For the first time since 2017, the NFL returns to the Christmas Day spotlight
The NFL and holidays have a tradition of unity, specifically on Thanksgiving when fans are treated to a day of football and family. What doesn’t come around often, however, is the game making an appearance on Christmas. This year, for the first time in three years, the gift of football arrives in the form of the Minnesota Vikings taking on the New Orleans Saints, both having playoff implications.
This isn’t new to the NFL. In fact, just three years ago, Monday Night Football featured a Christmas game won by the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles over the then Oakland Raiders. Earlier in the day, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Houston Texans. Christmas Day has also been the site of playoff football. 1971 featured two playoff games, both won by the eventual Super Bowl participants in the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.
While New Orleans has never played on Christmas Day, the Vikings have. In 1971, they were defeated by Dallas and by Baltimore in 2005 as well. The lone victory on the day of giving for the Twin Cities was in 1989 by a score of 29-21 over the Cincinnati Bengals.
NFL on Christmas Day in 2020 is about seizing opportunities, not giving them.
On a day of giving, the NFL is now showing a day of taking. In other words, taking control of your playoff fate. New Orleans is in a situation where they are likely to win their division, but in the chase for having home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Given how the new format allows only one team to have a bye, it is imperative to fight for the opportunity as the team who currently occupies that slot is the Green Bay Packers, who tend to have cold weather come postseason time. In contrast, the Vikings are fighting for that last slot as the No. 7 seed, currently occupied by the Arizona Cardinals.
Minnesota had a chance to gain ground, only to fall short to division rival Chicago, who is creeping in on the final slot. To make a long story short, this game is a must-win for both teams. One of these teams won’t be feeling jolly by the end, the answer to that question remains to be unwrapped.