Move the pie, find the remote, and leave room for overtime. These 120 Thanksgiving football trivia questions cover Detroit’s 1934 gamble, Dallas’s 1966 debut, snow games, turkey-leg awards, classic mistakes, breakout stars, national broadcasts, and the annual challenge of timing dinner around three kickoffs.
Keep the drive alive with our NFL trivia, football trivia, and Thanksgiving trivia.
How Football Became a Thanksgiving Tradition
Football and Thanksgiving grew up together long before television put both on the same couch. My family’s contribution is yelling strategic advice at professional coaches while holding pie.
Q: When did organized football games become associated with Thanksgiving?
A: College and club games built the tradition during the late 19th century.
Q: Which college rivalry played a notable Thanksgiving game in 1876?
A: Yale versus Princeton.
Q: What made Thanksgiving useful for early football scheduling?
A: A public holiday gave players and spectators time to gather.
Q: Which level of football built many local Turkey Day rivalries?
A: High school football.
Q: What is a Turkey Day game?
A: A football game played on or around Thanksgiving.
Q: Which early professional league began playing Thanksgiving games in 1920?
A: The American Professional Football Association, later renamed the NFL.
Q: What does NFL stand for?
A: National Football League.
Q: When did the APFA adopt the NFL name?
A: 1922.
Q: How many NFL games were played on Thanksgiving in 1920?
A: Six games involving league teams are listed in the historical results.
Q: Which team beat the Canton Bulldogs on Thanksgiving in 1920?
A: The Akron Pros.
Q: What was the Akron-Canton score in that 1920 game?
A: Akron won 7-0.
Q: Which modern franchises became the permanent holiday hosts?
A: The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys.
Q: Which team traditionally hosts the early Thanksgiving game?
A: The Detroit Lions.
Q: Which team traditionally hosts the late-afternoon Thanksgiving game?
A: The Dallas Cowboys.
Q: When did the NFL add a regular Thanksgiving night game?
A: 2006.
Q: How is the Thanksgiving night host selected?
A: The matchup rotates rather than belonging permanently to one team.
Q: Which network traditionally broadcasts the Lions game under the current rotation?
A: Fox usually carries the early game.
Q: Which network traditionally broadcasts the Cowboys game under the current rotation?
A: CBS usually carries the late-afternoon game.
Q: Which network carries the Thanksgiving night game?
A: NBC.
Q: Why can network assignments occasionally differ?
A: Scheduling and broadcast packages can change by season.
Q: What does a three-game Thanksgiving slate provide?
A: Football from early afternoon through prime time.
Q: Which league played Thanksgiving games alongside the NFL in the 1960s?
A: The American Football League.
Q: What happened to the AFL in 1970?
A: It completed its merger with the NFL.
Q: Which 1960 AFL Thanksgiving game featured the New York Titans and Dallas Texans?
A: The Titans defeated the Texans 41-35.
Q: What were the New York Titans later renamed?
A: The New York Jets.
Q: What were the Dallas Texans later renamed?
A: The Kansas City Chiefs.
Q: Why do football ratings tend to be high on Thanksgiving?
A: Large groups are home together and the games occupy established holiday time slots.
Q: What common meal course overlaps with the early game?
A: Thanksgiving lunch or dinner preparation, depending on the household.
Q: What common meal course often reaches the late game?
A: Dessert, leftovers, or the main dinner.
Q: What makes Thanksgiving football different from an ordinary Thursday game?
A: Fixed host traditions, national audiences, holiday ceremonies, and family rituals surround it.
Detroit Lions Thanksgiving History
Detroit volunteered for Thanksgiving when the team needed attention, and the idea worked spectacularly. Even losing seasons get a national stage, which is either loyalty or a very long character-building exercise.
Q: When did the Detroit Lions begin their annual Thanksgiving tradition?
A: 1934.
Q: Who owned the Lions when the tradition began?
A: George A. Richards.
Q: Why did George Richards schedule a Thanksgiving home game?
A: He wanted publicity and a larger crowd for his recently purchased team.
Q: What business also gave Richards influence over the broadcast?
A: He owned Detroit radio station WJR.
Q: Who did Detroit play on Thanksgiving in 1934?
A: The Chicago Bears.
Q: What was the score of Detroit’s first Thanksgiving game?
A: Chicago defeated Detroit 19-16.
Q: Where did the Lions play that 1934 game?
A: University of Detroit Stadium.
Q: What was the Lions franchise called before moving to Detroit?
A: The Portsmouth Spartans.
Q: Which Ohio city was home to the Portsmouth Spartans?
A: Portsmouth, Ohio.
Q: When did the Spartans move to Detroit and become the Lions?
