)Welcome to QB Room, Charles Robinson's new weekly quarterback-centricNFL column at Yahoo Sports. (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)

    Welcome to QB Room, Charles Robinson’s new weekly quarterback-centricNFL column at Yahoo Sports. (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports)

    I’m thankful the Giants did two things with the release of quarterback Daniel Jones. First, they meaningfully committed to moving off a situation that was neither working nor getting better. Now they can focus on whatever veteran quarterback migration presents itself this offseason, as well as a shallow draft class that is going to require some very smart evaluation. The second thing the Giants did was free Jones up to move along with his career, rather than burying him on the bench and carrying out a selfish charade. Jones may not have worked out as the franchise centerpiece that New York was looking for, but he handled things with class and dignity. He earned the right to finish the 2024 season learning from someone else.

    I’m thankful the Eagles found a way to balance out their scheme with a dynamic running back in Saquon Barkley who has taken a significant amount of wear and tear (and risk) off Jalen Hurts’ body. As indispensable as Barkley and wideout A.J. Brown are in the short term, Hurts remains the centerpiece that the next decade will be built around. From the moment he started and had the ability call his own number in the run game, Hurts was cranking the odometer on his legs and incurring more punishment on his body than he or the Eagles were letting on. General manager Howie Roseman couldn’t let that continue, so he went and got Hurts the best running partner he could find. Hurts will be around far longer than Saquon will be, but Barkley will have helped make that longevity possible by taking some of the punishment off Hurts’ seasonal grind.

    I’m thankful the Washington Commanders are going to have anywhere from $104 to $130 million in cap space next offseason to help fortify the offense — and most especially the offensive line — with some depth and talent around quarterback Jayden Daniels. That cash spent in free agency will help to balance out a set of draft picks that are bottom heavy, with three of Washington’s seven 2025 picks sitting in the seventh round. There will also be some interesting options in the wide receiver group, helping the Commanders to find a higher-end talent to pair with Terry McLaurin. Daniels had the Commanders ahead of schedule the first half of the season, but you can feel the depth chart needs weighing right about now.

    While I don’t want to celebrate a firing, I’m thankful the Bears made an aggressive move in favor of saving the rookie season of Caleb Williams, moving on from Shane Waldron and elevating Thomas Brown to the offensive coordinator position. Brown got caught in a Hunger Games situation with the Carolina Panthers, with a coaching staff that was pitted against itself and a roster that wasn’t very good. For the rest of this season, he’s the best thing that could have happened for Williams mentally. It has already shown as Brown has pushed Williams to get back to accessing the running part of his skill set. He’ll engineer confidence back into Williams. Just watch.

    I’m thankful that when Sean McVay gave up on Jared Goff, the Los Angeles Rams sent Goff to a front office and general manager in Brad Holmes that built a monster around him. Consider the 2024 offensive pieces that were all added in the months or years after the Lions traded for Goff in March of 2021: offensive tackle Penei Sewell and offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, and tight end Sam Laporta. That’s seven high-level performers on offense. It’s no wonder Holmes swept the Pro Football Writers’ Association and Sporting New Executive of the Year honors in 2023.

    I’m thankful Aaron Rodgers absolutely had to get himself out of Green Bay in 2023, clearing the way for Jordan Love to finally get his career moving. Looking back, this all could have gone very, very differently if Rodgers had simply decided that he was going to stick it out with the Packers through the 2023 season. If Rodgers had remained in the fold rather than pushing for a trade to the New York Jets, the Packers were not going to pick up Love’s fifth-year option for the 2024 season, and he likely would have left the franchise in that spring’s free agency cycle. Instead, Rodgers pushed his way out, Love and the Packers compromised on a two-year extension (rather than Green Bay picking up his fifth-year option) and the rest is history. But all it would have taken to sink the Packers at the quarterback spot was Rodgers sticking around just a little longer.

    I’m thankful Sam Darnold chose his backup quarterback opportunity very carefully in March of 2023, when he was coming off a career-flattening two-year run with the Carolina Panthers. Despite Brock Purdy having the starting job and needing to beat out former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance for backup duties, Darnold trusted his instincts and went to a place that historically had a strong run game commitment under Kyle Shanahan — not to mention a scheme that created a solid supply off open receivers and tight ends. Going to the 49ers and learning Shanahan’s offense resurrected Darnold’s career and made this 9-2 Minnesota Vikings season possible. The franchise couldn’t have asked for a better outcome following the season-ending knee injury to rookie J.J. McCarthy, who has spent his first season learning from a guy that has seen a lot of frustrating situations in his career.

