Happy Thanksgiving. Every year is a mix of good and bad if we’re willing to look at it the right way, though I’m sure some of you are here in your era. Right job. Right partner. Everything is firing on all cylinders. Gym body. Clean car. Good haircut. And if that is true, then some of you are here feeling like the wheels are coming off, the opposite of the person I just described. And, if I’m thankful for anything above all else—besides the automatic standards such as great friends, family and work I’m passionate about—it’s the ability to be all right with whatever person arrives at the table today. There are weeks when I feel at the top of my game as a writer, analyst, podcaster, dad, husband and so on. There are weeks when my takes aren’t good enough for the high school newspaper I used to write for. I’m nicer to that person now, and I implore you to be nicer to that person whenever you hear yourself arriving at the holidays in a state of relentless judgment. Football is a microcosm of that, right? Didn’t we all envy Commanders fans last year? Don’t we all envy Patriots fans now? Giants fans enjoyed two Super Bowls in 2007 and ’11, and now they fly planes over the stadium. Teams on a winning streak are like that neighbor with the Lexus and the full-price Canada Goose jacket, making you feel a certain way about whatever it is you have going on. But, as the NFL shows us, nothing is forever. It’s just for now. You’re just a Giants fan, basically, which can mean very different things at very different times. If you’re not able to join friends and family today, drop me a note at Conor.Orr@si.com. At some point after dinner, I’ll check my messages, and we can talk about sports, life or anything else on your mind.And now, my annual tradition: One thing all 32 teams can be thankful for.Illustration by Bryce Wood. Photos by Sam Navarro/Imagn Images and Mark Konezny/Imagn Images.Arizona CardinalsWalter NolenThe Cardinals improved three places in EPA per play defensively over the four weeks that Nolen, the team’s first-round pick, has been active. Nolen had his first career touchdown against the Jaguars last week after an athletic grab on a scoop and score. The Cardinals are going to have some hard decisions to make after this season, but having an elite, game-changing defensive tackle is not a hopeless place to start. CARDINALS STRIP SACK AND A TD FOR ROOKIE WALTER NOLENJAXvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/8P1Bo1COCH— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025Atlanta FalconsKaden EllissElliss is among the best pass-rushing linebackers in the NFL and, despite a down season in Atlanta, has changed the Falcons’ week-in and week-out prospects thanks to his athleticism and nose for the football. Elliss has more quarterback hits from the linebacker position (10) than Kayvon Thibodeaux does as an edge rusher for the Giants (nine). The 30-year-old is approaching a contract year at the right time, but he is one of the significant reasons why Atlanta’s season isn’t entirely up in flames yet. Baltimore RavensKyle HamiltonHamilton may not be out on the field on Thursday night, but for the Ravens’ defense—like Lamar Jackson on the other side of the ball—he is the equivalent of a total Band-Aid. Hamilton has played nearly every position on the Ravens’ defense to this point, including, as we saw against the Jets, nose tackle. While we have a hard time seeing it in real time, Hamilton is in the midst of a Hall of Fame career that could very well have him considered one of the greatest to play the position. He’s also masking an awful lot, which we may truly appreciate against Joe Burrow on Thanksgiving. How many safeties in NFL history have been this disruptive at the point of attack? I can name maybe one other. pic.twitter.com/ELogH2v14j— Chris Cooper (@ChrisCooper_NFL) November 24, 2025Buffalo BillsSean McDermott’s glassesI feel like this is one of the great underreported stories of the season. The Bills’ head coach switched to trendy clear frames around Week 6 and since then, the Bills’ defense has gotten marginally better in nearly every defensive metric—especially against the run, where Buffalo was previously 28th in opponent rushing success rate and is now 26th! Honestly, if a cool pair of glasses can improve your team two spots in any phase of the game, it’s fair to wonder why all other NFL coaches aren’t lining up at LensCrafters. Carolina PanthersDave Canales and Brad IdzikAn NFL sideline is a chaotic place. Imagine how you’d respond if, while fighting for your team’s week-in and week-out relevance, where two steps forward can quickly be erased by a blowout loss that makes you question the validity of it all, your running back is pulling you over to suggest play calls. Well, in Carolina, they listen. The offense is fueled by a resurgent (at least in Week 11) Bryce Young and journeyman Rico Dowdle. And those play calls? They’re working.Chicago BearsDan RousharThe Bears’ offensive line coach has spearheaded one of the most significant turnarounds at any position in the NFL. And while this has a lot to do with offseason personnel upgrades and a Ben Johnson offense that puts the unit in better positions to block with an advantage, the fact is this: Chicago has a second-year quarterback who hasn’t come close to ditching his theatrics and, in games like last week’s against