Good, Bad and Ugly about NFL Thanksgiving Games 2021: Bills Are Back, Cowboys in Trouble, Lions Indifferent

Six different NFL teams hit the field on Thanksgiving for the start of Week 12. All three away teams ended up winning. And two of the three games ended up in the lead. But who won and lost Turkey Day? Who should make another plate for themselves to celebrate their day, and who should suppress food in the grief of their esophagus? We are here to tell you.

Recognize the good, the bad, and the ugly of NFL Thanksgiving:

Good

Invoices once again looked like rivals, waxing for the Saints Superdome turf with Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Dawson Knox and their defenses in sight. Buffalo still needs more of his game, which could help relieve pressure from Allen, but this was a big step in the right direction. The Saints have been beaten, yes, but will they overtake them on 25 roads in a short week? It builds trust.

Josh Allen is not yet out of the MVP discussion. He still forces one too many throws, but he was effective for most of Bills ’big win, finishing with four goals and leading Buffalo in the rush.

DeSean Jackson finally made (good) noise for the Raiders and took full advantage of his three Dallas catches: 102 yards and a big score that helped Vegas upset the Cowboys in a much-needed victory. Jackson may be a one-trick pony, but when he gallops at full speed, he can do this damage.

Hunter Renfrow has been successful this year, and the same went on against the Cowboys. He has reached 658 yards – a career record – with six games remaining. Maintaining his health is key to the Raiders ’stretch.

Derek Carr certainly took a step forward in creating the Cowboys defense. He has experienced some premature drops in recent years, and that seemed to be the case this season. But he was the most confident for weeks on Thursday.

Cowboys may be worrying overall, but one thing they don’t have to worry about is a lack of talent. Without Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb, they still found a way to collect big plays in the penalty shootout when Cedrick Wilson, Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz showed up on the air. When completely healthy, they cannot be taken lightly.

Evil

Matt Nagy could resist the accelerated requests for his work by leading the bears to victory over the invincible Lions, but the boy did so in an ugly, unbelievable way to his team. On the day Detroit asked Chicago to flee things due to extra penalties and ill-considered decisions, Bears needed a field goal as time ran out to seal the deal.

Cowboys they have the ability (see above), but they may not have the courage. After starting 6-1 and seeing a potential NFC favorite, they have lost three of four. Even worse: their defense, backed by stars like Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs, allowed the Raiders to constantly move the ball when needed, giving the season’s worst 36 points. Suddenly in the big picture, the Cowboys no longer have the lock to beat NFC East.

Tre’Davious White Leaving Bills ’big win due to a knee injury doesn’t bode well for Buffalo’s defense, especially considering it doesn’t face Trevor Siemian and the beaten Saints every week. White was suspected of returning quickly after departure, and later the rating was lowered.

Ugly

Bears cannot celebrate their 16-14 victory over Lions. They just can’t. And the reason they are ugly is because there is no visible light at the end of the tunnel. Thursday’s performance is not sustainable. The same could be said for most of their games this year. Blame Nagya, blame Ryan Pace’s lineup, blame whoever you want. But they were dangerously close to falling into a 3-8 porous and blatantly rebuilding rival, and they haven’t been built to be much better in the near future.

Lions dropped to 0-10-1, though leading Bears deep into the fourth quarter. What else needs to be said here? Despite all his passionate speeches, Dan Campbel is increasingly becoming part of the Detroit problem, where mental disorders match the lack of initiative. Send help immediately.

The Saints are still hunting for NFC wildcards 5-6, but where in the world can they turn for help in an attack? Getting Alvin Kamara back clearly improves their chances. But Trevor Siemian can’t bear the burden placed on him, Taysom Hill is either not healthy or not ready enough to take control as a quarterback, and the only option (other than Philip Rivers ’retirement) seems to be the rookie Ian Book. Sean Payton would be better off being creative fast.