Happy Thanksgiving to everybody out there. I know we've got an international audience but even those who don't get to enjoy pounding done turkey with all the fixings, you can at least enjoy a little football with us on this great holiday. Thanksgiving really is my favorite holiday of the year. Great food, entertaining football, and no responsibilities.
For football today we've got a bunch of matchups that on paper don't come across as all that great. We get the traditional Detroit and Dallas involvement and neither team is particularly great. Throw in a 2-8 Cincinnati Bengals game and it's less than stellar from a record perspective. However, I actually think all three matchups could be a lot of fun. The Lions are struggling but we all know Shaun Hill can make some interesting things happen on occasion. And playing at home on Thanksgiving is a boost for the Lions. They might get blown out, but I'm thinking they keep it interesting with the Patriots.
The second game of the day features the New Orleans Saints heading to Dallas to face the Cowboys. The Cowboys are sitting at 3-7 but suddenly find themselves on a hot streak under new coach Jason Garrett. They've won at the Giants and at home against the Lions. This will provide a decent litmus test for whether the Cowboys can remain hot or if it's just a short term thing with Garrett.
The final matchup of the day involves the Bengals and the Jets. The Bengals have really struggled this season but remain an entertaining team nonetheless. One other reason to watch is for the interesting little twist the NFL Network will provide on this game later this weekend. Today's game will involve the traditional broadcast with the announcers, color commentators and and whatnot all setup.
Then, this Saturday the game will be re-aired on the NFL Network only without the announcers. The Network is mic'ing up 15 players and coaches and using that audio for the game. They'll mic up both coaches, all coordinators, QBs and middle linebackers and they'll combine that with 60 people shooting the game. I have to say I'm kind of psyched about this.
Today's games, times and television network:
New England @ Detroit - 9:30 AM PT/12:30 PM ET - CBS
New Orleans @ Dallas - 1:15 PM PT/4:15 PM ET - FOX
Cincinnati @ NY Jets - 5:15 PM PT/8:15 PM ET - NFL Network
We don't have any of today's games in the prediction contest. Feel free to get your picks in for the Week 12 Prediction Game when you get a moment.
Enjoy the games and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
