The early games on Thanksgiving were ultimately as lopsided as football fans and executives feared.
The Packers pulled away in the second half, and the Cowboys 24-7 over the Raiders was never in doubt. Those results put more pressure on the Giants Thursday night to keep pace in the NFC.
A loss would put the G-Men two games behind Dallas with only five to play. It would also likely drop them behind Philadelphia, who is a heavy favorite over Washington this week. The Giants host the Cowboys and Eagles in the first two games of December.
Of course, the game is also rather big for the Broncos. The AFC playoff picture is even more crowded than the NFC.
More than anything, one of these teams has to show they are still capable of playing like they were early in the season. On October 11, the Broncos and Giants combined for a 10-0 record. They are 2-8 since.