Thanksgiving NFL games winners and losers: 49ers and Cowboys impress, Lions not so much

The San Francisco 49ers distanced themselves from their next-closest competitor in the NFC West. The Dallas Cowboys flexed against another overmatched opponent. And the Green Bay Packers made the Detroit Lions look like pretenders.

The Thanksgiving Day tripleheader featured three games that would alter the NFC playoff picture. While the 49ers and the Cowboys look like legitimate contenders, the Lions gave pause as to whether they are in that stratosphere, and the Packers might have entered the postseason race.

Thanksgiving also featured some outstanding individual performances, highlighted by a record-setting pick-six from DaRon Bland.

Here are the winners and losers from the three NFL games on Thanksgiving Day:

WINNERS

Dak Prescott: Prescott was sharp on Thanksgiving and even celebrated with a turkey leg after his final touchdown throw.

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The Cowboys quarterback was efficient throwing the football and looked comfortable as he picked apart the Commanders for 331 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Over his past games, Prescott has thrown for 1,602 yards and 17 TDs with a 124.8 passer rating. Put him squarely in the MVP conversation.

Aaron Rodgers' former team: The Packers looked pretty good post AR-12, ambushing the Lions at Ford Field 29-22. Despite a litany of injuries to key players, the Pack’s young core – namely fourth-year QB Jordan Love (268 yards, 3 TDs passing, 39 yards rushing) and his receivers – came through in a big way. On the road. In a short week. The Packers may be long shots to reclaim the NFC North throne they sat upon for so long, but at 5-6 they suddenly find themselves just a game out of the conference’s final wild-card spot.

Rashan Gary: The Green Bay linebacker recorded three sacks on Jared Goff, two of which resulted in forced fumbles. One of those fumbles was recovered by safety Jonathan Owens and returned for a touchdown. Gary also recovered a fumble of his own. And he did it in the same stadium where he tore an ACL last season.

Jonathan Owens: In addition to scooping up one of those balls Gary dislodged and returning it 27 yards for his first-career TD, Owens also made a game-high 12 tackles. Probably long past time to start regarding the safety as more than gold medalist Simone Biles’ husband.

Christian Watson: The Packers have been looking for a top receiver to emerge and Watson, 24, has been the most likely candidate. Watson had his best game of the season, being a steady option for Love in both the deep and intermediate passing game. He finished with five catches on seven targets for 94 yards and one touchdown.

Christian McCaffrey’s a touchdown machine: The 49ers running back just has a nose for the end zone. McCaffrey produced 19 carries, 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the win over Seattle.

McCaffrey now has four games with multiple touchdowns this season. He has 29 total touchdowns in 25 career games with San Francisco.

DaRon Bland: A 63-yard pick-six ended the scoring in Thursday’s rout of Washington … and gave the Cowboys’ second-year corner a single-season record five TDs off INTs this season. Can you say All-Pro? Perhaps even Defensive Player of the Year?

49ers defense feasts on Seahawks: The 49ers defense held the Seahawks to three first downs and 56 total yards in the first half. Plus, cornerback Ambry Thomas intercepted Geno Smith in the first half. San Francisco had two takeaways and had a commanding 24-3 lead at halftime. Overall, the 49ers kept the Seahawks offense out of the end zone. They sacked Geno Smith six times. Nick Bosa had two of those sacks, and Javon Hargrave had 1 ½.

Deebo Samuel: The versatile wideout had 94 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. His seven catches and 79 receiving yards led both teams.

49ers: The 49ers have won 10 consecutive games against NFC West opponents.

Jordyn Brooks: Brooks was the lone bright spot for the Seahawks. The linebacker had a game-high 12 tackles and scored the Seahawks’ only touchdown on a pick-six.

Philadelphia Eagles: Detroit’s loss gives currently top-seeded Philly the opportunity to end Week 12 two games clear of the field in the race for the first-round bye and home-field advantage if the Eagles can take down the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. However the challengers are bunching, the Cowboys and Niners joining Detroit with 8-3 records Thursday.

John Madden: It’s nice to see the legendary coach and TV analyst’s memory kept alive and well with the NFL amplifying its recognition of the “John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration” – his name painted on end zone back lines, his outline used on jersey patches and commemorative coins and so many memories of his best work re-aired by the networks. NBC’s halftime feature on his little-known relationship with the Stingley family was quite the cherry on top. We all miss you, Coach, but what a great tribute to your legacy.

