Thanksgiving NFL game is projected to be most-watched regular-season game since 1990

Raiders defeat Cowboys in mid-day Thanksgiving game

The Dallas Cowboys (7-4) hosted the Las Vegas Raiders (6-5) in the mid-day slate of the Thanksgiving Day NFL games.

The Raiders upset the Cowboys 36-33 in overtime with a fifth field goal on the night from Daniel Carlson.

Tensions were high in the matchup as the Cowboys were trying not to lose their third out of the last four games, while the Raiders were trying to avoid a four-game losing streak.

During the third quarter, a fight broke out between the teams during a punt as Cowboys rookie Kelvin Joseph and Raiders third-year special-teams player Roderic Teamer battled through the whistle and started an altercation. Both players were ejected.

The altercations didn’t end there as Cowboys defensive tackle Trysten Hill and Raiders offensive lineman John Simpson exchanged words after the game, and then Hill punched Simpson’s helmet off.

There were also a combined 28 penalties for 276 yards.

In all this intensity, it added an entertainment value for viewers.

The game attracted an estimated 38.531 million viewers on CBS. It is projected to be the most viewers for any regular-season NFL game on any network since 1990.

There were 41.474 million viewers for the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers regular-season game on ABC back on Dec. 12, 1990.

Paramount+ also noted that it was the most-streamed NFL regular-season game ever on its platform.

Final data on viewership will be available on Tuesday.