When a sullen Stan is made to take out the trash after having his ideal Thanksgiving ruined, he finds himself at the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins game and meets Laura & Marvin, diehard Cowboys fans. Despite being cold, broke and hungry, they help warm him and treat him to their tailgate bounty while making friendly competitive banter about his Redskins team. In return, when it looks like their grill won't start, Stan uses the engine of his car as a makeshift grill to cook the food, saving the tailgate. Sitting down with people he would otherwise dislike, Stan realizes that he should still be with his family and returns home.