5 predictions for NFL Thanksgiving Day games to start Week 12

NFL Thanksgiving: Fan of the Dallas Cowboys on the sidelines before a game on Thanksgiving Day against the Buffalo Bills at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. The Bills defeated the Cowboys 26-15. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NFL Thanksgiving: Fan of the Dallas Cowboys on the sidelines before a game on Thanksgiving Day against the Buffalo Bills at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. The Bills defeated the Cowboys 26-15. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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NFL Thanksgiving
NFL Thanksgiving: Darnell Mooney #11 of the Chicago Bears catches a pass for a first down in the game against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter at Soldier Field on November 21, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The Bears and Lions kick things off on Thanksgiving Day for Week 12 of NFL games. We make some predictions for the full platter of NFL action.

The NFL Thanksgiving Day slate of games is always a mixed bag, but be sure. It’s never a perfect platter of matchups, but this year’s games could prove to be quite impactful, starting with the Chicago Bears taking on the Detroit Lions in a game that could apparently be Matt Nagy’s last as head coach of the team.

After the Bears and Lions in Detroit, the Las Vegas Raiders take on the Dallas Cowboys in the annual Thanksgiving Day game at Jerry’s World. The Cowboys are pretty beaten up going into that game, but their defense has been outstanding most of the year and the Raiders are reeling.

NFL Thanksgiving Day slate is sure to bring fireworks

The nightcap is a matchup featuring the Buffalo Bills in New Orleans taking on the Saints. Buffalo looks more “pretender” than contender lately and the Saints have struggled badly without Jameis Winston.

What can we expect to see throughout this glorious NFL Thanksgiving Day? Here are five predictions that could come to pass…

NFL Thanksgiving Prediction #1: Darnell Mooney goes off for 150-plus

Darnell Mooney has been on the cusp of a massive game for weeks now.

Over the last three weeks, the Chicago Bears’ breakout receiver has been targeted 31 total times, but he’s only managed to reel in 14 passes.

Against the Detroit Lions, I expect Mooney to be targeted heavily once again, but even if he doesn’t match the 16 targets he saw against the Baltimore Ravens a week ago, he could very easily go for 150 or more yards in this game.

He averaged over 24 yards per catch against Baltimore last week en route to a five-catch, 121-yard day.

Mooney should stay hot against Detroit with Andy Dalton under center for the Bears.