What is the Cowboys’ record on Thanksgiving? Complete annual history

America’s Team always plays on Thanksgiving Day.

This year, the Dallas Cowboys (4-7) continue their holiday tradition against the New York Giants (2-9). While the game doesn’t stand out from the crowd, the Cowboys have been a Thanksgiving staple since 1966.

Dallas followed in the footsteps of the Detroit Lions and played at home every Turkey Day. The Lions have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1934, the only tradition that has a longer history compared to the Cowboys.

However, the Cowboys performed better than the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Overall, Dallas is well over .500 this holiday season and is coming off a 45-10 victory over the Washington Commanders last year. Now the Cowboys are coming off a win over the Commanders last week and are hoping they can start a bit of a winning streak, with a good opportunity to do so when the Giants come to AT&T Stadium.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving tradition:

The Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day tradition dates back to 1966. Their best success came in the 1980s, when they won six straight Thanksgiving games between 1980 and 1985.

Overall, the Cowboys have an all-time record of 33-22-1 in their Thanksgiving Day games. They have won their game two years in a row, ending a three-game losing streak from 2019 to 2021. They ended the losing streak against the Giants in 2022.

Dallas made it four in a row from 2006 to 2009 before the New Orleans Saints ended the streak with a 30-27 win in 2010.

Dallas has played on Thanksgiving every year since the tradition of hosting games began in 1966. There are only two years, 1975 and 1977, when Dallas did not participate in Thanksgiving. During these years, the NFL hosted Thanksgiving games for the St. Louis Cardinals to boost the franchise.

The Cowboys’ 33-22-1 record on Turkey Day is better than the Lions, who have played on Thanksgiving since 1934. The Lions have a 37-45-2 all-time record entering Thanksgiving.

The Cowboys have a two-year Thanksgiving season. Previously, they fell behind three times in a row from 2019 to 2021.

Here are Dallas’ annual results since the Thanksgiving game tradition began:

In 1994, the Cowboys’ starting quarterback, Troy Aikman, was injured, resulting in the starting role of third-string quarterback Jason Garrett, who coached the team from 2011 to 2019. Garrett led Dallas to a 42-31 victory over the Green Bay Packers and Brett Favre.

However, Dallas’ most memorable Thanksgiving moment occurred just a year earlier. In a snowy game (yes, in Texas), the Cowboys blocked a late field goal attempt by the Miami Dolphins. The ball rolled through the snow and Dallas didn’t want to touch the ball, but Leon Lett fell when he made a mistake trying to grab the ball, which sent him flying forward and gave Miami a chance to win it back. The Dolphins then scored a short field goal and won the game 16-14.

America’s Team is must-see television on Thanksgiving, often the most popular game of the day and one of the highest-rated games of the NFL season. That could change with the Detroit Lions’ recent rise, but the Cowboys’ coveted afternoon slot should continue to be one of the highest-rated games of the year.

When the Cowboys began playing on Thanksgiving during the 1966 season, the team matched the idea with a winning streak that lasted into the ’80s. The Cowboys set an attendance record of 80,259 and finished 1966 at 10-3-1.

The Cowboys won two Super Bowls in the 1970s, introduced the wildly popular Cowboys cheerleaders and developed a new face of the league with former Navy quarterback Roger Staubach. The Cowboys’ golden era made them the most popular team in the country, still referred to as America’s Team to this day.

Fans can continue to count on America’s Team to put on a show at Thanksgiving dinner.