Bears' history on Thanksgiving Day

Few things are better on Thanksgiving Day than turkey and time with family, but football may be one of them. From Turkey Bowls in the backyards and at local parks to the three NFL games each year, football has become part of the holiday.

And while the Bears have certainly left their mark on the history of the NFL, they also have done the same on Thanksgiving.

The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys currently host games annually, but the Bears were actually the first team to do so. From 1922 to 1933, the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cardinals played annually, going 7-3-2 in that span. The 1932 game against the Cardinals marked the last time the Bears played a home game on the holiday.

But the Bears' annual turkey day game didn't end there, as they played the next five seasons against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day, going 2-3 in that span. All five games were played in Detroit.

The Bears didn't play again on Thanksgiving until 1947, when they went back to Detroit for a 34-14 win. Two years later, they won again in Detroit, 28-7.

The Bears first played Dallas in 1952, falling 27-23 against the Texans in a game played in Akron.

The Cowboys, then members of the AFL, began their annual series in 1966. The Bears did not play the Cowboys until 1981, a 10-9 loss in Dallas.

Walter Payton enjoyed success on his first Thanksgiving Day game, rushing for 137 yards and a touchdown along with 107 receiving yards and another score in a 31-14 win.

Chicago has dropped its last three Thanksgiving Day games, last winning in 1993 with a 10-6 win in Detroit. Its most recent game was a 21-7 loss in Dallas.

The franchise's largest Thanksgiving Day win came in 1928, with a 34-0 home win against the Cardinals. A year later, the Cardinals returned the favor with a 40-6 win.

The worst loss in Thanksgiving Day history was a 55-20 defeat at the hands of Barry Sanders and the Lions. The Bears held a 20-17 lead at halftime before 38 unanswered second-half points. Sanders ran 167 yards and three touchdowns.

Since 1920, the Bears' franchise has played 32 times on Thanksgiving, fourth most in history. Only the Lions (72), Cowboys (44) and Packers (34) have played more.

Here's a complete list of the Bears' Thanksgiving Day games, per Chicago Sports Memories:

1920: W, 6-0 at Chicago Tigers (Staleys)
1921: L, 7-6 vs. Buffalo All-Americans (Staleys)
1922: L, 6-0 at Cardinals
1923: W, 3-0 vs. Cardinals
1924: W, 21-0 at Cardinals
1925: T, 0-0 vs. Cardinals
1926: T, 0-0 vs. Cardinals
1927: L, 3-0 vs. Cardinals
1928: W, 34-0 vs. Cardinals
1929: L, 40-6 vs. Cardinals
1930: W, 6-0 vs. Cardinals
1931: W, 18-7 vs. Cardinals
1932: W, 24-0 vs. Cardinals
1933: W, 22-6 at Cardinals
1934: W, 19-16 at Lions
1935: L, 14-2 at Lions
1936: L, 13-7 at Lions
1937: W, 13-0 at Lions
1938: L, 14-7 at Lions
1947: W, 34-14 at Lions
1949: W, 28-7 at Lions
1952: L, 27-23 vs. Dallas Texans (in Akron, Ohio)
1964: W, 27-24 at Lions
1977: W, 31-14 at Lions
1979: L, 20-0 at Lions
1980: W, 23-17 (OT) at Lions
1981: L, 10-9 at Cowboys
1991: L, 16-6 at Lions
1993: W, 10-6 at Lions
1997: L, 55-20 at Lions
1999: L, 21-17 at Lions
2004: L, 21-7 at Cowboys