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On paper, Netflix had great divisional matchups on Christmas Day for Week 17 when the season began.
Of course, the NFL season never goes as planned and the three matchups scheduled for the holidays aren’t what anyone had planned.
The reason? Star quarterbacks won’t play in every game.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott walks off the field after the team’s NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
The first Christmas Day start will be an NFC East battle between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders, both teams already eliminated from playoff contention.
And while Dak Prescott and Co. look to finish the season strong, the Commanders shut down Jayden Daniels, their second-year quarterback who led them to the NFC Championship Game in his rookie season just a year ago, after aggravating his elbow injury.
In fact, the Commanders won’t even see Marcus Mariota, Daniels’ backup who has had to start eight games this season, as he is also dealing with an injury. It will be veteran Josh Johnson who starts in Landover, Maryland, on Christmas Day, for a 4-11 Commanders team that was hoping to at least make the playoffs after a fantastic finish in 2024.
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“When you score those matchups, that’s exactly what you’re thinking: This is going to be great. The way it’s all set up: division games right here at the end between two Philadelphia games with a Dallas game in the middle,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said.
“Playing these divisional games still means a lot.”
Unfortunately for both squads, it will be just for bragging rights.
Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders looks on from the sideline after leaving the game during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at US Bank Stadium on December 7, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images)
On the 4:30 pm ET show, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, a storied NFC North rivalry, the home team in Minneapolis will be without its own second-year playmaker: JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy suffered an injury in the win over the New York Giants last week, and Max Brosmer will have to start again for Kevin O’Connell’s group.
The Minnesota product’s first career start didn’t go very well in Seattle, as the Seahawks had their way on defense against Brosmer. Maybe a home crowd would suit him and the Vikings offense better, but the Lions at least still have something to play for.
Detroit comes into this game off a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, where a game-winning touchdown was nullified after Amon-Ra St. Brown was penalized for offensive pass interference, denying Jared Goff’s flight into the end zone after a throw by the star receiver.
FILE – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes bites his mouthguard during warmups before an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)
The Lions need to win their remaining two games, and at the same time they need the Green Bay Packers to lose their final two games to clinch the final NFC wild card spot.
Finally, and perhaps the biggest disappointment for Netflix, is that the Kansas City Chiefs will not have Patrick Mahomes on the field this holiday season.
Mahomes suffered a torn ACL, which he quickly underwent surgery to repair, following a loss that knocked them out of playoff contention two weeks ago. The Chiefs hoped their backup, Gardner Minshew, could finish the season, but he tore his ACL last week in a loss to the Tennessee Titans.
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That leaves USF alum Chris Oladokun, who replaced Minshew last week, starting against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos, a 12-3 team that has already clinched its playoff berth. Denver will continue to play hard as they are competing for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC, which would ensure home games during the playoffs.
These games were supposed to be possible division/playoff matchups, but the NFL and its fan base are hoping these games aren’t as lopsided as some believe they could become.
