Hey football fans! Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of the Week 13 NFL grades! Everyone loves Thanksgiving football, and this year the NFL delivered three thrilling games on Thursday. The Turkey Day action kicked off with a wild one in Detroit, where the Lions pulled off a nail-biting 23-20 victory over the Chicago Bears. This win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the Lions, putting them at an impressive 11-1. That’s the best start in their franchise history! The second game saw the Cowboys comfortably dispatching the Giants 27-20, completing a season sweep of their NFC East rivals. And finally, the Thanksgiving nightcap in Green Bay saw the Packers take down the Dolphins 30-17, a victory that solidified their chilly-weather dominance.
Thanksgiving NFL Grades: Week 13
Let’s dive into the detailed grades for each team, starting with that nail-biting Detroit showdown.
Detroit Lions 23-20 Chicago Bears
Bears (C): Ouch. Matt Eberflus’s team seemed unprepared, particularly in the first half. The Bears fell behind 16-0 with just 53 yards, and while they did battle back in a thrilling second half, the Bears’ struggles continued. Their lackluster performance, and in particular the poor clock management in the closing minutes, leaves much to be desired. Defense stepped up but coaching remains a weak spot.
Lions (C+): The Lions had some great plays, but missed some opportunities. They had five trips to the red zone, but only scored on two touchdowns. It’s impressive that they won, but the Lions also struggled a bit, making some costly mistakes, and the rushing attack went cold in the second half. The Lions were good enough, but just not great.
Dallas Cowboys 27-20 New York Giants
Giants (C+): Drew Lock had a rough go of it, becoming the third QB of the season to start for the Giants, and unfortunately, the offense struggled. Two critical turnovers from Lock didn’t help matters, but the offense had struggles that went beyond the quarterback, as the offensive line and the Giants’ rushing attack also struggled.
Cowboys (B+): The Cowboys defense shined. Their pass rush was relentless, and the offense managed to close out the win. It was a dominating performance!
Green Bay Packers 30-17 Miami Dolphins
Dolphins (D): The Dolphins, as usual, struggled in the cold weather. The offense had a slow start, the defense didn’t shine, and the rushing attack failed to materialize. Tua Tagovailoa played well in parts, but faltered on two crucial fourth down attempts. A muffed punt also didn’t help matters. Their struggles in cold weather are well-documented, and this loss extends a troubling pattern.
Packers (A-): The Packers’ quarterback had a really efficient game, the running game functioned smoothly in the cold weather and the defense was strong, holding Miami to under 40 yards rushing. This Packers team was impressive with multiple sacks, and a successful game in tough conditions.
What did you think of this Thanksgiving weekend in the NFL? Leave a comment below and share this article with your friends! It’s been fun discussing these NFL Thanksgiving Grades
