Falcons-Saints, Cowboys-Redskins highlight Thanksgiving Day schedule

The NFL released its 2018 schedule Thursday, featuring a number of marquee games on the Thanksgiving Day slate.

Fans across the league truly have plenty to be thankful for this year, with three key games on Nov. 18.

The Chicago Bears kick off the festivities against the Detroit Lions, placing two NFC North rivals against each other, both of whom should be vying for a playoff spot at this juncture of the schedule. Mitchell Trubisky is seeking to lead the Bears out of the NFC North basement, while Matthew Stafford is looking to steer the Lions back to the playoffs after a disappointing 2017 campaign.

The second game of the day pits the Washington Redskins against the Dallas Cowboys with both teams looking to chip away at the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East standings. Washington will be trotting out Alex Smith under center in hopes of making a concerted playoff push, while the two-headed monster of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott look to bring Dallas back to the postseason after a hiatus in 2017.

In the final game of the evening, the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons face off, with both NFC South rivals harboring genuine Super Bowl ambitions. Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore both won their respective Rookie of the Year awards, while Matt Ryan and Julio Jones engineer one of the NFL's most potent offenses.