This year’s NFL Thanksgiving slate may not make you as sleepy as all that turkey you’re going to eat, but it’s definitely lost some luster since before the season.

Between losing streaks and backup quarterbacks, it may seem like there’s not a ton to be excited about during Thursday’s three-game set. In the spirit of the season, though, let’s choose to be thankful for the football marathon that awaits.

Here’s what to watch for in each game Thursday.

Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions

These aren’t your average 4-7 Bears. Yes, Chicago has a losing record, but five of its seven losses have come in one-possession games. In the last two weeks, the Bears have been defeated by a combined 4 points — and that doesn’t include the game they lost on a tip-drill Hail Mary.

Certainly keep an eye on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, who seems to be playing with a little more zest since the team fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. In a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12, Williams threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Can he continue his recent hot streak?

The Lions, on the other hand, have become the bully of the NFL. They’ve won nine straight games. Twice they’ve scored at least 40 points. Another two times they’ve scored at least 50. They’ve won their last two games by a score of 76-12.

Simply put, Detroit has exhibited no signs of a hangover after a brutal loss in last year’s NFC championship game. The Lions are an aggressive team that refuses to take their foot off the gas at any point, whether quarterback Jared Goff has thrown five interceptions or they have a 30-point lead.

If Detroit plays like it’s been playing all year, that could set up a situation in which we see Williams drawn into the first real shootout of his career.

New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys

Insert your favorite GIF of someone cringing because this is the kind of matchup only a mother could love.

The Giants will be starting Tommy DeVito at quarterback, and the Cowboys are countering with Cooper Rush.

After a 23-point loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday, New York players were openly wondering whether the team was too soft. And rookie receiver Malik Nabers not-so-subtly criticized the coaching staff for not getting him involved.

Dallas, on the other hand, is not dead yet! The Cowboys pulled off one of the season’s most bizarre victories in Week 12, beating the Washington Commanders on the road. Rush played his best game of the season and was aided by two kickoff return touchdowns. Dallas won despite missing multiple field goals and getting a punt blocked. (Special teams was really all over the place, huh?)

Maybe the NFC East gods will sprinkle some more magic on this game like they did for the Cowboys a week ago. It’s a bummer this game won’t have playoff implications (though it could be key for the draft order!), but the most recent version we saw of Dallas was at least entertaining.

Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers

If the first two games are dry turkey, then this nightcap is a prime rib roast.

Yes, the Dolphins are 5-6, but they’ve been on fire since Tua Tagovailoa returned from a Week 2 concussion. In five games since returning from injury, Tagovailoa is completing 76.5% of his passes, with 11 touchdowns and only one interception. Miami is 3-2 in those games, but both losses came on last-second field goals.

The Dolphins (which have won three in a row) will enter this game not only desperate to cling to their faint playoff hopes, but also trying to dispel the narrative that this team can’t play in frigid temps.

The Packers, meanwhile, have won six of their last seven games. Though they are in third place in a competitive NFC North, they are one of the better teams in the conference. And Jordan Love — who, like Tagovailoa, was drafted in 2020 — has what Miami badly covets: a playoff win.

This game will ultimately be a measuring-stick moment for a desperate Dolphins team. Can Tagovailoa and Co. finally go on the road in cold weather and win a big one?