The NFL has played games on Thanksgiving since the league’s inception in 1920, meaning this tradition dates back more than 100 years.
Today’s three-game Thanksgiving slate will feature the Detroit Lions hosting the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys taking on the New York Giants, and the Miami Dolphins facing off against the Green Bay Packers.
Will one of these contests crack the list of the highest-scoring Thanksgiving games of all time? Here’s how many points they’ll have to put up in order to qualify.
What Were the Highest-Scoring NFL Games on Thanksgiving Day?
- Detroit Lions 52, Green Bay Packers 35 | 87 points | Nov. 27, 1951
- Green Bay Packers 44, Detroit Lions 40 | 84 points | Nov. 27, 1986
- Minnesota Vikings 44, Dallas Cowboys 40 | 84 points | Nov. 26, 1987
- Detroit Lions 44, Minnesota Vikings 38 | 82 points | Nov. 23, 1995
- Minnesota Vikings 46, Dallas Cowboys 36 | 82 points | Nov. 26, 1998
Interestingly, all of the highest-scoring Thanksgiving games occurred before 2000.
The Lions and Packers posted the highest-scoring Thanksgiving contest in NFL history, combing for 87 points and 949 yards.
For the Lions, quarterback Bobby Layne completed 20 of 36 passes for 296 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
For the Packers, quarterback Tobin Rote completed 8 of 23 passes for 201 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions while also rushing for 131 yards and a score.
Which NFL Team Scored the Most Points on Thanksgiving Day?
- Miami Dolphins, 55 vs. St. Louis Cardinals, 14 | Nov. 24, 1977
- Cleveland Bulldogs, 53 vs. Milwaukee Badgers, 10 | Nov. 27, 1927
- Detroit Lions, 52 vs. Green Bay Packers, 35 | Nov. 27, 1951.
- Dallas Cowboys, 51 vs. Seattle Seahawks, 7 | Nov. 27, 1980
- Detroit Lions, 49 vs. New York Yanks, 14 | Nov. 24, 1949
The Dolphins hold the Thanksgiving record for most points scored by a single NFL team. In 1977, Miami scored 55 points in a win over the Cardinals.
Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese threw a career-high six touchdown passes, including three to wide receiver Nat Moore. At the time, Miami set the franchise record for points (55), total yards (503), touchdowns (eight) and first downs (34).
Miami entered this game with some extra motivation due to bulletin board material from a local newspaper writer.
“We were going in there on Thanksgiving Day. A writer from the Sun Tattler – a local South Florida paper at that time — wrote an article saying that we were going to be Thanksgiving dinner for the Cardinals because they had all the superstars,” Moore recalled to Dolphins.com.
“They listed off all the stars and said the Dolphins didn’t have anybody but Don Shula. We read that article and we were pissed. On that team you had Bob Griese, Larry Little, Jim Langer, all Hall of Famers. Bob Kuechenberg should’ve been a Hall of Famer, too.”
For many years, this 55-point performance was the Dolphins’ franchise record for most points in a game, but Miami topped it in 2023 when they scored 70 points against the Denver Broncos.