Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit Nov 25, 2021; Detroit, Michigan, USA; The annual Thanksgiving Day Parade down Woodward Avenue a short distance from Ford Field before the game between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
ArticlesFeaturedNFLOriginalsBy Reice Shipley on

Thanksgiving Day football in the NFL has come and gone, and a number of players had games to remember on the special holiday.

However, five players in particular stood out above the rest to help their teams come away with a much-needed victory.

Without further ado, here are the top five standout players from the Thanksgiving Day games.

5. Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers

Love has had his fair share of growing pains in his first year as the full-time starter at quarterback this year for the Packers. However, he showed the kind of potential he has on Thursday against the Detroit Lions, playing arguably the best game of his career.

Love finished the game with 268 passing yards and three touchdowns without turning the ball over in the game. And some of his highlights in the game show that he truly could become a top quarterback in the league should he show a bit more consistency.

4. DaRon Bland, CB, Dallas Cowboys

If you aren’t aware of what Bland has been doing for the Cowboys, you certainly should be now after a record-breaking performance against the Washington Commanders.

Not only did he have the most tackles on the team, he also made a huge play to further cement a dominant victory for his team.

Bland picked off Commanders quarterback Sam Howell late in the fourth quarter of the game, returning it 63-yard to the house for his fifth pick-six of the season, which broke an NFL record for the most pick-six’s in a season.

A game like this should help Bland officially cement himself as one of the premiere cornerbacks in all of football.

3. Rashan Gary, DE, Green Bay Packers

Gary has been a steady contributor to the Packers’ defense since being drafted by the team back in 2019. And his performance on Thursday afternoon was perhaps the best game of his five-year NFL career.

The former Michigan product was simply a problem for the Detroit Lions offense line, pressuring Lions quarterback Jared Goff all game long.

He finished the game with three sacks, including one where he forced a fumble that his team recovered.

What makes this performance even more special from Gary is that there is some backstory to it. Gary suffered a torn ACL in Detroit when the two teams faced off last season. For him to perform like this in his return to the stadium where such a serious injury happened to him is nothing short of spectacular.

Gary received the game ball from Packers head coach Matt LaFleur after the game, an honor that he undoubtedly deserved.

2. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

McCaffrey is obviously no stranger to an excellent performance. And he did not disappoint on Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks.

The seven-year NFL veteran finished the game with 139 scrimmage yards on the day while also finding the endzone twice.

McCaffrey now has 16 total touchdowns on the year, far and away the most of any skill position player in all of football this year. Considering this, there is a real argument that he is the most valuable offensive player aside from the quarterback position in the league.

1. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

Prescott came into the game on an absolute tear, throwing for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in three of the Cowboys’ last four games.

Not only did he match those impressive performances, he may have even one-upped them. The former Mississippi State product diced up the pass defense of the Washington Commanders, throwing for 331 passing yards and four touchdowns without turning the ball over.

Prescott receives a ton of flack when things aren’t going right for the Cowboys. But even his largest critics would have trouble criticizing his performance for much of the season.

If he continues to play like this, he could very well find himself in the MVP conversation by the end of the season.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.

View all posts by Reice Shipley