Former NFL star names which teams playing on Thanksgiving need to win the most

The NFL Thanksgiving Day slate features six teams that could really use a win in Week 13.

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers will be the appetizer for fans before getting stuck into Thanksgiving dinner. The Dallas Cowboys will try to defend their territory against the Kansas City Chiefs. And the Cincinnati Bengals’ showdown against the Baltimore Ravens will be the dessert of the night.

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) celebrates his rushing touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutiérrez)

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Two-time NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Trent Green spoke with News Digital about the upcoming games. He said the two teams most in need of a win will face each other: the Cowboys and the Chiefs.

“The Chiefs and Cowboys might be the biggest Thanksgiving game in history in terms of attendance numbers. (The) number of people watching that afternoon window is always the biggest window. You got the Cowboys tie,” Green said. “You got the tie from (Patrick) Mahomes and the Chiefs. They’re both coming off big comeback wins in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys, obviously, were down 21 and they came back and found a way to win. The Chiefs had to score 11 in the fourth quarter and then go to overtime to get that win and get to 6-5. They’re still part of the mix. The Cowboys are still part of the mix.

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Trent Green smiles before the game at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California, on December 23, 2006. (Kyle Terada/USA Today)

“To answer your question, which team needs it more? I would probably say if you look at it just in terms of numbers, it would have to be the Cowboys or Kansas City. I think the most important thing is that both teams try to find their way to the playoffs in that game, because in the AFC North, with Baltimore and Pittsburgh tied 6-5 atop the division, I think you have some leeway in that division. There’s only one team that comes out of that and that’s the one that wins. “I don’t see a second team or a AFC North wild card team.

Kansas City finds itself in a position it has rarely gotten used to over the past eight years: sitting on the outside looking into the playoff chase. The Chiefs are coming off a big win against the Indianapolis Colts, but they’ll need more than that to replicate the success they’ve had since the 2018 season.

Dallas dominated the headlines early in the season and the defense’s shakeup apparently paid off. The Cowboys defense is essentially the same as last year in terms of points allowed (31) and yards allowed (29), but is gaining momentum after the team beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half last week.

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Green expects a “great battle” between the Lions and Packers, with both teams eyeing playoff positioning. He added that Joe Burrow’s return to the Bengals offense would surely bring some “excitement for the fans.”

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