Over the last few years, the NFL has made a conscious effort to turn Christmas into a marquee day. The effort has not always paid off, as the quality of games has not been great, hitting a low point last year. This year, the league is leaning heavily into the rivalry idea on the 25th, as all three games will be divisional matchups.
It will be interesting to see where the Dallas Cowboys stand by week 16. Will the Micah Parsons offseason drama completely derail the team, or will everything be figured out by then? If they are going to have a successful season, it is going to be because of Dak Prescott and that passing game.
The Washington Commanders are looking to build on their success from last season. Jayden Daniels looks to build off of his Rookie of the Year season. They have some off-the-field drama with star receiver Terry McLaurin.
This game could very well be for second place in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles are the class of the division, and the New York Giants will be fun to watch, but not a real threat.
Last year, the Commanders never faced the Cowboys with Dak. The year before that, when the Cowboys were at their peak, they played a subpar Washington team. Hopefully, people will get a good grasp of this matchup on national TV and see both teams at their best.
Out of the three games, this one will be the hardest to predict. Will Parsons and McLaurin be suited up? There are so many questions surrounding this match-up.
The second Christmas game will allow NFL fans to get a good look at JJ McCarthy. The 2024 first-round pick missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus in the preseason. He will be back, and fans can’t wait to see what he can do following a 14-3 season.
The Detroit Lions are coming off their best season in franchise history, going 15-2. The plethora of injuries suffered on defense, however, put a ceiling on how far they’d go in the postseason. They lost in the divisional round to the Commanders.
Going 15-2 and losing to a rookie in their opening playoff game is almost as bad as a Super Bowl hangover. It’s fair to question how good the Lions will be this year. With the loss of both coordinators, it’s possible that they start a bit slow.
This game could have significant implications for the 2025 season. The Vikings and Lions battle it out for the top spot in the NFC North. If that turns out to be the case, Minnesota has struck gold in the draft.
The Denver Broncos will be going back to Kansas City on Christmas Day. A place they haven’t won since 2015, but were oh-so-close last season. Denver lost 16-14 due to a field goal being blocked in the final seconds.
The Broncos are coming off a year where they made the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. Rookie Bo Nix was everything fans hoped for and has brought a ray of hope to the Mile High City once again. They have upgraded on offense and defense, poised to challenge the class of the AFC West.
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off a 15-2 season, coming up short in their bid for a three-peat. They lost 40-22 in the Super Bowl to the Eagles. Despite the tough loss, Kansas City has been so good for so long that it would be foolish to think they will experience a Super Bowl hangover.
The Chiefs will be right there at the top of the division and the conference at the end of the season. It’s up to Denver to challenge their spot, and they could do it in front of everyone in the final game of Christmas.
This is another game that could decide a divisional winner.
The NFL should be applauded for going a different route on Christmas Day. Placing divisional games the whole day is smart, because more often than not, those games are close. In addition to the division aspect, the NFL is doing a good job showcasing arguably the best QB draft class in recent memory.
The day will feature at least one quarterback from the 2024 NFL draft in every game. Nix and Daniels were the two best at their positions a year ago, and McCarthy is an unknown who has shown flashes of promise. This was perfectly done.
In addition to that, the day features the best teams from each conference a year ago. The Lions and Chiefs were both top-seeded 15-2 teams. It’s up to the Cowboys’ performance to make it a perfect slate of games.
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