NFL Christmas Day Games

Every year, a select few NFL teams get the special opportunity to play on Christmas Day. This year, the NFL has selected the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans. 

The Steelers and Chiefs, teams looking for playoff spots, will play the first game of the day at 1:00PM. The Steelers are one of the surprises of the NFL this season, boasting a 10-4 record and sitting atop the AFC North, while the Chiefs, the defending champions, are seeking the number 1 seed. The Chiefs are one of the most hated teams in the NFL and, by all accounts, are not as good as their record shows. They lead the NFL in one possession wins, rank 21st in rushing yards, 13th in passing yards and have a -4 turnover differential. All of these categories are the essential ingredients for winning and the Chiefs lack them. Instead, they have won most, if not all of their games by pure luck and unbelievable scenarios. 

The 2nd Christmas Day game, Ravens vs. Texans, happens at 4:30PM. The Ravens, sitting at 9-5, are seeking to make the playoffs for the 6th time in the last 7 years and possibly win the division. They will be hoping for a win and a Steelers loss, which would move them closer to the top and make the division race more exciting. The Texans have had an up and down season, and although they sit atop their division at 9-5, they have to be disappointed with their quarterback  C.J. Stroud, who is now in his sophomore season, and has not played as well as his rookie year. 

This year’s games will be interesting, all being played by top 10 teams with playoff aspirations. The Christmas Day games are a yearly tradition in the NFL, and are looked forward to by the players, who consider it an honor. Some people find this controversial, as they would rather be with their families on this special day. I thought the same when I was younger, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve begun to see it as more of a privilege, being able to play for your family and friends with them watching. This season, the Christmas Day games will be played on a Wednesday, and interestingly enough there have only been 3 other Wednesday games in NFL history. This is the first Wednesday game that hasn’t been pushed back or delayed for some reason, so it is unique that the NFL decided to play games on Christmas this year. These are also the first NFL games that will be featured live on the streaming service Netflix, which recently broadcasted their first live event, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight. These games will be exciting, as they could determine some teams playoff chances, and potentially eliminate some teams from division races. As we wait for the games in anticipation, only time will tell how they turn out.