There are just three games taking place on Christmas Day in the NFL this year, with the Steelers taking on the Raiders, the Dolphins vs the Packers and the Broncos travelling to LA to face the Rams and ahead of the festive fixtures this season, we take a look at some of the best games that have ever taken place on Christmas Day.
5. Kansas City Chiefs vs Oakland Raiders (2004)
Our first festive pick on the list is the Chiefs vs Raiders game which took place in 2004, with Kansas gifting their fans the best possible present on Christmas Day with a last gasp win against Oakland.
The previously known Oakland Raiders seemed to have total control over the game against their AFC West rival’s, with everything falling apart at the seams for the Chiefs and especially for their star kicker Lawrence Tynes.
Tynes struggled to hit his mark early on in the game and after missing two field goal attempts early in the game, things weren’t looking good for Kansas who trailed by three points going into the final quarter.
Special teams ended up proving to be very important during this 2004 matchup, as Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski sent two field goals flying through the posts to give Oakland a 30-28 lead with just one minute left on the clock.
Christmas was saved for the Chiefs with just 22 seconds left on the clock however, as Tynes redeemed his previous two misses with a 38-yard field goal when it mattered most to give Kansas the win in what was a thrilling match.
4. Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers (2005)
The Packers take on the Dolphins this Christmas Day in what could be a game for the ages and they also feature on this historic list when they played the Bears in 2005 in what was a festive defensive slog.
Having already lost to Chicago earlier in the season, the Packers were out for revenge on Christmas Day while the Bears looked to win the NFC North in a very promising season.
It was Chicago who came out on top yet again however, as the Bears defence proved to be too strong, recording four interceptions on their way towards the NFC North title.
3. Miami Dolphins vs Kansas City Chiefs (1971)
One of the earliest editions of Christmas Day games comes in at number three on the list, as the Miami Dolphins managed to seal a late win over the Chiefs in one of the best holiday matchups in NFL history.
Chiefs star running back Ed Podolak carried throughout the game, however the 350 yards from the Super Bowl champ were not quite enough to seal the victory for Kansas in one of the longest games ever played in the NFL.
The game took a total of 82 minutes and 40 seconds to complete and having gone through two overtimes, it was Dolphins kicker Garo Yepremian who sealed the deal for Miami who smashed a 37-yard field goal late on to send his side to the AFC Championship game in the process.
2. Arizona Cardinals vs Dallas Cowboys (2010)
Just missing out on top spot in our list is the Cardinals win against the Cowboys which came in Christmas Day in 2010. Most fans would expect a game between two sides 5-10 in the season to be a fairly dull encounter, however luckily for neutrals this game was anything but that.
Arizona made two interceptions early on and were flying in the game as they led the Cowboys with a healthy 21-3 lead early on. The Cowboys refused to go down without putting up a fight however and managed to come back and put themselves in front with just 2 minutes left to play thanks to a 37-yard touchdown from Stephen McGee to Miles Austin.
The comeback wasn’t meant to be for Dallas however and a missed extra point killed the game for the Cowboys as a 48-yard game-winning field goal won the Cardinals the match with just five seconds left on the clock.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens (2016)
Number one on our Christmas list undoubtedly goes to the Steelers clash with the Ravens back in 2016 in a game that had absolutely everything.
With a division title on the line and everything to play for, the Steelers went down 20-10 against the Ravens with just over 14 minutes left on the clock and it certainly looked like Pittsburgh’s title hopes were going down the drain as time ticked on.
Le’Veon Bell managed a seven yard touchdown just minutes later however, as the Steelers began to mount a comeback late on. Ben Roethlisberger found Bell for yet another 7 yard touchdown just minutes later however, giving the Steelers a four point lead.
It was then the Ravens turn to come back into the game however, as a 10-yard touchdown was completed by Kyle Juszczyk with just 1:18 left on the clock, setting up one of the most thrilling finishes we have seen in NFL history.
Roethlisberger and the Steelers managed to fight back yet again however, as the QB found Antonio Brown for a four-yard touchdown with less than ten seconds to go, Chris Boswell managed to secure the extra point for Pittsburgh as well as the victory following a 21 point quarter for the Steelers in a 31-27 win.
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