A: 1934.
Q: Why did the team choose the name Lions?
A: It paired with baseball’s Detroit Tigers and suggested a powerful big cat.
Q: Which team did Detroit defeat on Thanksgiving in 1935?
A: The Chicago Bears.
Q: What was Detroit’s 1935 Thanksgiving score?
A: The Lions won 14-2.
Q: What major title did the Lions win after the 1935 Thanksgiving victory?
A: The 1935 NFL Championship.
Q: Which years interrupted Detroit’s Thanksgiving series during World War II?
A: The Lions did not play the game from 1939 through 1944.
Q: When did the Lions’ continuous postwar Thanksgiving run begin?
A: 1945.
Q: Which opponent has faced Detroit most often on Thanksgiving?
A: The Green Bay Packers.
Q: What nickname is given to Detroit’s 1962 win over unbeaten Green Bay?
A: The Thanksgiving Day Massacre.
Q: What was the score of the 1962 Lions-Packers game?
A: Detroit won 26-14.
Q: What record did Green Bay carry into the 1962 game?
A: A 10-0 record.
Q: How many times did Detroit sack Bart Starr in the 1962 game?
A: Eleven times.
Q: Which Lions defender was a star of the 1962 defensive line?
A: Roger Brown.
Q: What happened on the opening play of overtime in the 1980 Lions-Bears game?
A: Chicago’s Dave Williams returned the kickoff for a winning touchdown.
Q: How long did the 1980 overtime last?
A: Thirteen seconds.
Q: Which Lions running back rushed for 225 yards on Thanksgiving in 1997?
A: Barry Sanders.
Q: Which opponent did Barry Sanders torch in that 1997 game?
A: The Chicago Bears.
Q: How many touchdown passes did Scott Mitchell throw on Thanksgiving in 1995?
A: Four.
Q: Which opponent lost to Detroit 44-38 in the 1995 shootout?
A: The Minnesota Vikings.
Q: Which stadium has hosted the Lions’ Thanksgiving game since 2002?
A: Ford Field.
Q: What venue hosted the Lions’ holiday games immediately before Ford Field?
A: The Pontiac Silverdome.
Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving History
Dallas joined the tradition in 1966 because Tex Schramm wanted national attention. The plan succeeded so completely that Thanksgiving without the Cowboys now feels like somebody forgot a side dish.
Q: When did the Dallas Cowboys begin hosting on Thanksgiving?
A: 1966.
Q: Which Cowboys executive pushed for the Thanksgiving game?
A: General manager Tex Schramm.
Q: Why did Tex Schramm volunteer Dallas as a host?
A: He believed a national holiday game would build attention for the young franchise.
Q: Who did Dallas play in its first Thanksgiving game?
A: The Cleveland Browns.
Q: What was the score of Dallas’s first Thanksgiving game?
A: The Cowboys won 26-14.
Q: Where was the 1966 game played?
A: The Cotton Bowl.
Q: Which Cowboys coach led the team in 1966?
A: Tom Landry.
Q: What distinctive hat did Tom Landry wear on the sideline?
A: A fedora.
Q: Which two years did Dallas not host after beginning its tradition?
A: 1975 and 1977.
Q: Which team hosted in Dallas’s usual slot in 1975 and 1977?
A: The St. Louis Cardinals.
Q: Why did the NFL return the regular host role to Dallas?
A: The Cardinals’ games drew less interest than the Cowboys tradition.
Q: What stadium hosted Cowboys Thanksgiving games from 1971 through 2008?
A: Texas Stadium.
Q: Which venue has hosted the Dallas game since 2009?
A: AT&T Stadium.
Q: What nickname is AT&T Stadium widely given?
A: Jerry World.
Q: Who owns the Dallas Cowboys?
A: Jerry Jones.
Q: What is the Cowboys’ team nickname?
A: America’s Team.
Q: Which 1993 Thanksgiving game became famous for snow and a late mistake?
A: Dallas versus the Miami Dolphins.
Q: Who blocked Miami’s first late field-goal attempt in 1993?
A: Dallas defensive lineman Jimmie Jones blocked it.
Q: Which Cowboys player touched the loose ball after the 1993 block?
A: Leon Lett.
Q: Why did Leon Lett’s touch matter?
A: Miami recovered the live ball and received another field-goal attempt.
Q: Who kicked Miami’s winning field goal after the Leon Lett play?
A: Pete Stoyanovich.
Q: What was the final score of the 1993 snow game?
A: Miami won 16-14.
Q: Which backup quarterback led Dallas past Green Bay in 1994?
A: Jason Garrett.
Q: Why was Jason Garrett starting in 1994?
