Unforgettable moments in NFL history that defined Thanksgiving football

Thanksgiving might be all about family and food, but in the NFL, it’s also become a stage for chaos, classics, and the kind of moments fans never forget.

With Week 13 approaching, we rewind through the legendary performances and season-turning games that shaped the NFL’s greatest ever Thanksgiving moments.

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November 25, 2004: Peyton Manning drops six TDs on the Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts' quarterback Manning shredded the Lions for six touchdown passes in a 41–9 blowout, needing only three quarters to match Bob Griese’s long-standing Thanksgiving record from 1977.

Manning went on to throw a remarkable 49 touchdowns that season, a total that still stands tied for the fourth-most in a single year.

November 23, 1997: Barry Sanders dominates the Bears

Sanders lit up the Chicago Bears in 1997, ripping off 167 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries as Detroit cruised to a 55–20 win.

The Hall of Fame tailback ran for a league-best 2,053 yards that year and was awarded the league's Most Valuable Player award.

November 26, 1998: Randy Moss' incredible stat line

In one of the most iconic games in NFL history, Moss gave the Dallas Cowboys a Thanksgiving they’d rather forget.

The Hall of Fame wideout finished with just three receptions, but each one went the distance. His final tally - three catches, for 163 yards and three TDs - was the epitome of efficiency and devastation as the Vikings ran out 46-36 winners.

November 26, 1998: Bizarre coin flip costs Steelers big

During the overtime coin toss of the Thanksgiving game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions, the coin came up tails, and referee Phil Luckett awarded possession to Detroit.

Steelers captain Jerome Bettis insisted he had called “tails,” while Luckett maintained Bettis had said “heads,” leading to one of the NFL’s most infamous coin-toss controversies.

To add insult to injury, the Lions made the most of the overtime possession, driving for a field goal that ended the game.

Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher said the moment cost the Steelers dearly: "We did not win a game the rest of the year. Such a small, minor detail totally destroyed the rest of our season."

November 22, 2012: Mark Sanchez's "Butt Fumble"

New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez delivered one of the most notorious Thanksgiving moments ever, hitting the back of his teammate Brandon Moore, fumbling the ball, and watching Patriots safety Steve Gregory scoop it up for a touchdown.

November 25, 1993: Leon Lett's "Thanksgiving Blunder"

On a snowy Thanksgiving in 1993, the Cowboys blocked a last-second Miami Dolphins field goal and looked set to walk off with the win. That was, until Leon Lett slid into the loose ball on the icy turf.

By touching the ball, Lett made it live, gifting Miami a second chance and a remarkable, game-winning score. The moment stung even more because his teammates were already celebrating; if Lett had simply left the ball alone, the play would’ve been whistled dead, and Dallas would have won.