The NFL Thanksgiving Day schedule offers fans a trio of games, and they could provide some tasty NFL Playoff clarity, along with plenty of highlights.
Before we dive into the NFL Playoff scenarios, here’s a quick look at the NFL on Thanksgiving Day schedule.
| MATCHUP | TIME | TV | LOCATION |
| Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions | 12:30 p.m. ET | FOX | Ford Field, Detroit |
| Buffalo Bills vs. Dallas Cowboys | 4:30 p.m. ET | CBS | AT&T Stadium, Arlington |
| New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons | 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC | Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta |
NFL Thanksgiving Day Playoff Scenarios
Two of the three games on Thanksgiving Day could result in teams either clinching or being eliminated from the NFL Playoffs.
Joe Ferreira (aka: NFL Tiebreaker Guru) took a look at what needs to happen for these NFL Playoff scenarios to play out on Thanksgiving Day.
The Detroit Lions will be eliminated from the NFL Playoffs if:
- New Orleans beats Atlanta, or
- New Orleans ties Atlanta, and the Carolina Panthers lose/tie in Week 13
The New Orleans Saints will clinch the NFC South if:
- Saints win
- Saints tie and Panthers lose/tie
The Atlanta Falcons will be eliminated from the NFL Playoffs if:
- Falcons lose/tie
- Minnesota Vikings win/tie and Green Bay Packers win/tie
There’s a heck of a lot still left to sort out in both conferences down the home stretch as the NFL Playoffs loom large. But some big things could still happen on Thursday during the NFL on Thanksgiving Day.