How about a little NFL action under the Christmas tree this year? For the first time in league history, the NFL is set to play a Christmas Day tripleheader that may feature a couple of games with serious playoff implications.
Below, you'll find the full rundown and previews for this historic Christmas Day slate:
Packers at Dolphins
1 p.m. ET on Fox | Stream: fuboTV
Had you needed to pick just one team between these two clubs to be in playoff contention when the schedule was first announced, the majority likely would have leaned toward Green Bay. Despite trading away Davante Adams over the offseason, they still have the back-to-back MVP under center, so they'd have to remain in contention, right? Well, the 2022 campaign has been a rocky one for the Packers who are well outside the playoff conversation and seem to be mulling over the idea of shutting down Aaron Rodgers for the season.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are the ones currently inside the playoff picture as the No. 6 seed coming out of Week 14. The addition of Tyreek Hill into the offense along with the arrival of first-year head coach Mike McDaniel has done wonders for Tua Tagovailoa, who has seemingly established himself as the franchise QB going forward. That said, Miami has dropped its previous two games entering Week 15 as defenses may have figured out a way of slowing down this high-speed offense with a blend of press coverage and then dropping back into a zone defense with no blitz. Both the 49ers and Chargers deployed that defense over the past two weeks and Miami is 0-2 over that stretch. If that continues, they could find themselves playing for their playoff lives on Christmas Day.
Broncos at Rams
4:30 p.m. ET on CBS, Nickelodeon | Stream: Paramount+
At the time this game was announced, it was looked to be a possible Super Bowl preview. After all, the Rams were fresh off a title and were bringing back all of their main pillars and the Denver Broncos had swung for the fences and pulled off a blockbuster trade that landed them Russell Wilson. While the arrow seemed to be pointing up for both of these franchises, each has taken a nose-dive in 2022.
The Russell Wilson-Nathaniel Hackett combination has blown up in Denver's face as they are already eliminated from playoff contention and boast one of the worst offenses in the entire NFL. With the Rams, injuries took a huge bite out of their core as Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, and Matthew Stafford have all been put on the shelf.
Despite these teams not living up to their lofty preseason expectations, there will be a few interesting narratives to follow. With L.A., it'll be fascinating to see if Baker Mayfield -- who the Rams claimed off waivers -- can put together enough good tape to land himself another starting job somewhere in the NFL in 2023.
Meanwhile, the game will be appointment viewing for those interested in the NFL Draft, especially those in the Seattle and Detroit area. Thanks to the trades that landed Stafford in Los Angeles and Wilson in Denver, the Lions and Seahawks own those first-round picks in 2023. Coming out of Week 14, Seattle (via Denver) currently holds the No. 2 overall pick, while the Lions (via Rams) own the No. 4 overall pick.
Buccaneers at Cardinals
8:20 p.m. ET on NBC | Stream: fuboTV
We put a bow on the Christmas tripleheader with the Buccaneers heading to Arizona to face the Cardinals. After falling well under .500 and losing Kyler Murray for the year due to a torn ACL, the Arizona Cardinals are playing out the stretch of what has proven to be a tumultuous season. As for Tampa Bay, the 2022 season hasn't gone that swimmingly either, but they do still have a shot at making the playoffs. Entering Week 15, they are in first place in the NFC South, despite holding a 6-7 record on the year. If they can take care of business down the stretch -- which includes this matchup in Arizona -- Tom Brady will give himself a shot to get to the playoffs and possibly spark another improbable run.
