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Thanksgiving is many people’s favorite time of year, and the National Football League showcasing three different games makes it that much more entertaining. Throughout NFL history, Thanksgiving Day games have been a beloved tradition for fans and players from across America to enjoy watching while they eat.
Thanksgiving NFL games only come around once a year, get your plates ready as we discuss the top 5 NFL Thanksgiving running back performances, including what team they played for, how good their performance was and the result.
Yes, we are starting the list of top running back performances with Buffalo Bills O.J. Simpson. In this old-time November 25, 1976, Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions, Simpson would have one of the most memorable games in existence.
It’s an old match for sure, but Simpson would go on to rush for two separate touchdowns, (one 48-yarder, one 12-yarder), rushing for 273 yards total. He’d be the only player to put points on the board for the Bills, ultimately leading to their 14-27 defeat against a tough offensive Lions team.
Up next is the legendary Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions and his pristine performance on November 27, 1997, against the Chicago Bears.
Sanders trotted for 167 yards with 3 touchdowns to add to the bag, giving the Lions a trouble-free victory over the Bears. The Lions needed to win this game to make a push for the playoffs, leading Barry Sanders to be the unsung hero in this 55-20 Thanksgiving Day smackdown.
The 1996 Cowboys legend of Emmit Smith would commit one of the craziest running back performances for a Thanksgiving Day game of all time against the Washington Commanders.
On just carries alone, Smith accumulated 29, leading to 155-yard gains and 3 touchdowns. As the game ended just 21-10 in favor of Dallas, Smith can be fully credited with winning, as he’d be the only points scorer for his team.
Heading back to November 22, 1979, we have another game-changing running back Thanksgiving performance from Houston Oilers legend Earl Campbell. Despite just being a workhorse of a running back, Campbell could put up points to match.
In this game against Dallas, he’d find 33 separate carries for a total of 195 yards, leading to two touchdowns and an immaculate performance from the Oilers running back. Campbell’s performance was so good, he’d win the NFL MVP award the same year while being just one victory away from reaching the Super Bowl.
Filling out the last of our top Thanksgiving Day running back performances is the Philadelphia Eagles LeSean McCoy and his incredible display of skill against the Dallas Cowboys on November 27, 2014.
To put his performance into perspective, McCoy covered 159 yards on the run, leading to a singular game-changing touchdown. McCoy was covering every inch of the field this game and might as well have been the most active player. In the end, McCoy would lead the way to a 33-10 victory in one of the greatest NFC East rivalries of all time.
Thanksgiving is a time for sharing, so let’s not forget those outstanding holiday performances by quarterbacks and wide receivers at this festive time of year!
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.