THANKSGIVING DAY NFL WAGERING

A Feast of Football Highs and Lett Downs

Memorable moments from the NFL's favorite holiday extravaganza

Nov. 22, 2005

By Bodog.com
BodogNation Contributing Writer

Thanksgiving. A day to gorge on turkey, have three justifiable slices of pie, invest in copious amounts of Pepto-Bismol, and maybe - just maybe - spend a little time on the recliner catching some NFL action.

Come Thursday, you'll be primed to watch Michael Vick and the Falcons travel to Detroit for the afternoon game, marking the 66th time the Lions have played on Thanksgiving. The evening contest figures to be a great battle as divisional leaders Denver and Dallas square off at Texas Stadium. Both games could produce indelible moments, like those below. BodogNation takes a look back at three famous (or infamous) gridiron games from recent Thanksgiving Days past:

Down 20-10 midway through the third quarter, the Cowboys came back to post their 10th consecutive victory over the arch-rival Redskins. The game was a special Turkey Day contest, as Dallas running back Emmitt Smith ran for 144 yards and became the first player in NFL history to eclipse the 17,000-yard career rushing mark.

Washington, listed at -1.5 road favorites, jumped out to an early lead thanks to three Danny Wuerffel touchdown passes in the first three quarters. Yet when it seemed as though the 'Skins had control of the game, the Washington faithful were stunned as Dallas safety Roy Williams intercepted a Wuerffel pass with eight minutes left in the third, and returned it five yards for a TD.

It was the third interception Wuerffel had thrown in the game, and it proved to be the most costly. With the Dallas comeback effort in full swing, Joey Galloway hauled in a 41-yard bomb from Chad Hutchinson and crossed the goal line midway through the fourth quarter, for what proved to be the winning score. The Cowboys improved to 5-7, moving them into a tie with the Redskins.

In one of the most impressive running displays national television has ever seen, the Lions' Barry Sanders ran over the hapless Bears all Thanksgiving day.

Chicago coach Dave Wannstedt had seen his team suffer mightily during the 1997 season. The Bears got off to a 0-7 start and finished the year 28th overall in points scored and 29th in points allowed. And, during one nightmarish day known for feasts, Sanders gobbled up 167 yards and three scores as the Lions dropped Wannstedt's team to 2-11.

What made this game even more remarkable is that the Bears, +8 on the road against a 6-6 Lions' squad, jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, thanks to two early touchdowns from Raymont Harris and Ricky Proehl. In the wagering world, things were looking tasty for a possible Bears' cover. The Chicago good times didn't last long, however, as Sanders posted touchdown runs of 40, 25 and 15 yards en route to passing Eric Dickerson for second on the all-time rushing list.

Four quarters and 55 points later, Detroit had recorded the most lopsided victory in NFL Thanksgiving Day history.

In arguably the most famous Thanksgiving Day game ever played, the immortal Leon Lett earned his place in NFL lore.

On a snowy evening in Dallas, the Cowboys' Jimmie Jones blocked Miami's attempt at at winning field goal with 15 seconds remaining. With the game seemingly over, Lett - a two-time Pro Bowler at defensive tackle - revived the dead ball, sliding into it at the Cowboys' seven-yard line. There was just one problem: Lett failed to control the blocked kick, and his touch meant the ball was live.

Miami recovered at the Dallas one-yard line with just three seconds left - still enough time for Pete Stoyanovich to try another kick. This time, his 20-yard field goal went through the uprights and Lett (top left) went through the humiliation of being in every comedian's punchline.

The result appeared to be a devastating one for the Cowboys, who were 10-point favorites at Texas Stadium but fell to 7-4 with the loss. It was a golden opportunity for the 'Boys to knock off one of the elite teams in the NFL. At the time, the game was being billed as a possible Super Bowl preview.

But if the events surrounding the Nov. 25, 1993, game were peculiar, what followed was downright batty. The Dolphins fell apart after their surprise win, losing their final five contests to finish 9-7; they missed the playoffs altogether.

The Cowboys? After Lett's brain cramp cost them the game, they rattled off five straight regular-season wins, and went on to defeat the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXVII.

Got a favorite Thanksgiving Day football memory? Let us know and we'll include your comments in the Nation Mailbag.

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