First off, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families, everyone, and thank you for reading. Secondly, there are some pretty important football games today, most notably Vikings at Lions (12:30 p.m. EST) and Redskins at Cowboys (4:30 p.m. EST).
In the appetizer game, the Lions are the best candidates to knock off the Vikings from repeating as NFC North champs. For quick reference, here are the NFC North standings:
| Team | Record | Div record |
| Lions | 6-4 | 1-2 |
| Vikings | 6-4 | 1-2 |
| Packers | 4-6 | 2-1 |
| Bears | 2-8 | 2-1 |
The important thing to note is that the Lions' divisional win was against the Vikings, which means that if they are able to sweep them, they'll essentially have a two-game lead on Minnesota with five games to go. That might be too much for Sleevie Wonder to overcome. Conversely, if the Vikings win, the Lions and Vikes will have split, and the Lions will have three divisional losses, which will essentially put them two games behind the Vikings, who would improve to 2-2 in the division. Obviously, this is a HUGE swing game in the NFC North.
MORE: Week 12 NFL picks | Addition of Paul Turner could give Jordan Matthews more chances to line up outside for Eagles | Pederson: Nelson Agholor not benched yet, but still could be benched | Jason Kelce game review, with gifs and stuff | Report: Lane Johnson files unfair labor practice charges against NFL and NFLPA | Nelson Agholor's devastating line-up gaffe wasn't a first time mistake
I shouldn't have to remind you that the Eagles own the Vikings' first-round pick. If the Vikings do not qualify for the playoffs, that could make a significant difference in the Eagles' draft position.
In the main event, the Redskins travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Dallas is too far out of reach for the Eagles to realistically catch them for the NFC East title. If you're still hopeful that the Birds can earn a wildcard berth, however, then you'll be rooting for the Cowboys today, as the Redskins are still within reach. Or maybe a meteor or something. (I kid). Again, for quick reference, here are the NFC East standings:
| Team | Record | Div record |
| Cowboys | 9-1 | 2-1 |
| Giants | 7-3 | 2-1 |
| Redskins | 6-3-1 | 2-1 |
| Eagles | 5-5 | 0-3 |
In the Thanksgiving night game, the Andrew Luck-less Colts host the Steelers. (Yawn).
Feel free to discuss the games below. Oh, and spend some time with your families.