Chiefs-Cowboys on Thanksgiving will likely set a regular-season record

For the various captive audience games to be played in each NFL season, the league has a decision to make: Use a so-so game that will generate much higher ratings than it would on a normal Sunday, or peel off a game that would otherwise be destined for prime time and generate massive numbers.

This year, the NFL opted to go very big for the late-afternoon Thanksgiving game.

Chiefs at Cowboys will move the needle until it uncontrollably vibrates and shatters. It'll generate the biggest audience for any regular-season game in league history.

The current record was set on Thanksgiving Day in 2022, when 42.1 million watched the Cowboys beat the Giants, 28-20. That game bested the epic Monday night game from 1990 between the 10-1 Giants and 10-1 49ers, which attracted 41.5 million. (The 49ers won, 7-3.)

Seven of the top nine games happened on Thanksgiving. The other one happened in 1985, when the Dolphins handed the Bears their only loss of the season on a Monday night in December.

The Chiefs are currently the top draw in all of American sports. The Cowboys are still clinging to the "America's Team" moniker, even if they haven't played in an NFC Championship in 30 years.

It's the perfect spot for a game between the two NFL teams that draw the most interest. In most households, the food has been eaten. The Tryptophan is sinking in. The television provides a much-needed respite from the awkward conversation.

Anything under 45 million will be a disappointment. Fifty million isn't out of the question.

Whatever the final number may be, it's safe to say it will be the biggest regular-season audience the league has ever attracted.