With his Patriots teams far more often than not competing for playoff positioning, that meant that the season was about to heat up and the stakes due to increase every week. The times have changed quite a bit.

Whether it's a strength of this year's group or optimism for next season, every NFL team has at least one reason to be thankful.

From young players to flex scheduling to a gum-chewing special teams coordinator, here’s one thing for each franchise to appreciate on Turkey Day.