the Steelers, was hit just once. Once. The Bears head into Thanksgiving leading the NFL in pass-block win rate. Cincinnati BengalsInevitabilityPerhaps you don’t see it, but the Bengals’ defense was one of the 10 best rushing units in football this past week. The team had the ball and a chance to win the game against a 10-win Patriots unit. Joe Burrow is back. Ja’Marr Chase has returned from the unforgivable crime of spitting, and we’re about to see the absolute drunkest, sloppiest five-game winning streak in the history of the NFL (with the three final games against the Browns, Dolphins and Cardinals). NFL schedule-makers, you’ve done it again. Cleveland BrownsMyles GarrettI mean, come on. While we may be in different camps on the Shedeur Sanders situation—I still feel like it’s a little bit embarrassing for Cleveland to be entertaining this—Garrett and, by extension, coordinator Jim Schwartz have kept this team from landing in its familiar position of utter and total humiliation. Garrett will almost certainly break the single-season NFL sack record (22.5) at some point over the next five weeks, an accomplishment that can’t be taken away, even from one of the NFL’s strangest franchises. 11 pressures for Myles Garrett on Sunday.I'm not sure I've ever seen a better pass rusher in my life. pic.twitter.com/2nV60osyb7— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) November 24, 2025Dallas CowboysThe way things areListen, it has taken me about three weeks to start figuring out how I’m going to dislodge my own foot from my mouth. I was hard on Jerry Jones. Relentless. Mean-spirited, according to my wife. And just when I felt like I had the fan base at the appropriate fevered pitch, this impossible-to-totally-despise old grifter is waddling over to his postgame press conference looking like he’s pressed some (or all) of the right buttons. There is such a lack of doubt in my mind that Dallas will storm into the playoffs on the strength of a coach I said he shouldn’t hire and a trade I said he shouldn’t make that I’m considering betting my children’s college education on it. Denver BroncosVance JosephAs a former head coach of a team, returning to the same building to be the defensive coordinator can be a humbling experience. Returning to that building and giving up 70 points to the Dolphins can be an extremely humbling experience. But staying there after all of it and building what is, at the worst, the third-best defense in the NFL that has been trendsetting throughout the season and performing consistently without its best player? That’s the kind of makeup you’d want in a future head coach. Jahmyr Gibbs will likely give Lions fans more reasons to be thankful on Thanksgiving. | Peter Casey-Imagn ImagesDetroit LionsJahmyr GibbsGibbs is now a (seemingly) attainable seven touchdowns away from setting the NFL record for most touchdowns scored before the age of 24. This would pass the previous mark, set by … quite possibly the best player in franchise history, Barry Sanders. When we’re talking about being thankful in this specific case, it’s about appreciating a truly game-altering talent. Gibbs looked like he was born in an alternate Spider-Verse on Sunday against the Giants; a speed that simply isn’t possessed by pad-wearing humans on planet earth. Not every team has a player capable of altering a game in that short of a time frame. Green Bay PackersEvan WilliamsThe second-year safety in Green Bay has already taken a massive leap on the field, but he’s also the orchestrator of my second-favorite celebration of the year. I am, as many of you know, a gigantic fan of eschewing norms and traditions. Texans receiver Jaylin Noel stomping all over the mystique of the Ray Lewis dance after scoring in Baltimore, and the Ravens getting so mad that they nearly didn’t give him back his first touchdown ball was objectively hilarious. So, too, was Williams orchestrating a group Skol chant in the end zone after picking off J.J. McCarthy on Sunday. The blatant disrespect (and disregard for that same disrespect eventually being passed back onto the Packers) is so delightful. Watch the scattered Vikings fans simply not reacting here.This is the greatest video on the planet. Shoutout Evan Williams and crew ðððð https://t.co/ZQKcKbGda7 pic.twitter.com/k2Lnx3RpZ0— Big B (@bigpackers4x) November 23, 2025Houston TexansDavis MillsThe Texans have a 53% chance of reaching the postseason, per The Athletic, despite dipping to both 0–3 and 3–5 earlier in the season. The Texans are a respectable 15th in offensive EPA during the three weeks that Mills has spot-started games for C.J. Stroud and, in that same window, Mills has logged a higher EPA per play rate than Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, Baker Mayfield and Justin Herbert. Mills is also admirably not stoking the flames of a quarterback competition and seems to have eased the eventual A.J. Brown–style blowup from Nico Collins by dramatically increasing his target share. Indianapolis ColtsCarlie Irsay-Gordon I think there are so few owners who get it. Not just the complexities of the football universe, but also the part that an owner can play with the correct outlook, appreciation and self-awareness. Irsay-Gordon is a rock star in the making who, yes, bought a round of drinks for Colts fans in Germany but, on a larger scale, is taking this