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Thanksgiving football kicks off at 9:30 a.m. PT today, as the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers in the annual Lions Thanksgiving game. We'll have three game threads today, but this first one likely marks the most notable game. The Packers and Lions are in the midst of what should be an incredibly tight NFC North race down the stretch. The Lions are 6-5 and tied with the Chicago Bears at the top of the NFC North. The Packers are a half-game back at 5-5-1.
The Packers continue waiting for the return of Aaron Rodgers, and for now are simply looking to hang around the race and buy some time. They are coming off a tie with the Minnesota Vikings, and haven't won a game in a month. The Lions have dropped two straight after beating the Bears in Chicago. The Lions had a chance to take some kind of firm grasp on the division, but instead they have left it wide open.
This is of particular note to the 49ers because of the wildcard race. The Panthers hold the top wildcard spot, while the 49ers are a game behind them. Carolina holds the tiebreaker edge over San Francisco, so right now, Carolina would face the Cowboys, and the 49ers would face Detroit.