    I’m thankful Kirk Cousins and the Falcons got a bye week just before arguably the most important back-to-back of the season to kick off December — versus the Los Angeles Chargers and then on the road in an emotional return to Minnesota for Cousins. Cousins’ last two games for the Falcons stand as his worst two-game stretch so far in Atlanta, and falling flat in the next two could prove disastrous with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers getting Mike Evans back and looking like a different team in Sunday’s commanding win over the Giants. Having the bye to work with Cousins and also plenty of time to prepare for a playoff-contending Chargers team could end up being vital. Because if the next two games go in the same direction as the last two, it’s going to get tense in Atlanta.

    I’m thankful some of the September reports after Bryce Young’s benching — which suggested he could have played his last snap for the Panthers and was headed for an offseason trade — will very likely turn out to be wrong. Those in the organization who still believed in him after this season’s rough start were adamant that Young just needed a mental pause to reset himself and regain some confidence. Since taking back the starting job and shedding two underwhelming wide receivers before the trade deadline, Young has gotten better with each passing week, culminating in one of the most encouraging performances of his career against the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Young’s size is never going to change, but the skill set that made him the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft is still there. And the Panthers’ best-case scenario is turning into the right direction and building around it in the offseason.

    I’m thankful Arch Manning could be coming in the 2026 NFL Draft class, or potentially the 2027 class. The Saints feel like a franchise that is on the cusp of a total rebuild inside one of the next two seasons. It might not be in 2025, given that Derek Carr could still be the starting quarterback and keep the Saints from sinking into the total abyss. But 2026 could be bleak with the age of the backfield and injury history of some of the skill position pieces on offense and pillars on defense. There’s a very real likelihood that the Saints have have another top-15 pick in the upcoming draft, start bottoming out in 2025 and have top five picks in both the 2026 and 2027 drafts. If that’s the case, Manning — who starred at New Orleans’ Isidore Newman High School, and is the grandson of Saints royalty Archie Manning — could end up near the top at either of those drafts. And the Saints will likely have a quarterback need, barring Spencer Rattler blossoming.

    I’m thankful Baker Mayfield’s 2023 “prove it” year didn’t turn out to be fool’s gold and he’s finally reaching the full potential that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. Interestingly, Mayfield’s first seven seasons and first 100 games stack up pretty solidly with the first seven seasons or first 100 games of Drew Brees when it comes to sheer production. While the three-game stretch without Mike Evans showcased how much he means to Tampa Bay’s offense, it also showed that Mayfield could still keep the Buccaneers competitive without Evans and Chris Godwin. Yes, the Bucs had a four-game losing streak from mid-October to mid-November. But no, they were never really an embarrassing offense in that span. Mayfield had everything to do with that — and the remaining schedule now looks extremely winnable when it comes to mounting a playoff run. A 5-1 or even a 4-2 finish could win the NFC South.

    Despite it not being perfect, I’m thankful that Kyler Murray is through 11 games of the season and still playing healthy football for the first time since 2020. That has been one of the big priorities inside the franchise, to keep Murray healthy as the program pragmatically learns how to become a contender. While the Seahawks loss certainly toed the line of letting things get out of control — and that offensive line has to figure out how to reincorporate Jonah Williams — Murray remains upright. On top of that, the Cardinals have once again figured out how to consistently beat bad teams. Next, they need to learn how to consistently beat good teams down the stretch this season. Playoffs or not, that would be a step forward and momentum into a 2025 season where things can really turn a corner.

    I’m thankful Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh sticks to who he is and protects his quarterbacks through investment in the offensive line and the running back room. When Harbaugh took over the Chargers and kept dropping hints that he was going to be the same guy he’s always been, it induced some eye-rolling simply because it sounded … well … old. But here we are about to enter December with running backs and running games suddenly feeling trendy again. That approach has helped temper the amount of pressure put on quarterback Justin Herbert after the wide receiver depth chart was retooled with younger players the last two drafts. The results? Herbert is getting back to that dynamic and exiting passer and athlete that had us so encouraged his first few seasons in the league. And it’s not going to stop here, either. Get ready for Harbaugh’s next old school rules addition this offseason: A dynamic tight end to help bring it all together.

