Getty The Saints take on the Vikings on Christmas Day.
Football fans will get a rare Christmas Day NFL matchup but there will be no Thursday Night Football game tonight on Christmas Eve. There are no more Thursday night games on the NFL schedule as all of the Week 17 matchups take place on Sunday, January 3. There is one college football bowl game on Christmas Eve for those looking for a replacement option for the NFL.
Hawaii takes on Houston in the New Mexico Bowl at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN as the lone Christmas Eve football option. Christmas Day has two football games with Marshall squaring off with Buffalo in the Camellia Bowl at 2:30 p.m. Eastern. The marquee Christmas Day matchup is the Saints hosting the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Eastern on NFL Network.
“I haven’t played on a Friday since high school,” Kirk Cousins told St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson. “That will be interesting.”
After being sidelined with broken ribs, Drew Brees returned to the field in Week 15 but the Saints came up short against the Chiefs. Brees discussed the challenges of playing on a short week.
“Yeah, listen, it’s a short week,” Brees explained, per NewOrleansSaints.com. “So, there’s always the challenge of, how do you get basically seven days worth of preparation and recovery, squeezed down into five days. And so, everything’s just accelerated, you got to spend a lot more time with recovery on your body, doing all those things. So, I’ve already kind of mapped out a plan for myself, for this whole week as every guy.”
There may not be a Christmas Eve game but Christmas Day will kick off a four-day stretch of NFL contests that runs through Monday, December 28. Heading into Week 16, only six playoff berths have been claimed leaving eight more postseason spots up for grabs. With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the NFL is on pace to finish on time with the playoffs beginning on Saturday, January 9 as it was originally scheduled.
Here is a look at the full NFL Week 16 schedule including the revised holiday matchups.
NFL Week 16 Schedule: Christmas Day
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Fri., December 25 | Vikings vs. Saints | 4:30 p.m. NFL Network |
NFL Week 16 Schedule: Saturday, December 26
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Sat., December 26 | Buccaneers vs. Lions | 1 p.m. NFL Network |
| Sat., December 26 | 49ers vs. Cardinals | 4:30 p.m. Amazon |
| Sat., December 26 | Dolphins vs. Raiders | 8:15 p.m. NFL Network |
NFL Week 16 Schedule: Sunday, December 27
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Sun., December 27 | Colts vs. Steelers | 1 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., December 27 | Falcons vs. Chiefs | 1 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., December 27 | Bears vs. Jaguars | 1 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., December 27 | Bengals vs. Texans | 1 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., December 27 | Giants vs. Ravens | 1 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., December 27 | Browns vs. Jets | 1 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., December 27 | Panthers vs. Washington | 4:05 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., December 27 | Broncos vs. Chargers | 4:05 p.m. CBS |
| Sun., December 27 | Eagles vs. Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., December 27 | Rams vs. Seahawks | 4:25 p.m. Fox |
| Sun., December 27 | Titans vs. Packers | 8:20 p.m. NBC |
NFL Week 16 Schedule: Monday Night Football
| DATE | MATCHUP | TIME(ET)/TV CHANNEL |
| Mon., December 28 | Bills vs. Patriots | 8:15 p.m. ESPN |
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NFL Christmas Eve Schedule: No Thursday Night Football Game on TV Today