On Thanksgiving, the Cowboys are 30-21-1, including an 8-1 win over Washington. The clubs last clashed on Thanksgiving Day two years ago, with Dallas winning 31-23. Except for 1975 and 1977, when the St. Louis Cardinals hosted, the Cowboys have hosted the game every year since 1966. Before then, they played at home on Thanksgiving Day six times: 1934, 1935, 1936, 1950, 1951, and 1952.
They've also won eight in a row on Thanksgiving, starting in 2001 with a 23-17 victory over Washington. That's the longest current streak in the NFL.
The Cowboys are 5-3 on Thanksgiving during that span. They lost 17-14 to Denver in 2012 but rebounded by defeating Pittsburgh 24-6 a week later. In 2011, they defeated Philadelphia 33-30 before losing to New York Giants 27-24 in overtime. In 2010, they opened their season at home against Jacksonville, beat Chicago 26-16, and then traveled to Landover for Thursday night's game against Washington. The Cowboys won that game 8-7 in overtime. In 2009, they began their season at home against San Diego, lost 20-19 in double overtime, and then traveled to Phoenix for a Saturday afternoon game. They ended up beating Arizona 34-31 for their first win.
Thanksgiving Day games have become popular throughout the NFL.
Last season, Dallas fell 41-16 to the Washington Football Team in the Cowboys' 53rd Thanksgiving Day game, making Dallas 31-21-1 all-time in Thanksgiving Day games. As a result, the Cowboys win on Thanksgiving more frequently than not. They have won five out of their last six games played on Thanksgiving, with their only loss coming during their first season in Texas when they were defeated by the Houston Oilers, 34-13.
This year's game will be the Cowboys' second game of the season and it will also be held on Thanksgiving Day. The Cowboys open up at home against the New York Giants.
Thanksgiving Day football is when the NFL celebrates its American heritage by playing one game on each Thanksgiving day starting in 1994. The holiday was made official by league rules in 1995; prior to then, teams decided for themselves whether or not to play on Thanksgiving Day. In 2001, the Carolina Panthers played a 12:00 p.m. EST kickoff time on Turkey Day; however, due to security concerns after 9/11, future Thanksgiving Games will be scheduled for 1:00 p.m. EST kickoffs.
The Cowboys have been very successful on Thanksgiving over the years, with their all-time record being 5-1. Their only loss came in their first season in Texas when they were defeated by the Houston Oilers, 34-13.
The Cowboys have won 29 Thanksgiving Day games in a row. These games have been played by the Cowboys since 1966. In that time, they have an overall record of 155-66-1 (.737 winning percentage). They have not missed the playoffs since 1996 when they went 11-5-1 (.583 winning percentage). They have won at least one game on Thanksgiving Day every year except for 1974 when they were shut out by the Atlanta Falcons 34-0.
In addition to their regular season record, the Cowboys are 8-3-1 on Thanksgiving Day during their title run (1972 through 1989).
They started the streak in 1966 when Dallas defeated Washington 27-14 in its first game after Thanksgiving. The Cowboys have not lost on Thanksgiving Day since 1969 when they were beaten by Detroit 24-7.
Thanksgiving Day games are special because there is no conference schedule and only one playoff spot available. So each game has huge importance and usually sees lots of scoring. This year's edition will be played on Thursday, November 22nd between 10:30 AM and 1:00 PM CDT on Fox Sports 1. You can also watch online via Fox Sports Go or through the NFL app.
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