NFL on Christmas Day: 4 AFC playoff-bound teams provide a couple of strong matchups

Wednesdays have been off limits for the NFL through most of its history. For decades, so was Christmas Day.

The NFL is always looking for opportunity and it found one when Christmas Day fell on a Wednesday this season. The league had four teams play on the Saturday of Week 16 and then switch opponents for Christmas, so they were on the same rest as teams that play on Thursday night after a Sunday game. Netflix paid up to broadcast the games. And that’s how we found ourselves with a doubleheader of football on Christmas, on a Wednesday.

When the Kansas City Chiefs play the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens play at the Houston Texans, that will double the amount of games the NFL has played on a Wednesday since 1948. In 2012, the NFL scheduled its season opener between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys on a Wednesday to avoid competing with the Democratic National Convention. In 2020, COVID-19 forced the NFL to reschedule a Pittsburgh Steelers-Ravens game to Wednesday. Those are the only two Wednesday NFL games over the past 76 years. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Wednesday games will not become the norm for the NFL, though it “will be when Christmas falls on a Wednesday.”

Before 1989, the only time the NFL played on Christmas was a pair of playoff games in 1971. The NFL adjusted its schedule when Christmas fell on a Sunday to avoid holding games on that day. Then there was a Christmas game in 1989, other single games in 1993, 1994 and 1995, again in 1999 and 2000, and then a doubleheader in 2004.

After that, the NFL stopped avoiding games on Christmas, though if the holiday falls on a Sunday the NFL will shift the majority of its games to Saturday. For the first 84 NFL seasons, there were only eight games played on Christmas. There have been only 30 games total on Christmas through NFL history. That’s what makes this year’s games unique, with the league going out of its way to get a Christmas doubleheader on the books for a Wednesday. It seems like it will happen again in 2030, the next time Christmas falls on a Wednesday.

It’s hard to pinpoint months ahead of time which matchups will be meaningful in Week 17, but the NFL did well with its Christmas matchups, picking a pair of games that involve four AFC playoff teams. We’ll also get a look at how Netflix handles streaming the games, which became a concern after issues during the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match that drew a massive audience.

Here’s a preview of each of the two Christmas games.

Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5)

1 p.m. ET, Netflix

What’s on the line: Each team has a lot to play for, even though their playoff spots are secure.

The Chiefs can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a win. They lead the Buffalo Bills in the race by two games. A loss to the Steelers would keep Buffalo alive for the No. 1 seed because the Bills have the head-to-head tiebreaker against Kansas City. A 15th win would also set a Chiefs single-season record.

The Steelers could have clinched the AFC North on Saturday with a win, but a loss to the Ravens puts pressure on them. Pittsburgh still wins the division if it wins its final two games. A loss in either game would give the Ravens a shot at taking the division.

The background: The Chiefs have been one of the top stories of this season, and not just because of their pursuit of a historic third straight Super Bowl win. They’re on an unprecedented run of wins in one-score games. The Chiefs won their 16th straight game that was decided by one score last week, which extends their NFL record. Kansas City has won in unusual ways all season, and finds itself a win (or Bills loss) from clinching the best record in the AFC.

Pittsburgh is the surprise success story among the four Christmas teams. There were questions about the Steelers before the season but a strong defense and the resurgence of Russell Wilson have led them to double-digit wins and a playoff spot. Wilson is coming off a two-turnover game and has struggled without No. 1 receiver George Pickens, who has missed three games with a hamstring injury. Pickens has a chance to return this week, which would be a huge help to the offense.

Baltimore Ravens (10-5) at Houston Texans (9-6)

4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix

What’s on the line: The Ravens kept themselves alive for the AFC North title with a win over the Steelers last week. A Steelers loss in the early game would put Baltimore in control of the division.

Of the four teams playing on Christmas, the Texans have the least at stake. They’ve already clinched the AFC South and are very likely to be the No. 4 seed, though there is a shot at moving up to the No. 3 seed by the end of the season. Still, they want to get some momentum before starting their playoff push after losing to the Chiefs last week.

The background: The Ravens have more to worry about than Lamar Jackson’s MVP case, but that’s also a part of the story for Wednesday’s game. Josh Allen leads the MVP race but he didn’t have a big day against the New England Patriots in Week 16. Jackson’s stats are comparable to Allen’s and in some ways better. A huge game for Jackson against a good Texans defense on a big stage might start to change the narrative of the MVP race. Jackson has won two MVPs already and a third isn’t out of the question.

The Texans are trying to rally after a rough injury last week. Receiver Tank Dell suffered a knee injury against the Chiefs and was transported to the hospital after he was carted off the field. That means Houston has lost Stefon Diggs and Dell to major injuries, which makes it even tougher on quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is having a sophomore slump after a great rookie season. He has more than doubled his interception total, throwing 11 this season after only five as a rookie.