The National Football League aimed to avoid assigning its streaming collaborators, Amazon and Netflix, unfavorable games for their Christmas Day broadcasts. Initially, when the fixture list was unveiled in May, the holiday lineup appeared promising.
However, the reality deviated from initial projections.
The inaugural contest featured the Dallas Cowboys playing against the Washington Commanders. Although the Cowboys were not anticipated to excel this season, their stature as ‘America’s Team’ always draws interest, and the Commanders had experienced an electrifying 2024 campaign, largely thanks to Jayden Daniels. Presently, both franchises are definitively eliminated from postseason contention, and Daniels’ season concluded prematurely due to an elbow ailment.
In the previous season, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings concluded their regular schedule with identical 14-2 records, vying for the divisional championship, a contest ultimately claimed by Detroit. For the current season, the Lions’ postseason aspirations are tenuous, whereas the Vikings have already been ousted from playoff contention. Moreover, the Vikings will be playing without their primary and secondary signal-callers.
The NFL contests scheduled for Christmas Day are not what was initially anticipated. Nevertheless, viewership is expected.
Last season, both the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs qualified for the playoffs, with the Chiefs consistently being a major attraction for the NFL. Rather than an entertaining clash between divisional adversaries, viewers will see a Chiefs squad with a 6-9 record, freshly defeated by the Titans, and compelled to use their third-string quarterback. Among the six teams participating on Christmas, the Broncos stand alone as having a secure playoff berth, absent an improbable resurgence from the Lions.
Is your anticipation building for holiday football action?
We can liken the trio of Christmas day football games to the presents one might discover beneath the tree or within a holiday stocking.
A pair of socks: Cowboys at Commanders
The absence of Jayden Daniels from this contest is merely one concern. Marcus Mariota’s participation is uncertain due to quadriceps and hand ailments that sidelined him during Washington’s Week 16 defeat by the Eagles. It is conceivable that Josh Johnson will be the starting quarterback for Washington. There’s a possibility that half of the teams playing on Christmas will rely on their third-string quarterbacks.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys’ offensive unit provides entertainment. Dak Prescott has enjoyed a successful season, distributing passes to CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Dallas exhibits overall deficiencies, largely attributable to a subpar defense; however, fantasy football enthusiasts who have Cowboys players in their championship matchups will find it engaging. Beyond that, there’s little else to generate excitement for this particular event, yet similar to unwrapping an unappealing pair of socks, one will offer a polite grin and proceed.
Re-gifted bread maker: Lions at Vikings
A re-gifted bread maker may lack thrill, but it could see occasional use. This sentiment encapsulates the matchup between the Lions and Vikings. The Lions still garner a degree of interest, although their 7% likelihood of securing a playoff spot (as reported by NFL.com) presents a challenging proposition for drawing excitement. On their roster, exciting talents such as Jahmyr Gibbs offer a silver lining.
The Vikings also boast a phenomenal talent in Justin Jefferson, yet he has been largely ineffective for much of the season because of the Vikings’ dismal quarterback circumstances. The quarterback predicament is set to worsen on Christmas Day, as J.J. McCarthy will be unavailable, suffering from a hairline fracture in his right throwing hand. This development paves the way for undrafted rookie Max Brosmer to make another start. In his sole prior NFL starting appearance, Brosmer recorded four interceptions and an abysmal 32.8 passer rating.
This current NFL season features several underperforming teams, with these two franchises being among the most notable. Astonishingly, despite both teams maintaining approximately a .500 winning percentage, this constitutes the most compelling contest among the three Christmas Day fixtures.
Coal in the stocking: Broncos at Chiefs
Fortunately, the NFL scheduled the least appealing game as the finale. The Chiefs frequently appear in primetime broadcasts, and whether one admires or despises them, their games typically deliver excitement. This was the case prior to Patrick Mahomes sustaining an ACL tear. Gardner Minshew II lasted less than a half in his initial start last week, stepping in for Mahomes, before succumbing to a season-ending knee injury himself.
The probable successor is Chris Oladokun, a seventh-round selection from 2022, who had only seen limited action in the NFL before Minshew’s injury last Sunday. Although this represents a significant chance for an athlete who has predominantly been on practice squads throughout his career, it is difficult to imagine him enabling the Chiefs to remain competitive against the formidable Broncos defense. The Chiefs are currently listed as 13-point underdogs, marking the widest point spread they have encountered since 1977. There is no obligation to pretend excitement for this particular contest.
Among the six franchises participating on Christmas Day, the Broncos are the sole team with tangible postseason objectives still within reach. The Broncos retain the potential to secure the AFC’s top seed, even following their defeat to the Jaguars last week. They remain contenders for the AFC West championship, competing against the Chargers. This particular encounter was initially anticipated as a pivotal event, with the Chiefs aiming to prolong their nine-year dominance of AFC West titles against a robust challenger. The circumstances did not unfold as foreseen. In fact, none of the holiday pairings met their original expectations.