Dolly Parton: She did a medley of her most popular hits (ahem, mostly), the Country Music and (recently inducted) Rock and Roll Hall of Famer doing the halftime show at AT&T Stadium – while performing in the iconic uniform of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. So this is what the kids are into these days? We dug it. Jack Harlow never stood a chance in Detroit … which is maybe why he didn’t bother to try.

Home cooking: With a 45-10 beatdown of the Washington Commanders, the Dallas Cowboys ran their winning streak in North Texas to a league-best 13 games. Their average margin of victory there in 2023 is 29 points, and "Amercia’s Team" has beaten all five of the visitors to Jerry World by at least 20 points.

LOSERS

Dan Campbell: His decision to go for a fake punt deep in Detroit’s own territory late in the third quarter proved to be rather costly. At the time, the Lions were down nine points and the failed attempt gave Green Bay the ball at the Detroit 23. Three plays later, the Packers scored another touchdown. The Lions ended up 1-for-5 on fourth down attempts.

Detroit pass protection: The Lions are known for having a very good offensive line, but Jared Goff was under constant pressure Thursday, and it wasn’t just Rashan Gary. The Lions allowed 12 quarterback hits, and Goff could never get comfortable in the timing and rhythm of Detroit’s offense. Goff lost three fumbles on the day.

David Montgomery: The Detroit running back was ready to show off a Thanksgiving celebration – maybe using his belt towel as a napkin? – when his third-quarter TD run was nullified by a holding penalty. Montgomery actually scored on the next play but got banged up in the process. No celebrating that.

Commanders offense: Washington only produced 10 points in the rout. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel had nine catches for 100 receiving yards, but he was the lone bright spot on Washington’s offense. Commanders QB Sam Howell was up and down throwing the football. He had several inaccurate throws. He finished 28-of-44 passing for 300 yards. He was sacked four times, putting him at a league-high 55 so far this campaign and on pace for 78 over the course of a full season, which would be a single-season record.

Commanders' coaching staff: The blowout loss felt more and more like the Ron Rivera and the Commanders coaching staff are on borrowed time. Rivera is rumored to be on the hot seat this year. The loss dropped the Commanders to 3-8 on the season. Washington has lost three straight games and is 0-5 in the NFC East. 

Tony Romo: Maybe the CBS analyst was just trying to do his job talking up Dallas, which employed him for 14 seasons, as a Super Bowl contender. But maybe once was enough? And maybe underscoring the Cowboys’ dominance at home is a little pointless right now given the current likelihood they won’t be hosting any playoff games.

Seahawks offense: Geno Smith and the Seahawks offense was held to 56 yards and three first downs in the first half. The Seahawks couldn’t get into a rhythm passing or running the football, as they were held to 220 yards and just 4.1 yards per play. Smith had 180 passing yards, no touchdowns and one interception. The Seahawks’ lone touchdown came on defense.

Seahawks' playoff prospects: They’re still in the projected field with a 6-5 record … but barely, falling to the third wild-card spot Thursday after the Minnesota Vikings jumped them due to a better record in NFC games. Seattle will try to retain what’s presently a one-game lead on the Packers but must do so while facing the Cowboys, 49ers (again) and Eagles in their next three games.

Thanksgiving worst?: Every team that lost deserved to, none of them dressing appropriately for the holiday. The Seahawks went with their highlighter green Color Rush unis, Washington opted for its awful all-white roadies with the hideous numbers, and the Lions – after breaking out that fantastic metallic “Honolulu Blue” alternate helmet earlier this season – went with their lifeless, logo-less throwbacks. (And the Cowboys are no great shakes in their throwbacks, either, but those are less offensive to the eyes than the Commanders’ white-on-white look.)

Tradition?: This edition of the Lions may be the franchise’s best in decades, still comfortably atop the NFC North. And it finally felt like Detroit truly deserved its annual Thanksgiving platform. But it sure felt like the same old Lions by Thursday afternoon, their fans suffering a seventh consecutive Thanksgiving defeat.

Kickers: Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey, Detroit’s Riley Patterson and Green Bay’s Anders Carlson all botched extra points.

Aaron Rodgers' current team: ICYMI, the New York Jets will be in action Friday. Their injured superstar quarterback (still) won’t be. Good thing you can stream the NYJ hosting the AFC East-leading Miami Dolphins for free Friday afternoon on Prime Video given it probably wouldn’t be fair to force anyone to pay for the, uh, privilege of watching Jets QB3 Tim Boyle attempt to resuscitate what’s devolved into the league’s 30th-ranked offense under demoted Zach Wilson’s stewardship. And if you simply opt to go shopping instead, no one would blame you, J-E-T-S fans.