NFL fans should be thankful for Joe Burrow's Thanksgiving Day return

At 3-8, the Cincinnati Bengals' season is virtually over. Barring a stunning undefeated finish to the year, they won't be making the playoffs. Even if they did go 6-0 the rest of the way, a spot in the postseason wouldn't be guaranteed.

That's what makes the return of Joe Burrow this week so commendable. The sixth-year quarterback didn't have to come back at all this season, let alone on the early end of an original three-month timeline after he underwent surgery for a turf toe injury in September. Nobody would've blinked an eye if he decided to simply put his focus on preparing for next season.

Instead, Burrow will play for the first time since Week 2 when the Bengals take on the Baltimore Ravens in the final game of Thursday's three-game Thanksgiving Day slate. And his return completes what should be a fun day of football. The Bengals may not benefit much outside of a little morale boost, but this is huge for us fans.

Thanksgiving starts with the early afternoon matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, who are both chasing the Chicago Bears for first place in the NFC North. Then, it gives way to the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys, who are both fighting for Wild Card position in their respective conferences. The late game between the Ravens and Bengals figured to be the only dud with Cincinnati slumping to one win in their last nine games under Joe Flacco and Jake Browning. It was supposed to be an easy win for the streaking Ravens.

With Burrow back, however, we have something to look forward to in that game too. A dual between two rival MVP-caliber quarterbacks -- one trying to prevent the other from winning a sixth straight game and continuing his own team's playoff push. Even if Burrow ultimately proves to be rusty, he makes the game at least worth showing up for. And that gives the NFL a 3-for-3 slate... on paper. When was the last time that happened?

We'll see if the games actually live up to how good they appear (they rarely do in this season of mediocrity), but the playoff implications alone add enough intrigue. I'll take that on the side of my turkey any time. You can hold on the stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss decision coming

As Lane Kiffin apparently mulls a decision on whether to stay at Ole Miss or move on for the greener pastures of another head coaching job, SEC Network's Paul Finebaum thinks Kiffin's silence about his intentions is speaking volumes:

"He didn't say, 'I definitely will be here and coach my team in the College Football Playoffs.' That is not difficult. You can ask almost any coach who is in the College Football Playoff poll right now, and they will give you that answer. Kiffin nuanced it, which means one thing: he is likely to leave."

I find it completely unfathomable to think Kiffin would actually abandon his team as it competes in the CFP, but I guess we've seen crazier things in college football. We'll find out Friday after the Egg Bowl. In the meantime, you can check out the full clip from Finebaum here.

Quick hits: Red Sox trade grades ... Stafford for MVP ... and more

• The Red Sox acquired Sonny Gray from the Reds in exchange for a couple of young, unproven arms. Our guy Charles Curtis gave out grades for each team in the trade.

• Matthew Stafford is the odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP award, which is a completely unexpected result from pre-season predictions.

• FTW's Meg Hall had a chance to chop it up with Mystics guard Jacy Sheldon. Check out her full Q&A where they touch on the Mystics, Athletes Unlimited and Sheldon's tough battles with Caitlin Clark.

• Fernando Mendoza is still the Heisman trophy front-runner, but his odds to win the award still leave room for someone to catch him in the final few weeks.

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This article originally appeared on For The Win: Joe Burrow's return completes solid Thanksgiving Day slate of games