Although the full NFL regular season schedules are still on track to be released around 8 p.m. ET, little morsels have begun to drop off the table for the dogs and rats to devour. Among the first few leaks coming out is the news that that Washington will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers to open Monday Night Football, while the Carolina Panthers will have a Super Bowl rematch with the Denver Broncos. For Lions fans, the leaks confirm what what some have predicted for months now: that the traditional Thanksgiving Day game in Detroit will feature the Lions hosting the Minnesota Vikings.
Vikings at Lions will start Thanksgiving tripleheader https://t.co/hoejdCFs0q
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) April 14, 2016
The Lions will be the first of three games on Thanksgiving Day, which also includes the yearly Dallas Cowboys home game and a third rotating NFL matchup. For many, the Vikings are an obvious choice for a Thanksgiving game: a traditional opponent dating back to the early days of the National Football League and a divisional opponent for the Lions. Last year the Lions played the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving.
Although the Lions' 2016 opponents have been known for some time now, the order of these opponents is the reason for the anticipated schedule announcement tonight at 8 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.