What is the Lions’ Record on Thanksgiving? Full Year-by-Year History

The Detroit Lions and Thanksgiving go hand in hand. The hottest team in the league has hosted one of the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day games annually since 1934.

Initially, the Lions’ Turkey Day game was a ploy to get fans into the building. The team’s first owner, George A. Richards, started the tradition as a gimmick to sell tickets. Now, the Lions kick off the NFL’s Thanksgiving Day slate in the early afternoon time slot year in and year out.

The Lions’ Thanksgiving Day game is now a full spectacle. Last year, award-winning rapper Jack Harlow performed at halftime while this year, Shaboozey of “A Bar Song” fame is set to perform.

While the Lions are real Super Bowl contenders this year, they haven’t had the best of luck in their Thanksgiving Day games in recent years. Detroit hasn’t won on Thanksgiving since 2016 and lost a close one to their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, last season. Overall, the Lions haven’t dominated on Turkey Day but maybe that’s set to change this year after a 10-1 start, tied for the best record in football.

The Lions have a great opportunity to snap their Thanksgiving Day losing streak Thursday when the Chicago Bears (4-7) come to town.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving tradition:

The Lions’ Thanksgiving Day tradition dates back to 1934. Excluding the years of 1939-1944, because of World War II, the team has played every year since.

Detroit is 37-45-2 all-time on Turkey Day. A nine-game losing streak from 2004-12 and the current drought since 2016 has dragged down their overall record. The Dallas Cowboys, who have played the most Thanksgiving Day games other than the Lions, are 32-23-1 in their traditional home game which follows the Lions.

The Lions’ last Thanksgiving win came over the Minnesota Vikings in 2016 by a final score of 16–13. The Matthew Stafford era was still alive in Detroit. He threw a touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin to put Detroit on the board, then kicker Matt Prater followed it up with three field goals, including a game-winner as the clock expired.

Detroit has played at home each year they’ve ran out on Turkey Day. Their NFC North foes, Chicago, Minnesota and Green Bay, are common opponents, including a 13-year stretch where the Lions played the Packers each year through the 1950s and early ’60s.

Other than a pause from 1939-44 due to World War II, the Lions have played on Thanksgiving Day each year. In between two big losing streaks this century, the Lions rattled off a four-game win streak from 2013-16. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes hope to find some similar magic now that their team is on the rise.

Here is Detroit’s year-by-year results since their Thanksgiving game tradition began:

The famous Lions Thanksgiving moment came in 1998 when Detroit’s own Jerome Bettis called the overtime coin flip for his Pittsburgh Steelers. As the Hall of Famer was at midfield, he appeared to call tails, but the referee heard heads. The coin landed on tails which gave the Lions the ball to start OT. They went on to win the game on a field goal from Jason Hanson, 19-16.

A more recent memeroble moment came during the Lions losing streak on Thanksgiving Day from 2004-12. Against the Houston Texans, then-Lions head coach Jim Schwartz challenged on an 81-yard touchdown run from Justin Forsett. Forsett was clearly down and the touchdown should have been null and void. Since the play would have been reviewed automatically, Schwartz’s challenge drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and removed the official review. The touchdown counted and the Lions lost 34–31 in overtime.

Lions football on Thanksgiving is a true holiday for Detroiters. The early start times bring fans to Detroit at the crack of dawn to tailgate. And in some cases, fans and players can even make it back home in time for Thanksgiving dinner and to view the other games.

The Lions have often sported their throwback blue and silver uniforms on Thanksgiving, complete with the solid silver helmet. In 2001–2004, and again in 2008, 2010, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2023 the Lions have worn the classic throwbacks based on their very early years. In 2019 and 2022, Detroit wore their gray Color Rush uniforms. While their uniform selection for this year hasn’t been released officially, the Lions will presumedly return to their throwback set.