WHO’S EXCITED FOR SOME THANKSGIVING FOOTBALL!?  Mertz and I sure are. And because of this Thanksgiving fever we got a sweet and tasty special edition of Ackerly vs Mertz: NFL Predictions. Mertz and I are going to break down and give our predictions for the three Thanksgiving NFL games taking place this turkey day. But we do apologise, as you will not get your regularly scheduled predictions on Sunday. Writers need Holiday break as well. Let’s save the recap and total tally for next week’s predictions and get right into the games. Oh boy! I just can not wait for this spectacular holiday filled with family, food, and football…Me and Mertz’s favorite three things. 

Let’s take a look at the first game of this lovely day, the Detroit Lions vs the Buffalo Bills.

Ackerly’s Pick: Buffalo Bills

This one shouldn’t be close. The Buffalo Bills are one of the NFL’s premier teams and are facing quite the opposite. The Detroit Lions are Thanksgiving regulars, but not good ones. The Lions enter Thursday’s matchup on a five game Thanksgiving day losing streak. They also have a record this season of 4-6, that’s mediocre when compared to the Bills 7-3. Detroit’s offense simply hasn’t been good and the same could be said about their defense.The Lions are out matched by the Bills in every aspect of this football game, from possessing a top two quarterback in Josh Allen to having a super bowl contending team. The Lions do enter this matchup on a three game winning streak, but expect that to be snapped. The odds of an upset brewing within Detroit this Thursday are slim to none, and unlike the rest of the games on this turkey day it will not be close. This one could get very ugly for the Lions very quickly, the Bills will win in a blowout. 

Mertz’s Pick: Buffalo Bills

The Detroit Lions have always been a disgrace who should never play on Thanksgiving, but this year they’re not that bad. That’s irrelevant when they’re playing the Buffalo Bills who are coming off a dominant win vs the Browns on the Lions home field. As studious BHS student Jett Brassey says “Josh Allen is made for Thanksgiving” and I expect him to be eating a nice big turkey leg after a domination of the Detroit Lions. 

With the half past noon game out of the way, let’s move on to the NFC East battle between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys.

Ackerly’s Pick: Dallas Cowboys 

Football is seriously a game of momentum. In this game, momentum could play a huge factor. The Dallas Cowboys come into this one fresh off a 40-3 destruction of the Minnesota Vikings, while the G-men are coming off an embarrassing 31-18 loss to the Detroit Lions. The NFC East race for second place is incredibly close, as both the Giants and Cowboys enter this matchup with 7-3 records. While Saquon Barkley has led New York to a shockingly great season, I believe the Cowboys are the better team. The Cowboys have a star-studded offense starring Dak Prescott, Ceedee Lamb, and one of the best running back duos in the league; Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliot. Dallas also contains the current favorite for defensive player of the year, Micah Parsons. Oh, and the last time these two met? Dallas bested the Giants with Cooper Rush filling in for the injured Dak Presscot under center. With Dak back and a Cowboys team fresh off a major win. The Cowboys will take this one in what should be a good game. 

Mertz’s Pick: New York Giants

As a New Yorker, the Giants have always been disappointing, but this year is different. The Giants have a different aura around them. I’ve gotta feeling Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving so I’m expecting him to get his boys up to go into the harsh environment of JerryWorld and steal one from the division rival. Also, add another prediction to my card: Odell Beckham Jr returns home to Big Blue next week to help them out over the stretch run. The Cowboys played their best game of the year on Sunday, on Thursday they’ll play like your fat uncle after Thanksgiving dinner. SaQUAD Barkley will run circles around the whole city of Dallas. Giants win 27-13. 

With the final game of the day out of the way, let’s segway into the night’s matchup. The Minnesota Vikings vs the New England Patriots 

Ackerly’s Pick: Minnesota Vikings 

They do say to bet with your head, not your heart. I’ll embody that philosophy right here. As a Green Bay Packers fan seeing the Vikings succeed does pain my heart, but watching them get absolutely bodied last week was good enough for me. While yes, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins might just be the worst primetime player in the history of football (cue the video of Donald Trump yelling to turn those lights off). The Vikings have created a contending football team and have put incredible pieces such as Justin Jefferson and newly acquired T.J. Hockenson around quarterback Kirk Cousins to mask his undoubtedly midness. The Patriots this year have been good, not great. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson has been a bright spot on the incredibly boring New England offense, and Matthew Judon has continued to be a pass rushing force. New England does enter on a three game win streak, but Minnesota has racked up 8 wins through 11 weeks this season. Minnesota has been one of the NFL’s best teams this year, with wins over the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers. I think this game is gonna be a dogfight, but in the end Kirk and his Kings will get it done. 

Mertz’s Pick: New England Patriots 

Call me bias, I quite frankly don’t care. The Patriots  have the best defense in the league. Like Greg Jennings putting the team on his back with a broken leg  that’s what the Pats defense does for this team. The Vikings were exposed as frauds on Sunday as they were obliterated by America’s team and they ain’t bouncing back on Thursday night. Mac “and cheese” Jones will dink and dunk the Minnesota defense to sleep with their “electric” offensive weapons of Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Rookie Jack Jones will cover Justin Jefferson like the blanket that covers your dad on Thanksgiving night as he sleeps off the turkey and booze. Rob mentioned how bad Kirk Cousins is on prime time and I’m just reiterating that the guy is genuinely scared of playing football when it is dark outside. Gobble Gobble Pats are 7-4. 

And with that out of the way it concludes Mertz and I’s Thanksgiving prediction specials. See you all next week as Mertz and I go back to our normal schedule. Thank you all for reading, have a superb turkey day!