NFL Christmas Day slate on Netflix is a betrayal from Santa, handing football fans a gigantic lump of coal

If you’re waking up on Christmas morning expecting the NFL to save your holiday with wall-to-wall bangers on Netflix, I regret to inform you that Santa has betrayed you.

Here’s what the NFL rolled out for Christmas Day on Netflix:

• 1 PM: Cowboys at Commanders
• 4:30 PM: Lions at Vikings
• 8:15 PM: Broncos at Chiefs

On paper, that sounds fine. In reality, it’s football purgatory.

• Josh Johnson vs. Dak Prescott
• Max Brosmer vs. Jared Goff
• Chris Oladokun vs. Bo Nix

It really couldn’t get any worse. That’s four eliminated teams and one team that’s basically eliminated but still pretending otherwise.

Detroit is hanging on by a thread. Washington and Dallas are irrelevant. Minnesota is cooked. Kansas City is sleepwalking through December. Denver is the lone team that even remotely matters, and that’s mostly because Bo Nix is at least interesting.

Obviously, it wasn’t supposed to be like this but either way, the NFL Christmas Day slate on Netflix is nothing more than backup quarterbacks, dead playoff races, and zero stakes.

Incredible stuff. It’s honestly impressive how badly they botched this. Christmas Day is supposed to be a showcase. Instead, it’s a reminder that the NFL’s schedule makers sometimes operate with their eyes closed.

Now here’s the funny part. The NBA, a league everyone loves to mock for “not starting until Christmas,” might actually win the day by default.

NBA Christmas Day Slate:

• 12 PM: Cavaliers at Knicks
• 2:30 PM: Spurs at Thunder
• 5 PM: Mavericks at Warriors
• 8 PM: Rockets at Lakers
• 10:30 PM: Timberwolves at Nuggets

Is it perfect? No. Is it still better than whatever Netflix is serving up? Absolutely.

At least the NBA games feature stars, relevance, and teams that are actually trying to win something. Luka. Steph. LeBron. Jokic. Wembanyama. That’s real juice. That’s something you can put on while pretending not to ignore your family.

Meanwhile, the NFL gave us Christmas Day football that feels like Week 18 preseason energy.

Cheers everyone, Merry Christmas.

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