NFL Analysis
12/25/24
6 min read
Biggest Takeaways From NFL's Christmas Day Games
Although the Christmas Day games may not have been competitive, they gave us some insight into the four AFC playoff teams.
Christmas kicked off with Patrick Mahomes taking care of business, leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 29-10 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Baltimore Ravens dominated in the following game with a 31-2 victory against the Houston Texans, where the most exciting moment of the game was the Beyonce halftime show.
Still, based on what fans saw on Wednesday, there were some intriguing takeaways from the two-game slate.
NFL Chrismas Day Takeaways
X MARKS THE SPOT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/JAy3uLYgIT
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 25, 2024
Xavier Worthy is finding his footing
There have been a handful of opportunities for Xavier Worthy to make big plays this season, but he's been inches away multiple times throughout the year from finishing them.
That's bound to happen for a rookie, but the Christmas Day game showed Chiefs fans what Worthy is capable of when things are clicking between him and Patrick Mahomes.
Worthy finished the game with nine targets, catching eight of them for 79 yards and a touchdown. He showed off his top-tier play speed and explosiveness on multiple occasions, allowing him to generate 72 yards after the catch.
That's the kind of playmaking Chiefs fans have been waiting for all season. Some of his struggles might have simply been rookie mental mistakes. While there's still some questionable decision-making at times (including his unsportsmanlike penalty), he's becoming a dynamic and explosive weapon for Mahomes and Andy Reid's offense.
Russell Wilson's Age is Showing
Russell Wilson's scrambling, off-script playmaking earlier in his career made him an NFL superstar. Unfortunately, age is catching up to the former Super Bowl champion.
Heading into Wednesday's game, Wilson was one of the worst quarterbacks in the league, throwing 2.5 seconds or later after the snap. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson's 74.7 passer rating on those late throws ranks 32nd in the NFL, throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions.
It looked like more of the same on Wednesday. Pittsburgh's opening drive flamed out after Wilson attempted to escape the pocket but lost the ball in the process. He was able to recover his own fumble, but the Steelers were forced to punt on their opening drive. He tried to do the same thing on the following drive, only to be run down by George Karlaftis for a drive-stalling sack.
Wilson finished the game with 205 passing yards, an interception, and five sacks taken for 43 lost yards. While he rushed for 55 yards on six carries, he struggled when getting outside of the pocket. The deep ball also wasn't there for Wilson, who completed just one pass 20-plus yards downfield.
Although he's shown flashes of the old Russ this year, age is starting to make it harder and harder for him to recapture the younger version of himself.
Kansas City IS STill A Super Bowl contender
The Kansas City Chiefs are a flawed team. However, when things are clicking, they're still one of the hardest teams to stop in the NFL.
Mahomes had his best game of the 2024 season despite playing a Steelers defense that ranked top-10 in defensive DVOA heading into Week 17. He completed 29 of 38 passes for 320 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, finding Worthy, Travis Kelce, and Justin Watson in the end zone.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs' defense completely shut down Wilson and the Steelers' offense. It had five sacks, two takeaways, and just 162 net yards passing.
The team is also starting to get healthy in time for a playoff run. Wide receiver Hollywood Brown has finally seen the field after being acquired by the Chiefs this offseason, while star pass rusher Charles Omenihu is finally back on the field on the other side of the ball.
It's hard to remember that the Chiefs are still 15-1 despite looking so vulnerable at times this year. However, with this current version of Kansas City, it's easy to see why they could make another Super Bowl run.
ACTION JACKSON TO THE HOUSE!!!
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) December 25, 2024
Tune in on Netflix!! pic.twitter.com/9hSGxJ9YSe
Lamar Jackson is the MVP
For as impressive as Josh Allen has been, and as deserving as he is to win an MVP at some point in his career, Lamar Jackson might have wrapped up the race with a dominant performance in front of a national Christmas audience.
By the time Jackson was benched in the fourth quarter, he had led the Ravens offense to a 31-2 lead. He had only attempted 14 passes but completed 10 of them for 168 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions for a 143.9 passer rating.
On top of that hyper-efficient day passing, Jackson ran for another 87 yards and a touchdown on just four attempts. His 48-yard rushing touchdown helped him surpass Michael Vick for the most career rushing yards by a quarterback in NFL history.
The numbers for Jackson are absurd this year. He has 39 touchdown passes with just four interceptions, adding another four touchdowns on the ground. His 43 total touchdowns are tied for the most in his career with his 2019 MVP season.
It's an unbelievable season from the league's most exciting quarterback, and Sunday's blowout win against a fellow AFC playoff team should solidify his case for a third MVP.
C.J. STroud's REgression is a Huge Concern
Some excuses can be made for C.J. Stroud's struggles in his second season. However, the sharp regression in 2024 should concern Texans fans.
For stretches of this season, Stroud has been without Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and now Tank Dell. However, the bigger concern isn't a lack of playmaking through the air but how he's handling pressure.
Heading into Week 17, Stroud had one of the highest sack rates and pressure-to-sack ratios in the NFL. Those numbers got even worse on Christmas, with a P2S ratio of 31.3 percent while being sacked five times.
Even when Stroud isn't getting sacked, his decision-making under duress has been a huge disappointment all year. He's posted a passer rating of just 70.4 when under pressure this year, per PFF, and went just 3-of-10 for 39 yards, one interception, and a passer rating of just 3.8 when under duress against the Ravens.
Having to throw with pressure constantly in your face can completely crush a quarterback's confidence and hinder their development. Stroud was too good as a rookie to completely fall apart, but it's worth noting how poor these numbers have been in 2024.
If the Texans can't focus on protecting Stroud in 2025, they could have a huge problem on their hands.
