Well, that is unless you're a Lions fan. In today's newsletter, we'll recap the Christmas sports slate and look ahead to the weekend, which includes more than a handful of critical football games as the NFL playoffs continue to take shape.

Nate Tice reacts to the Christmas Day NFL slate and looks ahead to the NFL playoff race. Nate gives his instant takeaways from the Dallas Cowboys win over the Washington Commanders, a wild Minnesota Vikings upset win to knock the Detroit Lions out of playoff contention and the Denver Broncos taking care of the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night in their quest for the top seed in the AFC.

The New Orleans Saints have to be pleasantly surprised with rookie quarterback Tyler Shough after his play during the 2025 NFL season. The former Louisville standout and his team are not be eligible for the playoffs.

Following its loss at Minnesota, Jared Goff and Dan Campbell were tabbed as two of USA TODAY Sports' Christmas Day NFL "losers."

The Detroit Lions are used to playing on Thanksgiving Day. Now, for just the third time ever, they're playing on Christmas Day, too. The Lions hope to keep its slim postseason chances alive when they visit the Minnesota Vikings as the second game of a Christmas triple-header.

The Denver Broncos look to lock up the AFC West and improve their playoff standing on Thursday, Dec. 25 when they visit the Kansas City Chiefs.

Injured quarterbacks and underperforming teams sap the league’s holiday slate, which features three games lacking much firepower.

While the NFL has entered the arena, Christmas Day remains one of the biggest days on the NBA calendar — the biggest stars in some of the best matchups. It is a showcase day for the league. That showcase happens across a slate of five games — Cavaliers at Knicks,