    I’m thankful the 49ers have some time to continue figuring things out with Brock Purdy before he gets his next extension. He’s already had one surgery on the elbow of his throwing arm, and now he’s feeling shoulder soreness. Maybe more than some of Purdy’s up-and-down games as a passer, the health of his arm — and not fully trusting everything the organization says about it — has me white-knuckling a little bit. Purdy’s next contract has the possibility to be an astronomical mistake if the health of his arm goes south or he simply levels off as a starting quarterback. Really, he needed a clean season with the arrow consistently pointed up to land the $60-million-per-season deal that is going to be sought by his representation. That has not happened thus far. But like Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys before them, the 49ers have a fourth year left on Purdy’s rookie deal to make sure the circumstances for an extension are ideal, not to mention franchise tags. Right now, there’s reason to lean into a continuation of the measurement.

    I’m thankful the Seattle Seahawks have a trap door to get out of the final year of Geno Smith’s contract if his regression since his banner 2022 season continues. This is the second straight season Smith’s arrow has pointed a little further down. His interceptions have weighed on the Sehawks four straight weeks, with the defense being more responsible for keeping together a 2-2 record in that span. Smith turned 34 in October and it’s fair to wonder if there’s an upward reversal in the cards for him at this stage. The rest of the season will likely dictate the feeling about that. But if it’s looking like he is what he is … and likelier to get worse than better in 2025, the Seahawks can get out of his deal with a modest $13.5 million in dead salary cap. Given that Seattle can save some money walking away from Smith after this season — and given that Seattle is in rough cap shape if they keep him — it’s a useful option on the table.

  • Ko Olina Thanksgiving Outreach servește mai mult de 4.000 de mese de la Waianae la Waipahu

    KO OLINA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Angajații din Ko Olina Resort au distribuit peste 4.000 de mese de Ziua Recunoștinței celor aflați în nevoie, cu ajutorul companiilor care au grijă de comunitatea lor.

    Primiți cele mai recente știri de dimineață din Hawaii în căsuța dvs. de e-mail, înscrieți-vă la News 2 You

    Lucrătorii de la Aulani, Four Seasons Resort, Marriott's Ko Olina Beach Club și alții s-au reunit pentru a participa la cel de-al 25-lea program anual de Ziua Recunoștinței pentru a pregăti mesele calde.

    Cum să eviți să petreci toată ziua în bucătărie în această Ziua Recunoștinței

    Studenții de la Leeward Community College și-au oferit timpul pentru a găti 2.700 de lire de curcan, 270 de lire de șuncă, 600 de lire de orez, 400 de lire de porumb, 100 de tigăi de plăcintă cu dovleac și mai mult de 100 de galoane de sos.

    Odată ce mâncarea a fost pregătită, șoferii UPS au livrat 450 de tăvi cu mâncare în 25 de locații de la Waianae la Waipahu.

    Suntem atât de norocoși să sărbătorim 25 de ani de dăruire și este incredibil de împlinitor să vedem cum această tradiție a reunit oamenii de-a lungul anilor. Spiritul de aloha și de a da înapoi se află în centrul misiunii stațiunii noastre și suntem recunoscători pentru oportunitatea de a avea un impact pozitiv asupra vieții atâtor mulți.

    Sweetie Nelson, director de marketing pentru destinații pentru Ko Olina Resort

    Mesele au fost distribuite la 25 de biserici și organizații veterane sâmbătă, 23 noiembrie.

    Următoarele organizații au primit mese:

    Wainae/Mahaha

    • Clubul Băieților și Fetelor Waiʻanae

    • Portul pentru bărci Wai'anae și Refugiul Wai'anae

    • Veterinarii din SUA salută locuințe comunitare de tranziție

    • Sewers Beach Park/Middle Park/Pokaʻi Bay

    • Wai'anae Adunarea lui Dumnezeu Makaha

    Rece

    • Podul Ma'ili/Parcul comunitar

    Arata surd

    • Clubul Băieților și Fetelor Nanakuli

    • Plaje sub vent de la Tracks la Black Rocks

    California

    • Adăpostul de tranziție al Pământului

    Opt

    • Clubul băieților și fetelor Ewa Beach Clubhouse

    • Biserica Fecioara Ajutor Veșnic

    • West Loch Bătrâni Village

    Gunoi

    • Centrul de informare al farului

    • Biserica Unită a lui Hristos din Waipahu

    Bijuterii furate, boa constrictori ucigând proprietari, vezi Weird News aici

    Activitatea de Ziua Recunoștinței de la Ko Olina Resort este o tradiție anuală din 1999. Mai multe informații și informații pot fi găsite pe site-ul Ko Olina Resort.

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