NFL on Christmas Day
game held national football league nfl christmas day december occasional part league schedule contrast thanksgiving day game however annual occurrence since thanksgiving always thursday christmas fall day week nfl held two divisional playoff game christmas day regular season spanned week period proved unpopular league avoided game christmas day since league played occasional christmas day andor christmas eve game certain year part week regular season end season christmas day game nfls history broadcast nationally two game played christmas day three game scheduled nfl typically scheduled game christmas day fell saturday sunday monday beginning league scheduled least one christmas game every season even holiday fall day nfl usually schedule game christmas day fall sunday normal slate sunday afternoon game instead played saturday christmas eve one christmas day game include standard sunday night football telecast christmas day fall monday normal slate sunday afternoon game still played christmas eve monday night football christmas night sunday night football telecast moved either monday afternoon saturday december earliest day professional football season typically ended near end november marquee game often played thanksgiving first week december depending team exhibition game would held winter league schedule standardized nfl championship game typically held middecember nfl championship game played december year scheduling complication brought world war ii first regulation nfl game played christmas aflnfl merger nfl regular season usually ended middecember nfl championship game held sunday two week later sunday fell christmas day december league preferred move following day monday december rescheduling occurred championship game american football league afl compensated differently championship game moved back full week played new year day christmas sunday offweek nfls championship game also held sunday january two week end regular season new year day available day since college bowl game moved back monday january year january fall sunday afl scheduled championship game monday afternoon december two league agreed merge play world championship game starting season afl game moved back sunday january first nfl game actually played december came merger – nfl playoff first two game divisional playoff round held christmas day first dallas cowboy minnesota viking second two contest played afternoon miami dolphin versus kansa city chief wound longest game nfl history length latter game nfl received numerous complaint reportedly due fact caused havoc christmas dinner around nation league also came fire quarter intruding traditional religious family holiday kansa state legislator proposed bill ban scheduling future game december result nfl decided schedule christmas day game next season required considerable effort year christmas day fell saturday sunday given ordinarily day would day nfl playoff game held nfl opened regular season week earlier would ordinarily case september second sunday month rather customary third sunday divisional playoff could held december instead december thus game would needed saturday december super bowl xi subsequently played january earliest date super bowl history christmas day falling sunday divisional playoff game held around holiday afc doubleheader saturday december nfc doubleheader monday december done one team twoday rest advantage conference championship game nfl allowed oneday rest advantage scheduling resulted country missing majority first quarter pittsburgh steelers–denver bronco game telecast beginning pm est since early afc game saturday oakland raiders–baltimore colt beginning pm est went double overtime ordinary schedule one game conference viewer would option switching channel using vcr case nbc simply stayed raiders–colts game except pittsburgh denver market overlap telecast nfl continued avoid christmas day even started extend length regular season playoff league expanded game regular season team playoff tournament regular season ended christmas day originally scheduled end sunday december year regular season extended sunday january day nfl player strike reduced season game nfl compensated extending regular season one week eliminating week conference championship super bowl nfl split first round wild card playoff saturday december monday december avoid christmas day game united state football league usfl survived play autumn season would featured first major professional football game played regular season christmas day usfl planned complete set four game christmas day usfl suspended operation prior season game never played finally nfl tried another christmas day game cincinnati minnesota pm est monday night football contest abc thereby avoiding interfering family dinner nfl pushed regular season back one week oneoff experiment meaning christmas day would fall last week regular season instead first round playoff league added bye week schedule making christmas day permanently fall regular season year since nfl played occasional lateafternoon night game holiday league schedule christmas day game starting earlier pm local time either participating team christmas day landed thursday last occurred game scheduled even though league normally schedule game thursday landed week final week season season extended since thursday night game week christmas next time christmas day fall thursday secondtolast week season league also played rare friday game christmas day considered special edition thursday night football league staged least one christmas day game season since even year christmas day fall day league typically play december falling sunday nfl scheduled three christmas day game first time first christmas day game since nfl expanded game schedule game putting holiday thirdtolast week regular season christmas day game consisted single contest sunday network fox pm et early slot cbs late game slot pm et sunday night football cbs game included alternate youthoriented broadcast sister network nickelodeon previously aired wild card game manner nfls next round television deal began run fox acquired right air special christmas day game schedule permit special christmas day game addition standard primetime game christmas day sunday night football monday night football year christmas day land day december landing monday league scheduled another tripleheader consisting national cbs fox game along monday night football second consecutive season nickelodeon aired alternate youthoriented broadcast cbss game december landing wednesday league told wall street journal december would play game christmas day fall tuesday wednesday however march nfl reversed course announced would two game played christmas game streaming netflix nationally worldwide simulcast local linear television station home market participating team franchise game