opportunity to foster an ascending team and become part of its unique zeitgeist instead of hurling a wet blanket over all the progress and penny-pinching for a future that may never come. Jacksonville JaguarsTrevor Lawrence’s wristbandJacksonville is undefeated since Lawrence decided to start wearing the plays on his arm. This came after having a very specific reason for not wanting to wear the plays on his arm. Now the Jaguars are 7–4, a game behind the Colts in the AFC South.Kansas City ChiefsDave ToubStand up for the new kickoff rule. Stand up for America! In all seriousness, I find it very funny that we live in an amazingly polarized society where public criticism of the office of the presidency has become a social toxin that immediately alienates yourself or your personal brand from half the country. And after all the highly consequential decisions that have been made over the past quarter century, it was criticism of the new kickoff rule that finally broke ole Dave Toub. Las Vegas RaidersTom BradyHere’s what I think. Brady may have swung and missed on his first head coaching hire and certainly his first offensive coordinator hire (Chip Kelly was fired Monday). But once he settles into his new life as a Raiders minority owner, he’s not going to be able to stand the mounting criticism of a team that bears his name and likeness getting demolished like it did against the Browns on Sunday. I think that many other owners are really good at vacating planet earth and marinating in a world of their own creation, where everyone simply tells them how great they are. Brady may do that as well, but he understands the nakedness of a win-loss record and, unlike fans of something like 23 other teams, will want to do something about it. Los Angeles ChargersLadd McConkey The Chargers’ second-year receiver has talked openly about his desire to play for the U.S. Olympic flag football team in 2028. And while I am developing a reputation as a flag football purist who believes the U.S. team should not include any NFL players—because the dudes doing it for our country are already unstoppable—you have to appreciate the desire to completely derail your offseason preparation and preseason for a chance at demolishing Hungary 77–0 in the gold medal game. Los Angeles RamsThe McVay feedback loopHere’s something really neat and different about being a trendsetter in the NFL. The Rams started using 13-personnel (one RB, three TEs, one WR) as a default formation, as nearly everyone in America now knows. We can keep saying 13-personnel, by the way, while hiking up our khakis and pretending to be high school football coaches, or we can do a service to most Americans and stop being so desperate to prove we’re in the know and say Los Angeles puts a s---load of tight ends on the field at once. Anyway, when the Rams do it, it inevitably catches on elsewhere and ripples throughout the NFL. Two weeks ago, the Falcons used the three-tight-end formation at the heaviest percentage of any team all year. All of which serves to put a ton of different potential play calls on film for the Rams to watch and apply to their own original juggernaut. Mike McDaniel has some swagger back after three wins in four games. | Rich Storry-Imagn ImagesMiami DolphinsMike McDaniel’s alleged visit to Elbo RoomTo drive your matte black sports car through the part of town that hosts explicitly a gathering for visiting Bills fans and dangle your blinding wristwatch out the window while smirking at an increasingly haughty fan base that just got surprisingly blown out is peak comedy. To bring up the possibility that the entire thing was generated by artificial intelligence and leave the mystery lingering? That’s even better. Minnesota VikingsMinnesota niceThis is more of a projection than an actual, tangible thing to be thankful for. But with J.J. McCarthy struggling, I see someone who could use the support of a community known for its Canadian-level default kindness. After a quick scan of the Vikings’ Reddit forum, I found some of your typical sports fan vitriol but nothing nearing the cesspools that coalesce around certain fan bases. There was even a petition to ban posts constantly dissecting McCarthy’s struggles. While I am definitely ripe for being called out for defending McCarthy and dismissing other quarterbacks in similar situations, I see a lot of young dudes in the Vikings’ quarterback. His alter ego (“Nine”), his thanking of the team for patience and his search for the perfect metaphor to encapsulate his struggles. He’s going through it, and if he’s ever going to be good, he needs people to give him that space. New England PatriotsMike Vrabel But for reasons outside of the fact that he orchestrated a massive turnaround in New England. I had always secretly believed that Vrabel was a good person, which comes through in various anecdotes you hear from coaches who, for example, say he insisted on getting them a gift in a certain situation. My friend used to work at a Nashville-area Starbucks where Vrabel would get his morning coffee and talk about the ridiculous tips. Then, I saw this story from Patriots beat man Mike Reiss about why he always gives a female reporter the first question in his press conferences. It becomes easier to root for someone like this. New Orleans SaintsKelvin Banks Jr.For a team that is clearly starting over in so many different facets, going into the 2026 draft with the possible No. 1 pick and knowing you have a franchise left tackle is such a relief. Banks, according to PFF, is left alone on an island nearly 70% of the time—this is less than a very small handful of tackles such as Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata and Andrew Thomas. He’s also posting a pass-block win rate of nearly 85% while doing it. This gives the Saints a solid foundation to build on and a cost-controlled stalwart that can lock down one side of the line. New York GiantsThis. Just this. ð¨ð¨COLDð¨ð¨#GIANTS QUARTERBACKS JAMEIS WINSTON AND JAXSON DART HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIAL CELLY.COLDEST CELLY IN THE LEAGUE.