5 great individual NFL Thanksgiving performances ft. Randy Moss

One of the most popular holidays on the American calendar, for reasons far beyond its NFL connections, is Thanksgiving. Individual questions and competitions pepper the landscape, with many debating the merits of the various side dishes centered around the meal upon which the holiday is based.

Putting the delicacies aside for a precious minute, SK looks back on a different brand of individual debate: Which individual NFL players have had the greatest performances in Thanksgiving history?

The most prolific Thanksgiving efforts in NFL history

Signage at Ford Field during Thanksgiving action in 2020 (Photo: Getty)

1929: RB/K Ernie Nevers, Chicago Cardinals

Offensive NFL records fall like dominoes these days, but this one has stood the test in time.

Time-traveling fantasy football players would perhaps love to venture back to 1929, where Ernie Nevers was a walking scoreboard in a Chicago civil war. Representing the Cardinals against the Bears, Nevers was responsible for all 40 points...six for rushing touchdowns and four extra points...in a blowout victory.

While Nevers' six-score haul was tied by Alvin Kamara last Christmas, his Thanksgiving points tally has yet to be matched. The modern Thanksgiving staples from Detroit often struggle to hit 40 as a team over a 2- to 3-week span.

The Pontiac Silverdome, seen in 2001, played host to a most unusual Thanksgiving game (Photo: Getty)

1976: RB O.J. Simpson, Buffalo Bills

Thrown into the NFL Thanksgiving spotlight as the Detroit Lions' opponent in 1976, the Buffalo Bills endured the best of times and the worst of times. NFL history was set that afternoon at the Pontiac Silverdome, as O.J. Simpson set a league record with 273 rushing yards while also visiting the end zone twice.

Alas for the Bills, working through the midst of a brutal season, NFL history wasn't enough to push them over the top. Outside of Simpson's historic ground efforts, Buffalo mustered only 49 yards of offense.

Quarterback Gary Marangi likely killed some Bills fans' appetites with a 4-for-21 passing performance, one of only 12 efforts in NFL history where a quarterback completed less than 20 percent of his passes (min. 20 attempts). Detroit won the game 28-14.

The Green Bay Packers have been one of Thanksgiving's most common opponents (Photo: Getty)

1986: WR/Ret. Walter Stanley, Green Bay Packers

Walter Stanley had a relatively quiet NFL career, playing seven seasons in Green Bay, Detroit, Washington, New England, and San Diego. But the fourth-round receiver out of Colorado Mesa saved his best for the holiday season when the divisional rival Packers came to Detroit.

Stanley worked off any potential weight gain from the postgame meal through a jaw-dropping 287 total yards and half of his career total of six touchdowns. The final 83 yards were vital. Fielding a Lions punt with 41 seconds left and the Packers facing a four-point deficit, Stanley went the distance for a deciding score, the finishing touch of a 44-40 Green Bay triumph.

Though Stanley made his mark as a return man (leading the league with a 13.9 punt return average in 1989, ironically as a Lion), that return would be the only such score of his career.

Moss formally introduced himself to the NFL world with an exhilarating performance in Dallas (Photo: Getty)

1998: WR Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings

Randy Moss made it quite clear that he was going to be a problem for years to come during the first 11 games of his rookie season, tallying 851 receiving yards on 44 receptions as the Minnesota Vikings started the season 10-1. But any lingering doubters were stuffed following his performance against the Dallas Cowboys during the latter portion of the 1998 docket.

The good news for the Cowboys was that Moss was "held" to only three receptions. Alas, for America's Team, each of them went for long touchdowns, pacing the Vikings to a 46-36 victory.

Moss wound up tallying 20 points in the win, the last of which came at a crucial juncture: a two-point conversion from Randall Cunningham reopened the lead when the Cowboys threatened a comeback, while one last 56-yard score in the dying stages of the third quarter silenced Dallas for good.

Even by his own massive standards, Thanksgiving 2004 was a victorious showcase for Peyton Manning (Photo: Getty)

2004: QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts' traditional horseshoe logo was on the back of their helmets as part of the throwback uniform they wore for a 2004 holiday showcase in the Motor City. The Lions surely got a good view of them throughout the afternoon, thanks to Peyton Manning.

Indianapolis' prowess as an offensive juggernaut was well-known throughout the NFL, thanks to the services of Manning, Edgerrin James, and Marvin Harrison. Going back for seconds is also encouraged on Thanksgiving.

But Manning took things to an even greater level, going to the end zone six times as the Colts took home a 41-9 decision. Harrison and Brandon Stokley evenly split the touchdown pie with three six-pointers each from Manning's arm.

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags