Top 10 Thanksgiving Day performances in NFL history

9. Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants (Nov. 25, 1982)

Coming off of Defensive Player of the Year honors, Taylor helped his New York Giants win a close 13-6 game with a Herculean effort against the Detroit Lions. After a knee injury kept him out of the first quarter and with his Giants down 6-0, Taylor was put in the game to provide a spark and did he ever. Lawrence finished the contest with a sack, a forced fumble and an interception which he returned 97 yards for the game-deciding score in the 13-6 victory. Not only that, but he also provided pressure on Detroit’s quarterback in another instance which led to a Giants’ interception. It is fair to say that Taylor had perhaps the best individual defensive performance on Thanksgiving and he did it in only three quarters of gameplay.