Happy Thanksgiving! The San Francisco 49ers are in action this weekend against the Arizona Cardinals, along with 11 other matchups. However, Thanksgiving means the now annual Thursday triple-header. It is an all-NFC affair, starting with Eagles-Lions, followed by Panthers-Cowboys, and concluding with Bears-Packers.
The day will feature plenty of playoff implications, but the draft order will see some shake-up with the results. Among the teams playing on Thanksgiving, the Lions are currently No. 5 in the draft order, the Cowboys are No. 6, the Bears are No. 13, and the Eagles are No. 14. The 49ers currently sit at the No. 6 position. Here is the full draft order for teams 4-6 or worse:
1. Cleveland Browns (2-8) - .500
2. San Diego Chargers (2-8) - .513
3. Tennessee Titans (2-8) - .519
4. Baltimore Ravens (3-7) - .494
5. Detroit Lions (3-7) - .519
6. San Francisco 49ers (3-7) - .531
7. Dallas Cowboys (3-7) - .544
8. Miami Dolphins (4-6) - .481
9. Oakland Raiders (4-6) - .481
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) - .488
11. St. Louis Rams (4-6) - .506
12. Washington (4-6) - .506
13. Chicago Bears (4-6) - .513
14. Philadelphia Eagles (4-6) - .525
15. New Orleans Saints (4-6) - .531
The Lions and Cowboys are both favorites at home. The Dallas line is historically significant. The last time a 10-0 team was an underdog was in 1985, when the Chicago Bears were also facing the Cowboys. The Bears beat them 44-0. I think the Cowboys could get the huge win here with the return of Tony Romo, but it's going to be tough against a really tough Panthers defense.
At this point, we'll be rooting for the Lions, Cowboys and Bears. Chicago has a poor history against the Packers, but I suppose crazier things have happened. After all the Lions had not won in Lambeau in over 20 years prior to their win two weeks ago. The 49ers could certainly upset the Cardinals this Sunday, but if the double-digit underdogs do lose, they'll stand to benefit from Thanksgiving.