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The NFL is giving us a lump of coal for Christmas

The NFL is giving us a lump of coal for Christmas

The NFL’s Christmas slate looked promising on paper when the schedule was released in May, but the reality is much worse. Three games, one surefire playoff team, four eliminated teams, and one team on the brink of elimination.

NFL 2025 Christmas Day schedule

  • Dallas Cowboys (6-8-1) at Washington Commanders (4-11) – Netflix, 1 pm ET
  • Detroit Lions (8-7) at Minnesota Vikings (7-8) – Netflix, 4:30 pm ET
  • Denver Broncos (11-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-9) – Prime Video, 8 pm ET

Netflix’s second NFL Christmas package is a dud

The Cowboys and Commanders are both mathematically eliminated, while the Lions are hanging by a thread versus the eliminated Vikings. I suppose the only good news is the stakes have increased with Detroit, who would be mathematically eliminated with another loss to the Vikings.

Last year, Netflix struck gold with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans. While the actual games were blowouts, all four teams made the playoffs, so there was something at stake in both matchups. None of the teams they’re showing this year is currently in a playoff spot.

Quarterback injuries ravage the schedule

Prime Video’s regular season finale of Thursday Night Football is the Denver Broncos against the Kansas City Chiefs, which was really enticing about a month ago. While Denver is still playing for the AFC West and No. 1 seed, the Chiefs are 6-9 and down Patrick Mahomes and backup Gardner Minshew, both of whom tore their ACLs in consecutive weeks.

With J.J. McCarthy suffering a hand injury in the Vikings’ win over the New York Giants, as well as Marcus Mariota getting hurt in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, there’s a possibility that all three home teams will be starting third-string quarterbacks. Is America hyped for Josh Johnson, Max Brosmer, and Chris Oladokun on Christmas? I didn’t think so.

NFL has been aggressive about taking over Christmas

Once upon a time, the NFL didn’t always schedule Christmas games, and when they did it was usually on a traditional Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. From 2012-2015 the calendar was empty. Likewise for 2018 and 2019, when Christmas respectively fell on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The 2025 slate marks the third time in four years that there’s been a Christmas tripleheader, and the second season in a row everything is on a subscription streaming service. Commissioner Roger Goodell made it clear that the NFL on Christmas is here to stay, regardless of whether it’s a Sunday or a Tuesday.

“We will clearly have three games [on Christmas] every year,” Goodell said back in April.

You win some, you lose some. That’s the risk the NFL creates with the drastic increase of standalone national broadcast windows.

And yet, despite the lackluster matchups and the Netflix and Prime Video paywalls, all three games will still likely be far and away the highest rated and most watched programming of the day, no matter how superior the NBA’s Christmas schedule is.

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Deadspin | Pirates’ Paul Skenes, facing Cubs, pursues fourth straight win  Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images   Paul Skenes has won each of his past three trips to the mound following a nine-start winless skid.  The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates aim to even their three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.  Dansby Swanson had an RBI single in the 10th inning and Seiya Suzuki drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded two batters later to fuel the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Friday. Chicago has won four of its past six games while Pittsburgh has lost four of its past six.  Skenes (9-8, 3.43 ERA) won his third straight start on Sunday after allowing one run and striking out eight batters over seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. That marked the right-hander’s longest outing since he pitched eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on May 12.  “Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said following the outing at Cleveland. “Not a ton of long at-bats. It’s just that’s pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it’s a pretty good equation (to) get outs when you need to. It’s a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”  Skenes has permitted just five runs while striking out 19 batters in 18 1/3 innings during his winning streak.  That run of good fortune for Skenes came on the heels of a stunning 0-6 stretch over nine starts during which the Pirates lost all nine games.  Skenes, 24, yielded three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 home setback to Chicago on May 28. He fell to 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career appearances (all starts) versus the Cubs.   He would be wise to pitch carefully to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who belted his team-leading 22nd homer in the series opener.  Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) will provide the opposition on Saturday.  Imanaga scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings in a 10-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He kept the ball in the park after being taken deep five times in his previous four games and 22 times in his first 19 starts this season.  “Shota is going to give up home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s the nature of his arsenal. But when they come and how they come has to be a part of it. He is limiting the home run right now. The walk limitation I’m also a big fan of. He’s done a really good job of that.”  Imanaga saw his no-hit bid against Pittsburgh come to an unceremonious end on April 10 after he was removed from the game following six innings. The Japanese hurler threw 68 of 100 pitches for strikes in that contest.  Imanaga, 32, is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA over 32 innings in five career appearances (all starts) versus the Pirates.  Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the series opener, leaving him 1-for-22 with 12 strikeouts in his past five games. He hit safely in his previous seven games against Chicago this season.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Pirates #Paul #Skenes #facing #Cubs #pursues #fourth #straight #winJul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Paul Skenes has won each of his past three trips to the mound following a nine-start winless skid.