ð¥¶ð¥¶ð¥¶ pic.twitter.com/vQs0fBqkVy— MLFootball (@MLFootball) November 26, 2025New York JetsChris BanjoIn his first season as a head special teams coordinator, Banjo has the NFL’s leading special teams unit in terms of EPA. Banjo is an understudy of the great Mike Westhoff, a seminal voice in special teams and a link back to the Jets’ last great teams in 2009 and ’10, when Westhoff was the coordinator. With so many dramatic changes to the kickoff rule over the past two years and an outpouring of new innovations, this year in particular showcases the need for a deep expertise in this area.Philadelphia EaglesThe Eagles’ beatI have said this countless times over the years and it remains true today. The Eagles are the best-covered team in the NFL. If you are a fan of the team, there is a quality depth to the roster of people who report on the Eagles that simply doesn’t exist in other markets. While the group can sometimes get a bad rap—there was a small, verbal press conference scuffle this week—there are legitimate competitions for getting a question in at a press conference. That’s dedication. .@EliotShorrParks gave us the play by play of the Eagles reporter verbal fight at the Fangio press conference. pic.twitter.com/aary086Xsx— Spike Eskin (@SpikeEskin) November 26, 2025Pittsburgh SteelersDarnell WashingtonIt’s kind of a surprise to me that it took this long for Darnell Washington to become a thing. Mount Washington was a third-round pick out of Georgia in 2023, and I remember watching him in spot duty over the past few years, pointing at the screen and saying, Who the hell is that? Well, now there is a backlog of Washington content for us to enjoy on a consistent basis: Washington mowing people down, blocking three people at once or just being generally large. Some favorites for you here: Darnell Washington is just fun to watch. Violent, craves these type of blocks, give him the ball - he wants to run through someone. He should be a Steeler for life. pic.twitter.com/Ah0so9dk76— Trey Carney (@CarneyMedia) November 24, 202554 seconds of Darnell Washington being hilariously hard to tackle pic.twitter.com/TxHnyxSdmn— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 17, 2025San Francisco 49ersBrock Purdy’s Toyotathon JacketI think there’s going to be some pushback for this. Purdy wore this jacket before Monday Night Football against the Panthers, then proceeded to go out and fire three interceptions. But it’s the exact fortitude required to wear a Toyotathon jacket that makes Purdy a champion (of both football and affordable family vehicles). Brock Purdy is wearing a Toyotathon jacket pic.twitter.com/imeKRwqux3— Coach Yac ð£ (@Coach_Yac) November 24, 2025Seattle SeahawksJaxon Smith-NjigbaI think all the JSN hype and appreciation can be distilled into this one stunning fact: According to the Associated Press, he has 46.9% of Seattle’s receiving yards. There has not been a player who has maintained anything close to that share for a full season since 1975. The pre-1975 players? Elbie Nickel (1949), Harlon Hill (1956), Lance Alworth (1965), and Ken Burrough (1975). It’s a platitude to say that one person is the offense. JSN is the offense in Seattle. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is on pace for 2,000 receiving yards. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesTampa Bay BuccaneersThe NFC SouthIt is incredibly comforting to know that you can go through a midseason slump and all your top competitors in the division will follow suit to make it so you don’t feel as bad. Tennessee TitansCam WardI think there is an advantage to being the least discussed No. 1 pick since Travon Walker in 2022. Ward is going to seriously sneak up on people next year when the Titans hire a young, dynamic coach who ushers in a cohesive offense. And, while I can also say this about Spencer Rattler, I would put at least five of Ward’s throws in a list of the 20 best that I’ve seen all season. I mean, my goodness, just look at this: Cam Ward propaganda pic.twitter.com/vtLBUVPCdR— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 24, 2025Washington CommandersJayden DanielsThe guy was giving out free food this week and refuses to shut down for any long period of time. Imagine if everything else in Washington D.C. operated that way. Jayden Daniels, through his foundation and with the help of the Commanders, handed out turkey dinners to PG County families today. Daniels also talked about his elbow injury and where he’s at now in his recovery … pic.twitter.com/QN2ivci3A6— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) November 25, 2025More NFL From Sports Illustrated