NFL Analysis
11/28/24
7 min read
Biggest Winners, Losers of Lions-Bears, Giants-Cowboys, Packers-Dolphins, NFL's Thanksgiving Special
Thanksgiving Day 2024 delivered exciting NFL action, filled with standout performances and surprising outcomes. From the Detroit Lions dominating with their exceptional running game to the Cowboys’ unexpected defensive resurgence, fans were treated to memorable moments on the field. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears faced significant challenges under Coach Matt Eberflus, and the Miami Dolphins struggled to overcome their cold-weather narrative.
In this article, we break down the top winners and losers of the holiday games, highlighting the key plays and player performances that shaped the day’s thrilling matchups.
2024 Thanksgiving Winners, Losers
Winner: Detroit's Run Game 
The Detroit Lions came into Thanksgiving with the second-ranked rushing offense by DVOA. There's a chance that they move to No. 1 after Thursday's dominant win.
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs couldn't be stopped, controlling the game from the start. The Lions ran for 144 yards as a team in the first half, averaging an impressive 6.9 yards per carry. Gibbs seemed like a home-run threat every time he touched the ball, rushing for 83 yards on just seven first-half carries.
Gibbs with the first half CASH 🤑 #OnePride
— FTN Fantasy (@FTNFantasy) November 28, 2024
🦃 Jahmyr Gibbs Over 71.5 Rushing Yards 💸 https://t.co/qNneVF5Cwc pic.twitter.com/jIhzkExtIH
The running game cooled off a bit in the second half, but the Lions still had 194 rushing yards and 5.9 yards per attempt.
Sonic and Knuckles are the best running back duo in the NFL, and their different skill sets allow them to rotate regularly to keep each other fresh. That will pay dividends for both players once the playoffs roll around, where they should continue to have dominant performances on the ground like in Thursday's win.
Loser: Matt Eberflus
There's a chance the Chicago Bears fire their head coach before the Thanksgiving weekend is over.
The Bears looked completely unprepared and unmotivated to play a divisional rival on a short week. They generated just 53 yards of offense in the first half, averaging just 2.8 yards per play, while going 0-for-5 on third down.
Matt Eberflus continued his almost unbelievable streak of unsuccessful challenges. On a dropped pass that was clearly incomplete, Eberflus challenged the first-half call hoping that it would be reversed for a forced fumble. Instead, the Bears lost a timeout on a play that was obviously incomplete.
That failed challenge put Eberflus at 0-for-5 on challenge attempts this season. It also gives him just a 20 percent success rate on challenges as Chicago's head coach, getting a call overturned on just two of his ten career challenges.
The Bears had a spirited second-half comeback, and even had a chance to tie or win the game on their final drive. Instead, Chicago completely botched its clock management, leading to a desperation throw from Caleb Williams as time expired instead of giving the team enough time for a game-tying field goal attempts.
Williams shouldn't be in a position as a rookie to handle clock management. That ending, combined with Eberflus' challenge and the team's awful first-half performance, could have Eberflus fired before the team plays another game.
Winner: Cowboys defense
After an entire season of being considered one of the worst defenses in football, the Cowboys defense came through on Thursday to lead Dallas to win.
The score may not indicate a dominant performance from the unit in a 27-20 win, but the Dallas defense was suffocating, particularly with their pass rush. They generated six sacks as a team along with 25 combined pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Micah Parsons missed a significant amount of time due to his ankle injury earlier this season, but has looked more like himself in recent weeks. He has 5.5 sacks in his four games back from injury, including this crucial third-down sack of Drew Lock in the second half.
Micah Parsons swipes Evan Neal, knocking him off balance, rips under and flies to the quarterback for the sack.pic.twitter.com/4VzYZjkBR3
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 29, 2024
This was the kind of performance that the Cowboys need to get some confidence going beyond this season. It's a reminder that there's still legitimate talent up front for the Cowboys that they can build around in 2025 and beyond.
Loser: Drew Lock
This was supposed to be another opportunity for Drew Lock to show that he's capable of being a starter again one day in the NFL. Instead, it was an ugly performance from the 28-year-old backup.
Lock struggled as a passer in the loss, completing 21-of-32 passes for 178 yards and an interception. The INT wasn't a bad play, but an impressive athletic display from Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. Still, Lock averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt with a brutal -16 total EPA and -0.35 EPA per dropback.
Surprisingly, the most effective Lock was throughout the game was on scramble attempts. His 28-yard rush in the first quarter was the longest of his career, and he finished the game as the team's leading rusher with 57 yards and a touchdown on four carries.
That mobility was a welcome addition to Lock's play style, but he struggled drastically finding open receivers as they created separation, looking hesitant and dropping his eyes against pressure. It's not like his offensive line did him many favors with a pressure on 47.6 percent of his dropbacks, but it would have been nice to see some more positive throws while under duress.
Lock's career may be as an NFL backup, with performances like this one highlighting his limitations as a passer.
Winner: Jeff Hafley
In a game where the Green Bay Packers were without star cornerback Jaire Alexander and their emerging rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley put on a clinic.
The Dolphins were held to just three points in the first half, and didn't score their first touchdown of the game until 2:43 remaining in the third quarter. By the time they found the end zone, however, the Packers were already up 27-11, even with the successful two-point conversion.
Green Bay came into the game as one of the worst pass-rushing units in the league, ranking 27th in pass rush win rate. They looked much more formidable against Miami's offensive line, generating five sacks and nearly 20 pressures in the 30-17 win.
Easily the biggest moment for Hafley's defense came on fourth down at the one-yard line in the fourth quarter. Hafley dialed up a blitz with Quay Walker that got home for a massive sack to keep the Packers up 16.
A SACK ON 4TH & GOAL!
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) November 29, 2024
Pro Bowl vote 🗳️: https://t.co/JsfUV5geTn pic.twitter.com/4uLlomGoxI
The Dolphins may have have put up some stats in garbage time, but the Packers defense held its own against a tough opponent. That's exactly the kind of confidence-building win the unit needs as they start to gear up for a playoff run.
Tua Tagovailoa on playing in the cold vs. the Packers on Thanksgiving: "I'm excited to kill narratives. Let's go. Bring it on." pic.twitter.com/4i0x0v5mYC
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 25, 2024
Loser: Dolphins Dispelling Cold-Weather Narrative
The "Great Show on Surf" last season was exposed in an ugly way in their lone playoff game, losing 26-7 to the Kansas City Chiefs in frigid temperatures.
A chilly night at Lambeau Field didn't do anything to dispel the narrative that their offense can't function in the elements.
According to NBC's broadcast, the Dolphins had lost six straight games in freezing temperatures, including three straight playoff losses, heading into Thursday night's game. They didn't look much better in this one, particularly in the first half, trailing 24-3 heading into halftime.
While the offense started to click in the second half, the defense continued to give up explosives, struggling to handle Green Bay's balanced offensive attack.
The loss puts the Dolphins at 5-7 and on the outside looking in at the AFC playoff race. However, even if this team were to sneak into the playoffs, the cold-weather narrative would be going with them wherever they ended up playing.