The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates aim to even their three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.

Dansby Swanson had an RBI single in the 10th inning and Seiya Suzuki drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded two batters later to fuel the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Friday. Chicago has won four of its past six games while Pittsburgh has lost four of its past six.

Skenes (9-8, 3.43 ERA) won his third straight start on Sunday after allowing one run and striking out eight batters over seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. That marked the right-hander’s longest outing since he pitched eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on May 12.

“Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said following the outing at Cleveland. “Not a ton of long at-bats. It’s just that’s pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it’s a pretty good equation (to) get outs when you need to. It’s a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”

Skenes has permitted just five runs while striking out 19 batters in 18 1/3 innings during his winning streak.

That run of good fortune for Skenes came on the heels of a stunning 0-6 stretch over nine starts during which the Pirates lost all nine games.


Skenes, 24, yielded three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 home setback to Chicago on May 28. He fell to 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career appearances (all starts) versus the Cubs.

He would be wise to pitch carefully to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who belted his team-leading 22nd homer in the series opener.

Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) will provide the opposition on Saturday.

Imanaga scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings in a 10-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He kept the ball in the park after being taken deep five times in his previous four games and 22 times in his first 19 starts this season.

“Shota is going to give up home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s the nature of his arsenal. But when they come and how they come has to be a part of it. He is limiting the home run right now. The walk limitation I’m also a big fan of. He’s done a really good job of that.”

Imanaga saw his no-hit bid against Pittsburgh come to an unceremonious end on April 10 after he was removed from the game following six innings. The Japanese hurler threw 68 of 100 pitches for strikes in that contest.

Imanaga, 32, is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA over 32 innings in five career appearances (all starts) versus the Pirates.

Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the series opener, leaving him 1-for-22 with 12 strikeouts in his past five games. He hit safely in his previous seven games against Chicago this season.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Pirates #Paul #Skenes #facing #Cubs #pursues #fourth #straight #win">Deadspin | Pirates’ Paul Skenes, facing Cubs, pursues fourth straight win  Jul 13, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates Paul Skenes (30) speaks before the home run derby at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images   Paul Skenes has won each of his past three trips to the mound following a nine-start winless skid.  The reigning National League Cy Young Award winner will look to continue his hot streak on Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates aim to even their three-game series against the visiting Chicago Cubs.  Dansby Swanson had an RBI single in the 10th inning and Seiya Suzuki drew a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded two batters later to fuel the Cubs to a 3-2 victory over the Pirates on Friday. Chicago has won four of its past six games while Pittsburgh has lost four of its past six.  Skenes (9-8, 3.43 ERA) won his third straight start on Sunday after allowing one run and striking out eight batters over seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. That marked the right-hander’s longest outing since he pitched eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on May 12.  “Got some early outs, that helps,” Skenes said following the outing at Cleveland. “Not a ton of long at-bats. It’s just that’s pretty much what it adds up to. If you can get early outs and avoid the nine- or 10-pitch at-bats, it’s a pretty good equation (to) get outs when you need to. It’s a pretty good equation for going deep into games.”  Skenes has permitted just five runs while striking out 19 batters in 18 1/3 innings during his winning streak.  That run of good fortune for Skenes came on the heels of a stunning 0-6 stretch over nine starts during which the Pirates lost all nine games.  Skenes, 24, yielded three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-2 home setback to Chicago on May 28. He fell to 2-3 with a 2.77 ERA in eight career appearances (all starts) versus the Cubs.   He would be wise to pitch carefully to Pete Crow-Armstrong, who belted his team-leading 22nd homer in the series opener.  Chicago left-hander Shota Imanaga (6-8, 3.91 ERA) will provide the opposition on Saturday.  Imanaga scattered six hits over seven scoreless innings in a 10-1 victory over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He kept the ball in the park after being taken deep five times in his previous four games and 22 times in his first 19 starts this season.  “Shota is going to give up home runs,” Cubs manager Craig Counsell said. “That’s the nature of his arsenal. But when they come and how they come has to be a part of it. He is limiting the home run right now. The walk limitation I’m also a big fan of. He’s done a really good job of that.”  Imanaga saw his no-hit bid against Pittsburgh come to an unceremonious end on April 10 after he was removed from the game following six innings. The Japanese hurler threw 68 of 100 pitches for strikes in that contest.  Imanaga, 32, is 2-0 with a 0.28 ERA over 32 innings in five career appearances (all starts) versus the Pirates.  Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in the series opener, leaving him 1-for-22 with 12 strikeouts in his past five games. He hit safely in his previous seven games against Chicago this season.  –Field Level Media    #Deadspin #Pirates #Paul #Skenes #facing #Cubs #pursues #fourth #straight #win

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