A: Troy Aikman and backup Rodney Peete were injured.
Q: What was the score of the 1994 Cowboys-Packers game?
A: Dallas won 42-31.
Q: Which Vikings rookie caught three touchdown passes against Dallas in 1998?
A: Randy Moss.
Q: How many receptions did Randy Moss make in that 1998 game?
A: Three receptions.
Q: How many receiving yards did Moss gain on those catches?
A: One hundred sixty-three yards.
Q: Which Cowboys quarterback threw five touchdown passes on Thanksgiving in 2006?
A: Tony Romo.
Q: Which opponent did Dallas defeat 38-10 in Tony Romo’s 2006 performance?
A: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Classic Games, Turkey Awards & Hard Thanksgiving Football Trivia
The holiday has delivered snow mistakes, overtime returns, breakout rookies, and several broadcasts that became more dramatic than dinner. At least football has instant replay, unlike family debates about who took the last roll.
Q: Which broadcaster made the six-legged turkey famous on football telecasts?
A: John Madden.
Q: Why did Madden’s turkey sometimes have extra legs?
A: It allowed several standout players to receive a ceremonial leg.
Q: Which Eagles defender received the first famous Madden turkey leg in 1989?
A: Reggie White.
Q: What Fox award became associated with its Thanksgiving player of the game?
A: The Galloping Gobbler.
Q: What stuffed poultry dish did John Madden popularize on Thanksgiving broadcasts?
A: Turducken, a chicken stuffed inside a duck inside a turkey.
Q: Which Vikings receiver produced a three-touchdown Thanksgiving game as a rookie?
A: Randy Moss in 1998.
Q: Which quarterback threw six touchdowns for Miami on Thanksgiving in 1977?
A: Bob Griese.
Q: Which opponent did Miami defeat in that 1977 game?
A: The St. Louis Cardinals.
Q: Which 2008 team lost 47-10 on Thanksgiving during an 0-16 season?
A: The Detroit Lions.
Q: Which team beat Detroit 47-10 in 2008?
A: The Tennessee Titans.
Q: Which 2012 game featured a controversial 81-yard Justin Forsett touchdown?
A: Houston Texans versus Detroit Lions.
Q: Why was Justin Forsett’s 2012 touchdown controversial?
A: Replay showed him down, but an improper challenge flag prevented the automatic review under the rule then in force.
Q: Who threw the challenge flag that triggered the 2012 penalty?
A: Lions coach Jim Schwartz.
Q: How did the 2012 Texans-Lions game end?
A: Houston won 34-31 in overtime.
Q: Which two head-coaching brothers met on Thanksgiving night in 2011?
A: John and Jim Harbaugh.
Q: What nickname did the 2011 Ravens-49ers matchup receive?
A: The Harbowl.
Q: Which brother won the 2011 Harbowl?
A: John Harbaugh with the Baltimore Ravens.
Q: Which team did Jim Harbaugh coach in that game?
A: The San Francisco 49ers.
Q: Which undefeated team beat Dallas on Thanksgiving in 2015?
A: The Carolina Panthers.
Q: What was Carolina’s record after that 2015 win?
A: 11-0.
Q: Which Cowboys quarterback reinjured his collarbone in the 2015 game?
A: Tony Romo.
Q: Which Lions cornerback set up a winning field goal against Minnesota in 2016?
A: Darius Slay.
Q: Who kicked Detroit’s winning field goal in the 2016 Vikings game?
A: Matt Prater.
Q: Which 2020 Thanksgiving night matchup was postponed because of COVID-19?
A: Baltimore Ravens versus Pittsburgh Steelers.
Q: When was the postponed Ravens-Steelers game finally played?
A: Wednesday, December 2, 2020.
Q: Which team earned its first Thanksgiving win since 2016 in 2024?
A: The Detroit Lions.
Q: Who did Detroit defeat 23-20 in 2024?
A: The Chicago Bears.
Q: What clock-management problem ended Chicago’s 2024 comeback attempt?
A: The Bears let the final seconds expire without using their last timeout.
Q: Why do standings records not tell the whole Thanksgiving story?
A: Short weeks, rivalry emotion, national attention, and unusual momentum create surprises.
Q: What makes Thanksgiving football trivia so memorable?
A: Fixed hosts and decades of nationally watched games turn single plays into family folklore.
How Did You Score?
If Akron, George Richards, the 1962 massacre, Dave Williams, Tex Schramm, Leon Lett, Jason Garrett, Randy Moss, the Harbowl, and the six-legged turkey all crossed the goal line, your Thanksgiving football score is ready for prime time. Mine needs a replay review and another slice of pie.
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