THE ATHLETIC - For decades, Thanksgiving has given NFL fans good matchups. The Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys traditionally host games each year, the Lions since 1934 and the Cowboys since 1966. The league decided to add a third game to the Thanksgiving rotation in 2006. Last year, the Minnesota Vikings beat the New England Patriots 33-26; this year, the Seattle Seahawks will host the San Francisco 49ers.

The first NFL Thanksgiving game took place on Nov. 25, 1920, as the Akron Pros beat the Canton Bulldogs. For more than 100 years, the league has watched players make long-lasting memories out of the holiday affair. Here are some of the best individual performances ever recorded.

1. Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings (Nov. 26, 1998, vs. Dallas Cowboys) It wasn’t just Moss’ crazy stat line for the day — three catches, 163 yards and three touchdowns in Minnesota’s 46-36 win — but it also was the story behind it. Moss had fallen in the 1998 NFL Draft because of character concerns, and one of the teams that passed on him was Dallas — something Moss never forgot. It’s no secret that he wanted to be with the Cowboys before he was drafted.

Moss went on to have a Hall of Fame career, and this game was one that had the Cowboys second-guessing their decision not to draft him. Adding to the cynicism was Deion Sanders missing the game with a toe injury. Instead of fans being set up with a much-anticipated one-on-one matchup, Moss torched the Cowboys every time he touched the ball.

2. Roger Brown, Detroit Lions (Nov. 22, 1962, vs. Green Bay Packers)

The Packers were a dominant force under quarterback Bart Starr and coach Vince Lombardi, but on this day, they were dominated by a Detroit defense led by Brown. Sacks were not kept as an official statistic

at this time, but Brown had seven of Detroit’s 11 sacks, in addition to a safety.

The game, which the Lions won 26-14, was known as the “Thanksgiving Day Massacre.”

Brown was a fourthround pick in the 1960 NFL Draft. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and is a member of the Detroit Lions All-Time Team.

3. Clint Longley, Dallas Cowboys (Nov. 28, 1974, vs. Washington Redskins)

Longley wasn’t supposed to be the star, but Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach was knocked out of the game against Washington in the third quarter with a concussion. The rookie stepped in to rally Dallas from a 16-3 deficit to a 24-23 victory.

Longley found Drew Pearson for a 50-yard touchdown with 28 seconds to play to win the game. Longley threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns in less than a half.

Longley’s NFL career lasted only three seasons, but this day is why many still remember him.

4. Jason Garrett, Cowboys (Nov. 24, 1994, vs. Packers) Garrett was behind Troy Aikman and Rodney Peete on the Cowboys quarterback depth chart, but injuries forced him into the starting lineup against a good Green Bay team led by Brett Favre.

And what did Garrett do? He rallied the Cowboys from a 17-6 halftime deficit for a 42-31 win.

Favre threw four touchdown passes to Sterling Sharpe, but Garrett threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns to come away with the victory.

5. Ernie Nevers, Chicago Cardinals (Nov. 28, 1929, vs. Chicago Bears) This final score was Nevers 40, Bears 6.

Nevers, a fullback for the Cardinals, scored all the points for his team: six touchdowns and four extra points. It’s still the most points scored by one player in an NFL game.

6. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts (Nov. 25, 2004, vs. Lions) Manning had plenty of big games throughout his career, but his Turkey Day dominance — in three quarters — resulted in a 41-9 rout of Detroit.

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