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The NFL is getting more and more progressive with when they schedule games and who they have broadcast them. During Week 17, for the first time ever, Netflix will live stream NFL games, and they will do so on Christmas Day. NFL games on Dec. 25 are increasing in popularity, and this year's Christmas slate will feature four of the best teams in the league.
The Kansas City Chiefs will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers, and then the Baltimore Ravens will face the Houston Texans. In this article, we are going to preview both games, but we are also going to look at the history of Christmas Day NFL games.
Christmas Day schedule 2024
Chiefs vs. Steelers at 1 p.m. ET
Ravens vs. Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET
Both NFL games on Christmas Day will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix, except in local markets, both games will be on CBS-affiliated channels. The Chiefs-Steelers game will be in Pittsburgh at Acrisure Stadium, and the Ravens-Texans game will be in Houston at NRG Stadium.
Chiefs vs. Steelers
The Chiefs are back-to-back defending Super Bowl Champions, and they look fully capable of winning the big game for the third straight season. Kansas City is 14-1 despite a number of key injuries throughout the season. Now, they are starting to get healthy, too, which makes them even scarier.
Isiah Pacheco recently returned from a leg fracture, and Hollywood Brown made his season debut during Week 16. They make an offense led by Patrick Mahomes – the best player in the NFL – even more versatile. Pacheco is still getting his legs under him, but at his best, he is a physical runner who provides great balance to the Chiefs' offensive attack. Brown was one of the team's biggest offseason additions. He is a burner with incredible speed, and that is a scary thought, considering Mahomes is one of the best deep ball passers in football.
Even with how much of a juggernaut the Chiefs have been as of recent, they are still vulnerable. Their offensive line play has been suspect, and Mahomes is still dealing with a tweaked ankle. Plus, the Steelers have had a pretty good season in their own right. Russell Wilson has had a bounceback season, and the team's defense is dominant. T.J. Watt is currently the odds-on favorite to take home the Defensive Player of the Year award, but he is far from the only elite player on that end.
With back-to-back losses, though, the Steelers are fading, and they desperately need another win. The absence of George Pickens was a big reason for their struggles in Week 16, but it is looking like the receiver has a good chance to play. The Chiefs have played on Christmas Day four times, and once they play against the Steelers, they will tie the Dallas Cowboys for the most Dec. 25 games. Kansas City is 2-2 on the holiday, while Pittsburgh is 2-0.
Ravens vs. Texans
As of now, the Ravens actually trail the Steelers in the AFC North standings. Both teams are 10-5, though, and the Ravens are riding a two-game winning streak. Lamar Jackson might not be the odds-on favorite to win the MVP again this year, but he is certainly playing like the best player in football.
The signal-caller is well known as one of the best rushing quarterbacks ever, but he also ranks top five in passing yards (3,787) and passing touchdowns (37) this season. The Ravens backfield also includes Derrick Henry, who has had one of the best running back seasons in the league this year in what has been a resurgence of a season.
The Texans have all of the talent in the world, but their loss to the Chiefs in Week 16 seemingly affected them greatly. Not only did the team lose, but they lost Tank Dell to a season-ending injury. The receiver is a favorite amongst his teammates, and players such as quarterback C.J. Stroud showed tons of emotion when he went down.
The Texans can either respond by playing for their injured star, or they can falter and lose to yet another playoff team. The Texans are 0-1 on Christmas, losing their only game on the holiday to the Steelers back in 2017. The Ravens are 2-1 on Christmas Day.
NFL on Christmas Day history
The NFL first experimented with Christmas Day games back in 1971. At the time, the regular season schedule only consisted of 14 games, so the Dallas Cowboys-Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins-Kansas City Chiefs matchups were a part of the Divisional Round in the NFL Playoffs. This proved unpopular, though, so the NFL didn't play on Christmas again until 1989.
Since then, only regular season games have been played on Christmas Day, and there have been 30 total games on Dec. 25. Games have been played on the holiday in every season since 2020, and in the two seasons prior to this campaign, there were three Christmas Day games.
Prior to 2020, there were typically only Christmas games if the holiday lined up on a Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Now, games are played regardless of the day of the week. The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles are tied for the most Christmas wins with three. One of those Eagles victories came last season. The Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders also collected wins last Christmas.
